Toys, toys, toys...

[Japie]

Everywhere I read it is said that you have to spoil our feathered friends with plenty of toys. How often do you change these toys???? Luckily in our home we have two kids under 6 and they are all to keen to share their stuff...

[DaffyToons]

I think it depends on the bird. One of my African Greys, Sylvester, is insistent that I not remove his favorite toy. When I did change it once, he started plucking his feathers. As soon as I replaced it, he stopped. So, I will change around his other toys every other month or so, and that seems to suit him just fine.

My other Grey, Poppy, does not play with his toys much. When he is in his cage, which is not very often, he will do laps around the inside, using his toys to move around, but play with them he will not. He loves his swing and pumps his head to swing even higher.

I wouldn't suggest using kids' toys as toys for your Grey (or maybe I read that wrong). Buy only bird-safe toys made especially for birds of that size that are tested tried and true.

[Japie]

thanx. I have noticed that Japie prefers certain toys, but haven't changed anything around. oops and yes, Japie has been playing with the kids toys, but only wooden blocks and somehow got quite attached to a dinosaur...

[linus]

I would suggest experimenting. My Earl prefers paper toys. Gem likes rope and wood toys, which he destroys at a fast pace. Linus is afraid of toys. I can get him to play with a piece of yarn or something, but he is very timid.

[linus]

I just broke down and bought a Manzanita Tree for my birds to play on. Now comes the challenge of getting them to acclimate with it. Right now it is sitting where they can see it. Poor Linus, he went to the back of his cage to "Hide". Gem and Earl are just wary of it. I give it a week or so and all three will be playing on it.

[Japie]

hie hie hie...:laugh:
japie has taken to "reading" my hisbands Farmers Weekly magazines!!
and thank goodness it is weekly, also not that shiny paper!
will go and look at this tree thing you are talking about, sound like an interesting thing...

[Japie]

I had a look ( on web) at these tree things... It looks like a lovely 'jungle gym'... I am tempted to construct one from indigenous wood... will have to do a little seach for similar trees round here. (It does help, we live on the same continent as our feathered friends!)
:woohoo:

[FairY]

Japie, which may these indigenous trees be?

[Japie]

Trees for Africa??!! We live in an eco estate and even the grass and flowers are indig... I will have to do a proper search and maybe find out from 'bird people' round here to know what is best to use. It would be lovely to bring the 'outside' 'inside'.
The area which we live is "bushveld", lotsa thorn trees that attract a huge variety of birds...{Nature-00020095}

[FairY]

Yeah, I thought so: African trees. Just wondered which species - so I could look at pictures on the web...

How do your birds react to the noise of the birds outside?