I'm thinking of making my budgies some toys myself..And Christmas decorations seem very useful to make a lot of things for them..I was wondering if doing that would be safe? Ie, some has glitter that is loose and comes off all the time, some made of balls with string very tightly wrapped over it (wondering if the string got loose from them chewing it that it might hurt the birds) and tinsel. I wouldn't use the things with glitter, but would anything with string be okay, as well as tinsel?

Because if it were safe, some of these things would make great perches, toys, etc..Just wanting to make sure before I add anything to their cage.

Thanks.

No string or tinsel or glitter

No string or tinsel or glitter

 

 

Darn..that would have been great toys for them..Can you tell me what isn't safe about them, at least so I know what is likely to be safe? (I know why glitter wouldn't be, but I don't know why tinsel especially wouldn't be?..Out of all of those I would have thought tinsel could be the safest..)

Edited November 2, 200816 yr by Jen144

Budgies chew and destroy things. They will unravel toys in no time. String when let get ragged and longer has hung budgies. I speak from experience here. Budgies get caught up on all kinds of things. A lot of cheapish Christmas toys are made in china and use unsafe materials if you were to buy some to use.

Edited November 2, 200816 yr by KAZ

Budgies chew and destroy things. They will unravel toys in no time. String when let get ragged and longer has hung budgies. I speak from experience here. Budgies get caught up on all kinds of things. A lot of cheapish Christmas toys are made in china and use unsafe materials if you were to buy some to use.

 

 

Well I've got some spare decorations I've been looking at, and those balls with the string..The string is barely string, it's more of threads, very easily broken when the ball is frayed..If a budgie got caught (which is unlikely with these I think, you are the one talking from experience) the bird could easily break them..I was mainly worried about them maybe swallowing any little bits of string and choking themselves. Would that then be safe, (considering how weak the string is) especially if I got rid of any they had torn up too much, and/or cut off spare bits of thread?

I would steer clear personally

You can make some great budgie toys with old wire coat hangers, pliers and beads big enough to string onto them. Various shapes like swings etc.

I would steer clear personally

 

 

Alright..if there is any risk to my birds getting hurt I won't use them..ah well, I have a few balls with no string or anything, and some other things which I think would not risk them at all. I'll use these, they are still good toys and perches.

The experiences I speak of is...I have lost around 5 budgies over time to hangings with string that had come loose from a toy. Needless to say I dont use those kinds of toys anymore. One budgie even just got the end of its wing caught in loose thread and flapped and flapped to free herslef till she died of heart attack from stress before she was found.

Ohh..are toys with string from the petshop not safe, even?

Okay, that is a great idea..I'll probably use that.

Another little question..

Some of these things had bells on them, if I cut off the bells and attached them to some of the bird's original toys, (many of the bells that were on those toys had to be chucked because they got rusty) would that be okay? I'm wondering if maybe the metal these bells are made of may harm them, though they do look identical to the original bells I bought from the petshop, I want to be sure..

P.S. What is dangerous about the tinsel? The only thing I can think of is that they could chew through the stuff and eat it somehow? Or they might get their foot caught?

Edited November 2, 200816 yr by Jen144

Some bells are toxic, copper ones I think

Tinsel- they will chew bits off and it could become stuck in their throats... or build up in their tummies and kill them.

 

I have some toys with rope... including perches... but I inspect them daily. I remove them often and replace. They are the shop bought ones.

Edited November 2, 200816 yr by maesie

Is there anything else that the bells could possibly be made of that is toxic? They are definetly not made of copper.

okay maesie, that is what I thought might happen with the tinsel. Similar with what could happen with lizards if they ate something like that..crop impaction..I assumed that could happen too in budgies?

Pity I can't use much more than probably the bells and some balls.

Edited November 2, 200816 yr by Jen144

Is there anything else that the bells could possibly be made of that is toxic? They are definetly not made of copper.

okay maesie, that is what I thought might happen with the tinsel. Similar with what could happen with lizards if they ate something like that..crop impaction..I assumed that could happen too in budgies?

Pity I can't use much more than probably the bells and some balls.

 

 

Spot on! I even remember my cat (RIP) used to eat it and it would pass through her and come out in the kitty litter... but with budgies their passages are some what smaller.

 

Check out this site: My Parrot Shop. I buy some toys from here... but also get heaps of ideas from here too. They use safe products... and you can buy toy parts and hardware and make your own toys! I also use undied paddle pop sticks...

Spot on! I even remember my cat (RIP) used to eat it and it would pass through her and come out in the kitty litter... but with budgies their passages are some what smaller.

 

Check out this site: My Parrot Shop. I buy some toys from here... but also get heaps of ideas from here too. They use safe products... and you can buy toy parts and hardware and make your own toys! I also use undied paddle pop sticks...

 

That's a really useful site..thanks.

Edited November 2, 200816 yr by maesie

Also gumnuts and bottlebrush nuts make great toys, if you want to colour them just use a little food dye

I agree with Maes Tinsel and small cotton toys are of no use to a Budgie - even plastic twine as it will be eaten digest and most likely caught in the crop or gizards ....

 

Bells : Brass - Copper - Zinc Are bad for birds - if you really want a bell get the ones that are in those balls -

Budgie and other birds will chew and bits of metal gets digest leading to metal poisoning

 

 

In the Christmas spirit PINE CONES mate ... Can't go wrong there - If you want to paint them use food colouring - be aware if you have a light colored bird it may change color

The toy on the left with the four inch fringe has been responsible for hanging many a bird....that toy and any with a similar length fringe

 

I agree kaz! I sell that stuff and I recomend people trim it, and trim any freys immediately. Same with any lose fabric from those cuddle bunny things.

 

Also with the tinsel and balls and things; Id be worried about the sort of paint they used in the string and stuff, and tinsel has wire through the middle that may be toxic. BM made a good call with the native assie trees. The birds love them and they cost you nothing!