Thrift Store finds

[DANH]

Often Young Childrens toys will be disgarded and found at thrift stores at dirt cheap prices.
What are your thoughts on using these toys for parrots?

[Utoomom]

Wow, now theres a thought...um?? gonna look into that. If we can find birdie safe chew stuff, it might work out great! & super cheap. Good idea...

[Maria]

mmmmmm not so sure about this.

For one, human saliva parrots/birds it's said can die from.

I'd rather deal with new stuff.

You'd definately have to get the safe disinfectant for birds from your local parrot store or something. I have it; I use it for his feeding bowls, cage, and parrot tree stand.

Not for me!

I wouldn't want to put a beat up old, used, bitten and chewed on toy for my bird!

[GreenWing]

mmmmmm not so sure about this.

For one, human saliva parrots/birds it's said can die from.

I'd rather deal with new stuff.

You'd definately have to get the safe disinfectant for birds from your local parrot store or something. I have it; I use it for his feeding bowls, cage, and parrot tree stand.

Not for me!

I wouldn't want to put a beat up old, used, bitten and chewed on toy for my bird!

Yeeeeeeaaaaah I have to agree with this. I'm all for recycling my own old toys to make something new but when I don't know where the item came from, intended for use for my bird... which would likely take a ton of cleaning up... yeah, no thanks

[marie83]

Actually you can get a lot of unused/barely used stuff in charity shops, car boots etc. If I was going to do this then I would pick stuff that wasn't too complicated- ie smooth surfaces and easily to steralise.
What would concern me is that you wouldn't know the source. There was alot on the news ages ago about unsafe materials, dangerous parts on cheap imports etc. this would concern me alot more.

That said you can get new stuff from pound/dollar/discount stores. I picked up a baby rattle for 59p in the reduced section of a local supermarket, its not one of Ollies favorite toys but I wouldn't trust it for a bigger parrot.