Funny, couldnt find it on the internet either. It is harvested from the acacia tree. For more detailed info on the gum and such see wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gum_arabicIt is used in popular drinks like coca cola and pepsi I believe. But is also used a lot in liquorice.
Like I said, when you wet the powder it becomes a sort of glue. You can make all kinds of treat-toys for your parrot.
I was tipped by somebody from my parakeetclub. He trains parrots (and birds of prey, smal wild animals and such) for educational shows. He did a lot of study into animal behavior (even in america) and is a big enrichment enthousiast. He told me I should look into this as being a really fun and natural way to make my parrot work for his food.
Even smaller kinds of parrots can enjoy it. He told me to dip a string of millet into the sollution. It would take the birds hours to pick it clean.
Here's an account of my latest try:
What you need:
Powdered Aracic gom
Seed mix
Water
A cup and a spoon
A parrotproof holder
Step one, put about two tablespoons of powder in the cup.
Step two, add water. The more water the longer it takes the gum to dry.
Step three, Mix. You see I used luke warm water and I have lumps… The warmer the water, the smoother the mix.
Step four, mix in the seeds.
Step five, keep mixing. The more seeds you add the better the gum will dry.
Step six, this is where it gets really messy. Make toys! Like stuffing a barrel of fun with it.
Or a pine cone (a bought seed stuffed parrot toy that was eaten clean)
and Marlies
