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Making Home-made Bird Toys
Home-Made Toy Safety Tips
Most parrot owners are aware of the vital importance of providing toys to our
pet birds. A busy bird is indeed a happy bird! Making your own toys at home
is rewarding, fun & a great creative outlet! Be sure to take the time to
investigate the safety of the parts you will be using.Here is a list of toy
parts and toys that are either dangerous, or potentially dangerous:
*Split
rings – these are commonly used on key chains. Many people still use
them for bird toys. Very un-safe! The ring can be pulled apart and can actually
become lodged inside the beak. There are cases of the sharp ends piercing the
beak or face.
*Slinky-type kids’ toys – very un-safe! Birds can
get their entire bodies trapped inside these metal or plastic toys. Imagine
the disaster if your bird encountered problems if unsupervised! Please note:
these are NOT the thicker, rubbery tubes that some bird toy companies sell.
*Dollar
store plastic parts – a growing trend in making toys at home, is the
use of ‘dollar store’ items & children’s toys. Some hard
plastics can break easily & are very sharp, almost like glass. Please be
sure that plastic parts are flexible & slightly ‘rubbery’.
*Metals – use only nickel-plated chains and hangers. Stainless steel
is the best choice but far more expensive than nickel plate items. Heavy metal
poisoning can cause death!
*Grapevine and/or wicker- many natural items such
as pre-shaped grapevine pieces, actually have hidden metal coils inside, to
form the shape of the item. Often, this metal coil is coloured to match the
item & can be found only upon taking the piece apart, or by use of a metal
detector. Wicker is generally sprayed with pesticides prior to shipping to
North America. The pesticides used are not safe for birds. Purchase these items
from reputable bird-friendly sources only!
There are many wonderful natural
toy parts that are made exclusively for the pet industry. Please use common
sense when creating your own toy designs at home. If you are unsure of the
safety of a certain part…set it aside & research! Too many accidents
occur needlessly.
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