Food from a foraging ball? :)

[Viatrixa]

My little IRN young'un Simo has a habit of chucking his vegetables out from his feeding bowl. He then climbs down to the bottom of the cage and proceeds to feed there! I've read a bit about this and it seems to be a pretty common thing with indian ringnecks. The desire to forage, and all that. So me and the husband decided to try and give his food to him in a foraging ball a few times - and we noticed that this had a very curious effect on him. He seems to have developed his foot dexterity a little bit.

He did and does carry, move, and grab things with his foot by default, but after experimenting with the forage ball feed he seems to have become a little less clumsier. I also noticed he just uses his foot more in general after it.

It may sound like a dumb question but is this okay / positive for the bird to give him his food in such a manner? At least he seems to be enjoying it - he does his whole "I'm content!" peeps when he goes down to it and begins to prod and poke it. I'm aware that in nature parrots do forage quite a bit but I'm not entirely certain weather I should reserve the foraging toy specifically for treats or would normal food be okay too?

[Wolf]

I guess it depends on how you look at it, me?, I would use any food that my bird likes in the foraging toy. The reason that most people use treats in them is that they wish to be fairly certain that the bird will use the foraging toy, and most treats are just high value food items.

[Pajarita]

Yep, what Wolf said. Usually, people put nuts in the foraging toys because that is what parrots like the best but if you can get away with putting regular food in them, go ahead and more power to you!

[marie83]

I guess it depends on how you look at it, me?, I would use any food that my bird likes in the foraging toy. The reason that most people use treats in them is that they wish to be fairly certain that the bird will use the foraging toy, and most treats are just high value food items.

I disagree. I use foraging toys, not to make the birds play with them but because it keeps the birds occupied longer. I believe it is good physical and mental work for them (depending on the toy).

If you think about it most birds are kept in cages which are static, solid perches which are static, ropes which only really move when the bird moves etc where as in the wild the perches move with the wind forcing the bird to almost constantly work muscles in order to keep balance.

I don't think it matters whether you use treats only or normal food in the treat toys- provided you know the bird can get the food and wont go hungry. I've always found mine very motivated regardless of what I put in them with the exception of Harlie.

[Wolf]

I would think that using foraging toys for physical and mental stimulation would be the reason that you would want them to use them and the reason that most people use a high value food item in them. So I don't think that you are really disagreeing rather that I may not have been clear enough.

[marie83]

Hahaa ok Wolf. I sorry for the misunderstanding lol

Actually I re - read your initial post and I think it is clear and I was stressed and read it wrongly.

[Pajarita]

Yes, You were both saying the same thing - only using different words.

And you are correct on the perches been too static! That's why I always recommend putting branches in or on them (I like to put branches going up and tied to the sides). I use smallish ones with little ones branching out from them and never parallel to the ground, always crooked if not almost vertical so, when they climb up, the little branches 'give' and bounce.

[Wolf]

Ahh, the printed word is a wonderful thing, but it is also easily misunderstood by both the writer and the reader. Actually all you did was give what I said added dimension for which I can only say thank you for. Great post, Marie83 !