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In order to ward off
dependency problems later in life, it is very important to foster the ability to
play independently within young birds. Parrots who are exposed to
and encouraged to explore a variety of safe toys with novel colors, textures and
shapes at an early age often grow up to be more confident, less fearful and more
independent.
Often we hear of older birds whose owner's insist
that they "don't play with toys". Many of these birds were raised
without opportunities to explore a varied
environment. Many of these birds also exhibit negative behavioral traits
(feather plucking, screaming, biting, etc.)
For these reasons, we believe that providing
opportunities for play is only second in importance to addressing diet and
nutrition. The benefits of play crossover multiple enrichment categories:
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Physical health is improved through increased
exercise
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Emotional well-being is enhanced by providing
opportunities for mental stimulation and social interaction
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Instinctual needs to chew and forage can be
fulfilled by proving the appropriate toys.
Is it possible to teach an older bird to play?
You bet. The key is not to give up if your bird doesn't play with
the first few toys you've bought for him. There are many types of
toys that fulfill a wide range of needs. Just like we humans
have different hobbies and play preferences, our birds also have varied
interests, personalities and play styles. Once
you find something that grabs your bird's attention then they may be interested
in expanding their horizons.
Here's some hints on other ways to stimulate your
bird's interest in toys:
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Start out with easily
destructible toys and items such as those
made of paper or vine materials.
-
Weave
shedders between bars
or hang an old phone book through the bars on the top of the cage.
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Once your bird enjoys the
“easy chews” then introduce toys with increasingly more durable toy components
such as cardboard toys, wooden balsa or pine slats and other fun parts to
manipulate.
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Hide your bird's
favorites treats within foraging toys
to
encourage exploration.
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Model
play behavior and stimulate your bird’s interest by playing with and showing
interest in a particular toy yourself.
-
Play fun
games with your birds. It will help foster a happier, more
rewarding relationship with your bird.
Keep your bird’s mind
stimulated by providing a variety of toy types and periodically introducing new
toys and rotating old toys.
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