Parrot Owners – Materials Commonly Used in Bird Toys

WOOD

Birds need to chew, wood is an excellent material to satisfy this naturalurge. Birds play most often with wood toys. Wooden toys are meant to bedestroyed. Some bird owners may be frustrated by the destructive nature oftheir parrots. However, chewing is a natural instinct and vital to birds mentaland physical well-being. If you provide only acrylic toys they will often findother, more expensive ways to satisfy their chewing needs (i.e., molding,furniture). It is important to know what woods are safe for your bird. Bothsoft and hardwoods are commonly used in toys.

Safe Woods (not a complete list):

Pine, Balsa, Birch, Basswood, Poplar, Maple, Walnut, Ash, Apple, Elm, Cactus(Cholla) and Manzanita

Unsafe Woods (not a complete list):

Cedar, Red Cherry, Plywood. Oak

If you like to make your own toys NEVER use pressure treated wood, it istreated with arsenic and will poison your bird. If using natural branches makesure they have not been exposed to insecticides. Also, take care to collectbranches in areas removed from highways where plant life may have absorbedtoxic emissions from cars. Scrub all branches with a non-toxic disinfectant(dilute chlorine bleach), rinse and dry thoroughly.

If you need to clean wood toys, don’t soak them. It is best to wipe themclean with a damp cloth or sand the soiled area until clean. If your bird likesto dunk his toys beware that moisture can promote bacterial growth and the toysshould either be discarded or thoroughly cleaned and dried in a low temperatureoven before returning them to the bird.

Birds are able to distinguish colors therefore color makes wood toys moreattractive and interesting to birds. Manufacturers usually color wood with foodcoloring or vegetable dyes. We don’t believe in flavoring wood as the birdshould not be encouraged to ingest the wood and, unless properly controlled,the fruit sugars often used provide a perfect medium for bacterial growth. Donot buy toys that have been stained or varnished to add color. If you areinterested in a toy with painted parts (ie, ABC blocks) make sure that onlynon-toxic, child safe paints were used.

ROPE

Several kinds of rope are used in bird toys. Only 100% natural fiber ropessuch as cotton, hemp (jute), or sisal should be used in bird toys. Nylon blendropes should never be used as they can result in serious injury and cuts due tothe strength of the strands if the birds get caught in it. Ropes can be safe aslong as they are maintained properly and the bird’s beak and nails are kepttrim. There have been safety problems noted when excessive fraying occurs.Birds have choked and lost circulation to legs by getting tangled in illmaintained ropes. Rope toys have proven very beneficial in solving featherpicking problems and therefore we don’t like to discount rope as a viablematerial. Bird owners have a responsibility to check their bird’s rope toysdaily and to cut back or discard rope toys when they become frayed and presenta hazard to their bird.

CHAIN

Chain should have welded not open links. Un-welded chain provides sharpsurfaces and narrow openings which have been known to cut toes. Make sure thelinks are a safe size for your bird, if toes get caught in the links the resultcan be broken toes or legs. Chain length is also a consideration as a longlength of chain could conceivably end up wrapped around a bird’s neck during avigorous play session. As the wood components are chewed off, a chain hazardcould develop. Owners must monitor the status of toys and ensure that as theyphysically change safety hazards do not develop.

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FASTENERS

This is a crucial area of concern as good fasteners are expensive andtherefore many manufacturers cut corners and use potentially unsafe items suchas split key rings or dog leash type snap hooks. Birds have been cut and lostcirculation to toes and tongues on toys utilizing split rings and spring typeclamps. For conures or larger birds we recommend either Quick-links (alsosometimes called C-clamps) or Pear links to attach toys to the bird’s playarea. They come in a variety of sizes and can be tightened with a wrench easilyto prevent the bird from unhooking his toys. This type of fastener provides theleast potential for injury. They are available in a variety of sizes and can bepurchased from your local hardware store if needed to replace unsafe fastenersfrom existing toys.

Do not use split key rings, spring loaded clips or metal shower rings tofasten your toys. Small hardware pieces can be ingested accidentally. Birdshave cut toes and tongues on split rings and spring type clamps.

ZINC

A lot has been mentioned recently about zinc toxicity in birds. Many birdtoys are made with zinc coated (galvanized) metal components. Zinc is alsocommonly found in cage powder coatings. Some avian health specialists havestated that in order for zinc related health problems to result that the parrotmust actually swallow the metal components and that “beaking” the parts isinsufficient for toxicity to develop unless the galvanized coating is extremelybrittle and flaky. If a bird spends a lot of time chewing on toy hardware(i.e., washers, quick links, wire) then it is possible they will ingest enoughzinc to build up toxic levels in their systems over time. Owners who areworried about the possible health effects can often find stainless steelreplacement components at their local hardware store. This option is also oftenmuch more cost effective to the consumer than buying toys constructed withstainless steel parts.

PLASTICS

Acrylics are used in many toys today and if sized properly to the bird arevirtually indestructible. If purchasing acrylic toys we recommend the acrylichave a minimum thickness of 3/16?. Recently, there has been a shift backtowards wood toys because although the acrylics are durable and attractive theyare also not as fun for the bird who likes to chew. We recommend that a few ofyour birds toys be acrylic or a blend of acrylic and wood, they will be longlasting and the bright colors used are stimulating to your bird.

When considering toys with plastic components a bird owner must consider thenature of the plastic component (i.e., soft vs. brittle) relative to the sizeof the bird. Brittle plastics should not be given to larger birds because whenthey break very sharp, cutting edges are formed and if swallowed accidentallycould result in ruptured organs. Hard plastic toys specifically designed forparakeets and cockatiels should not be given to larger birds with the beakpower to destroy them.

LEATHER

Leather is a great material for birds to safely play with and chew on. Mostbirds especially like to spend hours untying knots made in leather strips.

Only vegetable tanned leather should be used on bird toys. Do not buy toyswith dyed leather or leather tanned with chemicals as most are toxic to birds(i.e., chromium, formaldehyde). For this reason you should also not retire oldshoes, belts and pocketbooks to your birds toy chest.

Replace leather if soiled or wet. Bacteria will flourish under theseconditions. Many toy companies will sell replacement leather strips.

When hanging toys strung on leather (or rope or chain), avoid leaving a longstrand between the toy and the cage. Some birds when rambunctious with theirtoys can get the leather wrapped around their necks and strangle. It is best totie the toy close to the bars of the cage.

RINGS

When choosing toys with rings or large plastic chain links make sure thatthe rings are of a size that the bird can’t get his head stuck in them andchoke. Also beware of toys with multiple rings looped directly together asbirds have met similar fates when they have been trapped between the rings.

BELLS

Birds love to make noise and bells provide a fun source for theirmerrymaking. If a bird is mechanically inclined and can remove the clapper thepotential exists for swallowing/choking. Make sure the bell clapper can not beremoved by the bird. If it is not securely fastened either remove it or weld it(we recommend silver solder). Make sure the clapper is not lead (toxic), if itis lead you will be able to dent the clapper with your fingernail. Do not buystoys that use jingle type bells, toes can become caught and cut in the wide tonarrow openings, we recommend the cow or liberty bell design. Appropriatelysize the bell to the bird so it will be able to withstand the power of thebeak.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

Just because the label says the product is safe doesn’t mean that it’s OKfor your bird. Any toy has the potential to be unsafe if improperly sized tothe bird. Ask your toy vendor or bird store owner for help or advice onchoosing a toy appropriate for your bird.

As with kids, no toy is 100% safe for all birds. Use common sense andsupervise your bird when you first give him a new toy. Observe how he interactswith the toy to determine how best to hang it and where and when to allow himto play with it (some toys are safer outside the cage).

Provide a wide variety of toys and rotate them in and out of the cage orplay area. Variety will help alleviate boredom and keep your bird more alertand curious. Keep 2-3 toys minimum in the birds cage and don’t overstuff thecage so the bird doesn’t have room to move.

Don’t assume that if your bird doesn’t like a toy that it won’t play withany toy. Try something different and take the time to observe what your birdfinds interesting in terms of design, texture or size.

Introduce toys to baby birds but make them small…don’t intimidate them. Handtoys are some of the safest toys available and they are especially great foryoung birds as they help to develop hand-eye coordination.

Play with your bird…most birds think it’s great fun to chase balls acrossthe floor or couch, play “catch” or “pick it up” with mom or dad.

This guide is by no means comprehensive but we have tried to address as manyissues as possible. When in doubt, ask for help. We sincerely wish you a long,happy and healthy relationship with your bird.

Tags: Bird, Commonly, Materials, Owners, Parrot, Toys, used

Category: Birds