How many toys/how often to rotate?

[Grey_Moon]

So its that time of year again, my wallet will be crying but my girl needs toys!

With that, if I was aiming to provide 5 toys at a time (minus her stainless steel bucket of foot toys--which she LOVES) how many toys would I buy in bulk at one time?
I do rotate them out to keep things interesting but how long does it take a bird to 'forget' a toy so its new and interesting again?

She gets less enthusiastic/bored at about the 3-4 day mark of a toy, so base math says about 10 toys a week (2 groups of five).
But in order to avoid having to buy 40 toys at a shot...
Would it be enough to get 25 or so?

Seeing as that way there'd be a week of her not seeing the first week's toys? Or is that too short a time?

The only reason I ask is I'm so jealous of those of you who have mechanically inclined or light chewing birds

My girl (I have a feeling) was raised with the big ol' amazon who lived in the same room when I met her instead of just living in the same house as an adult---she's a woodchipper/shredder/destroyer par excellence!
None of this 'intellectual mindfulness' stuff---its all seek n destroy! She's absolutely not toy shy and is not 'light of beak'. Plus she's quick to be bored and loses focus.

Puzzles? Forget about it unless there's food. Acrylic toys? Only for pooping on.
Wood n rope n foraging are where its at for this girl. Except she's only tag sized! So the wood on the toys for the big guys is too hard for her....so she gets discouraged.

Needless to say she's a hard bird to toy-shop for. I laugh when a toy says 'provides hours of fun' hours? Really? She'll chew through it in less than 30 mins, guaranteed!
I'll be replacing/adding a few toys monthly after my big bulk purchase, but was just looking for some advice, help n recommendations on how much to get.

Or am I just overcomplicating things

[marie83]

I guess the key is to keep rotating them before she gets bored even if thats every couple of days but then like you say you need more toys otherwise they are going back in the cage again too quickly.
Mine have got tons of toys, I tend to buy a few cheaper ones or 1 more expensive one each time I order food, this works for me because mine don't destroy much really.
Do you have a lumber yard nearby you could buy scraps of certain woods from so you can make your own out of the softer safe woods? thast way you should have a never ending cheap supply of wood so it matters less if she destroys it in 30 mins or you can put the smaller scraps into the foraging/puzzle toys along side the food.

I don't really have any other suggestions, I've often wondered how I would provide enough variety for a bigger bird to keep them entertained all day because the bigger toys are really expensive and tend to be quite repetative. I struggle thinking up ideas and finding new things for the smaller ones and there is alot more they can have because they are weaker there is less of a safety risk.

[Polarn]

I think one solution for you might be to perhaps provide 6toys in each rotation but to couple them up, so that 2 toys become 1 (in thouse cases possible todo this, weather it be joined in a bundle or over n under) this way you can swap the combination of toys lets say you get 6different toys that can be joined together to a bundle you will end up having 15 different combinations of pairing up (without counting possible ways to join them together just a+b a+c a+d etc etc.) this however require them to be of a design that works good todo this with. but this would require less toys to create more combination of em so to speak. I mean alot of toys is basically the same, colored blocks, strips of leather,rope etc, just put together differently and if you can find/design toys you can easily change like this I think it might work. I know my zon is happy getting different colored wooden blocks or a different colored rope and that will entertain him until boored, some swings are always up etc though couse he uses them daily, but i kind of change the colortheme once or twice a week and I keep 6 set of colors (not changing blocks and ropes and swings etc to the same color al lthe time though) .

[Polarn]

oh btw the wooden blocks etc isnt really changed its just an endless stream of new added couse they are chewed away rather than removed by me, so I just replace the ones already chewed up. but try to give him a new set of colors when i do.

[Eurycerus]

oh btw the wooden blocks etc isnt really changed its just an endless stream of new added couse they are chewed away rather than removed by me, so I just replace the ones already chewed up. but try to give him a new set of colors when i do.

I do this too. :] I think buying bulk toys parts is waay better because you know what your parrot likes so can provide for her needs better.

[pionus]

with my budgie, whenever he partially chewed up one of his toys, i would take it apart and use the salvageable pieces to make new ones. i could probably get three or four toys out of one or two old ones. twine is great for hanging them.

[Grey_Moon]

So it looks like I'll be going the homemade route!

I'll buy 1-2 store-bought toys from here on out every month as new/replacement (not counting all the cheap little foot toys)--but for getting those bulk 40+ toys I'll be doing it all DIY.

Does anyone have this book?

http://www.amazon.com/Parrot-Toys-Play- ... 0967882001

I've already got the two Parrot Enrichment Activity Book pdfs but I hear this book is more like a guide and less just photos of different toy ideas, which for a beginner like me who is lacking in the creativty department is good.

[Eurycerus]

Another idea is to browse online or magazines of parrot toys. I went to a toy making party and the coordinator had a few magazines that were helpful to browse for ideas.

[Polarn]

I'm sneaky like that (I however make my own wooden blocks etc when i got nothing better todo, mostly because it gives me something to fiddle with and its free). I will go browse every single toy in any new store I get to when I'm there to get something else, looking at what others does is a good way to gain inspiration, same with online parrot shops, and since im not buying too many of the toys I doesnt really care about if it is a cheap or expensive shop im looking at (although I spent about 80USD for some toys today, some things I just dont feel is worth the effort making myself, or their in materials that I cant go outside and get, such as bamboo, wich I got today when i stopped by the petstore to talk a bit to the owner about enrichment for a floorbound galah.) if you make a search on ebay for parrot toy parts, you can buy bulk of alot of things, just ask them (I know you will so mostly a reminder for others who might not think about it) what type of wood, and if colored ask them what colors they use etc. if they cant answer these questions then keep looking. for coloring "vitacritter" works really good, seems expensive though but it lasts pretty long diluted properly. so if they can account for the type of wood but not the coloring then get the uncolored ones and color yourself with fooddyes or get a safe colorant.

Oh btw my little ones seems to enjoy the process of putting the toys together as much if not more than playing with the actual toys when done, but thats probably because when making them they get to play with the toys together with me for an hour or two straight, even if they try to tug the rope or peices away while i try to attach em where i want em hehe.

[Maria]

BASIC:

ONE ACRYLIC OR PLASTIC TOY (FOR DURABILITY & SOURCE FOR CLIMBING & SWINGING ACROSS CAGE)

ONE WOOD TOY (FOR CHEWING)

ONE LEATHER OR SISAL ROPE TOY (FOR PREENING NEEDS)

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ROTATE (SWITCH OUT) TOYS GENERALLY ONCE A WEEK, AND DEPENDING ON HOW CHEWED DOWN THEY ARE, AND TO AVOID BOREDOM. ALOT OF TIMES BIRDS WILL NOT KEEP CHEWING ON AND PLAYING WITH PARTLY CHEWED TOYS. KEEP AN EYE ON THEM.

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Otherwise, you could also put in a swing (source of amusement, exercise & a fun place to perch)

refillable toy hangers (like foragers)
(for a constant source of entertainment)

And foot toys:
dumb bells
natural rawhide bones
plastic rings
(for great exercise for birds feet)
(old toy parts come in handy for this use too)


2 to 3, maybe 4, toys in cage. Don't want too cluttered, so when spreads wings, bird can move around, wings don't touch sides of cage or toys, etc.