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How many toys is too much?

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How many toys is too much?

Postby Kathleen » Thu Oct 01, 2009 9:44 pm

My budgie's cage doesn't have a lot of toys, and this is based on something very species specific. He's never really interested in the toys that I place in his cage, but that's a whole different issue and another topic I'll be making in the future. I noticed, however, that even medium sized parrots can be seen online in many places with a LOT of toys in their cage, seemingly more than desired.

I don't know if a number should be put the amount of toys in a bird's cage. I understand that larger parrots are more destructive and require larger toys, some are even more destructive than others, and the more intelligent parrots require even more toys to keep them entertained. But what I really want to know is, is it such a good thing to put a lot of toys in your bird's cage? Or do birds just get overwhelmed and feel cramped if there are too many toys? Does this discourage birds from coming out of their cages?
Kathleen
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Re: How many toys is too much?

Postby Mona » Sat Oct 03, 2009 5:15 pm

Hi Kathleen:

That is a good question. If there are so many toys that the bird cannot fly or move around freely, there are too many toys IMHO....

Thanks!

Mona
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Re: How many toys is too much?

Postby Natacha » Sat Oct 03, 2009 8:37 pm

I don't overcrowd my cages, although they do have a fair number of toys in them. I think depending on the size of the actual toys, I might have between 5 and 10 on average in their cages, hung everywhere, from the cage's top to some toys hanging from the sides near the bottom.
I don't think my birds feel overcrowded and they can, generally, flap their wings in some areas.
My blog http://poiworld.blogspot.com/
Videos of my birds http://www.youtube.com/user/poicephaluslady
Piper ~ Lovebird
Shade ~ Senegal
Joey & Pixel ~ Red-bellied parrots
Petey & Zuri ~ Meyer's parrots
Léa ~ Cape parrot
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Re: How many toys is too much?

Postby Michael » Sat Oct 03, 2009 8:42 pm

Now I could be wrong but in my opinion I think 3 toys is the ideal number. I usually try to keep one chew toy, one play toy, and one other. Now my parrot does spend a significant portion of her day chewing up her perches so I provide a lot of perches because they are more entertaining than toys for her. I also don't count swings or special perches as toys and usually have a few of those.

I prefer to rotate my parrot's toys more often rather than providing a greater quantity at once. I keep a few more toys on her climbing tree that she gets to look forward to playing when she comes out. Personally, I don't like to clutter the cage too much and I think she appreciates having space to climb around and perches to chew.
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Re: How many toys is too much?

Postby Natacha » Sat Oct 03, 2009 8:57 pm

Like I said, I vary between 5 and 10 depending on the size.

10 would be rather small toys that they will destroy within the day and I'll have no choice to replace once I get home or the day after I first put them in.

5 would be slightly bigger and more complicated toys.

I believe in having different chew toys made from different materials and with different difficulty level of shredding/destroying and have more than one at the time, have some foraging toys (I try to at least always have one and up to three at once) to make them work for food while I'm gone for the day. I am gone from 8 to 5 so I try to provide them with interesting things to do whilst in their cages.
I do believe in rotating toys as well and have quite the collection of toys for each birds in bins under their cages.

They also have play gyms on the outside of their cages, some on wheels and some hanging from the ceiling. They have a wide variety of toys out of their cages too; anything to keep them busy.
My blog http://poiworld.blogspot.com/
Videos of my birds http://www.youtube.com/user/poicephaluslady
Piper ~ Lovebird
Shade ~ Senegal
Joey & Pixel ~ Red-bellied parrots
Petey & Zuri ~ Meyer's parrots
Léa ~ Cape parrot
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African Grey
 
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Re: How many toys is too much?

Postby Kathleen » Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:04 pm

My budgie isn't a big chewer/shredder. I've seen him playing with his toys in the last few days, which is something new for him.

You seem really dedicated to keeping your birds active and entertained. What kinds of toys get destroyed in a day? Think you could show a picture of what your cage setups look like?
Kathleen
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Re: How many toys is too much?

Postby Natacha » Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:13 pm

I'll post pictures when I have a chance to take some. I might have some older ones lying around though..will have to look.

Two of my birds are heavy chewers. They'll destroy wooden toys easily, so for them I got bigger wood toys, yet made of a fairly soft wood (I think the latest one is pine). They'll destroy any toy made of balsa in a matter of minutes, but they occasionally get some because they really seem to enjoy them.
One of my birds is more into puzzles so I'm really starting to get her to forage more.

All of them but my lovebird have a stainless steel bucket filled with food toys or wrapped up treats I often come home to find the buckets have been explored and the contents are either destroyed or lying on the bottom of the cage (in the case of plastic/acrylic toys which they play with and they let fall when they are tired of it).
My blog http://poiworld.blogspot.com/
Videos of my birds http://www.youtube.com/user/poicephaluslady
Piper ~ Lovebird
Shade ~ Senegal
Joey & Pixel ~ Red-bellied parrots
Petey & Zuri ~ Meyer's parrots
Léa ~ Cape parrot
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Natacha
African Grey
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 1277
Location: Ontario, Canada
Number of Birds Owned: 7
Types of Birds Owned: PF Lovebird, Senegal Parrot, Red-bellied Parrots, Meyer's Parrot, Cape Parrot
Flight: Yes

Re: How many toys is too much?

Postby Michael » Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:24 pm

Someone told me that male poicephalus chew more stuff and harder things than females. Is that true with your flock as well?
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Michael
Macaw
 
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Re: How many toys is too much?

Postby Natacha » Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:30 pm

Hmm..interesting question and honestly my answer would have to be I don't know.
The only one I truly know the sex for is Joey, since Red-bellies are sexually dimorphic as adults. He's one of my big time chewers.
I'm fairly sure Shade is a female, specially compared to her "brother" and based on some indications we found online talking about differences between females and males Sennies. She's not the biggest chewer, specially not compared to Joey. She's definitively more meticulous in her destruction habit.

My other big chewer is Zuri and I'm not sure if she's a female or not. Most days I would say yes and then other days I would say no...
My blog http://poiworld.blogspot.com/
Videos of my birds http://www.youtube.com/user/poicephaluslady
Piper ~ Lovebird
Shade ~ Senegal
Joey & Pixel ~ Red-bellied parrots
Petey & Zuri ~ Meyer's parrots
Léa ~ Cape parrot
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Natacha
African Grey
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 1277
Location: Ontario, Canada
Number of Birds Owned: 7
Types of Birds Owned: PF Lovebird, Senegal Parrot, Red-bellied Parrots, Meyer's Parrot, Cape Parrot
Flight: Yes

Re: How many toys is too much?

Postby Michael » Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:37 pm

You're not worried about your Meyers pair being opposite sexes and breeding?

I guess gender doesn't really matter unless you have more than one of a certain species...
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Michael
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 6286
Location: New York
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal Parrot, Cape Parrot, Green-Winged Macaw
Flight: Yes

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