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.