Budgies are known for being one of the most intelligent pet birds out there. Thus, interaction with them is quite vital for their well-being. As there’s very little they can do indoors, you need to provide some ways of stimulation for them.
This is where the role of toys comes in. They act as a way of mental stimulation as well as physical. Firstly, it helps the bird to cure boredom and takes them to a new world of exploration. Similarly, it also encourages them to move around. These plaything act as a way of keeping their active behavior functioning.
At the same time, the interactive toys provide the birds with contentment. As a result, they feel more socialization and less stress for them. However, selecting the perfect plaything can be challenging. They are quite small and sensitive animals. So, it’s fairly simple for them to get wounded. This is where the notion of making a homemade toy might be helpful.
Well, look no further, as we will cover every possible thing that you might require for DIYing a toy for your budgie. Starting from foraging toys, chewing toys, and interactive toys to climbing toys, we have covered it all.
Additionally, we will also discuss what makes a good budgie toy and some safety tips for them. So without any further ado, let’s get started.
What Makes a Good Budgie Toy?
You need to consider several factors when it comes to selecting a toy for your budgie. Size, material, and the toy’s effectiveness are the things that matter the most when selecting a gadget. So let’s dive deep into it.
Size
The size of the plaything has to be the similar size of your budgie’s head. It cannot be too small or too big. As budgies love to chew things, they might swallow the toy accidentally.
On the other hand, too big of a toy can get intimidating for your budgie. They won’t consider it to be a toy but rather be scared of it, thinking it’s something dangerous.
Material
As mentioned right above, budgies love to chew. So it’s vital to use bird-safe materials. Some great examples would be untreated pine, fir, willow, natural fibers, and manzanita branches.
On the other hand, avoid woods like cherry, cedar, and oak. They are considered toxic as they contain tannins and phenolic acids. These substances have the potential to harm the liver and kidneys in addition to irritating the stomach.
Toy’s Effectiveness
If the plaything you are building doesn’t stimulate your bird mentally or physically, there’s no point in giving it in the first place. Examples of toys that budgies find appealing include;
- Mirrors
- Chewing toys: Untreated wood, Natural fibers
- Climbing toys: Ladder, Bird perches
- Puzzle toys: Foraging wheel
How To Choose Toys Based On The Bird’s Personality And Preferences?
Before choosing between bird toys, you need to observe your pet first. Not all budgies like the same gadgets. It also depends on the bird species. Some love to chew and chatter, while others love to move. So it’s vital to understand your pet’s personality first and what they like.
If they love to move, then go for climbs or swings. Similarly, if they love to socialize, then go for bells and mirrors. Last but not least, if they are a nibbler, give them something to chew on constantly.
DIY Budgie Toy Ideas: Foraging Toys
One of the creative budgie toy ideas includes foraging toys. Budgies generally live in the wild, and you bringing them into a cage will affect their mental health.
Bird-foraging toys are an excellent option here. In the wild, budgies spend their time searching for food which stimulates their minds. But in a cage, they don’t need to search for food. Well, this is what foraging toys are made for. These types of gadgets contribute to promoting and stimulating budgies’ natural foraging habits.
Materials Needed To Make Foraging Toys
We are going to be discussing the simplest foraging DIY crafts available. In this process, you will need the least material. We call it the paper roll method, and you will only need;
- A toilet paper or paper towel roll
- Budgies snacks
- Wire or thread
Step By Step Process For Foraging Toy
Let’s look at how you can take a paper roll and make it into a foraging toy.
- Step 1: Take an empty toilet paper or paper towel roll and create a closed end by folding the tube’s one end inward.
- Step 2: Stuff the tube with little snacks or seeds.
- Step 3: Fold the other end shut in the same way.
- Step 4: Utilizing some wire or thread, hang the tube in the bird’s cage.
The bird can see and smell the food inside by poking a few tiny holes in the tube’s sides. This will work as a simulation of their wildlife and bird enrichment.
Here’s a video example of how you can do it;
Tips For Introducing Foraging Toys To Budgies
Here are some tips that you can follow to make the best use of foraging gadgets.
- Initially, don’t make it extremely difficult for the budgie to access food from the gadget.
- Slowly increase the difficulty of accessing food. This will keep things interesting.
- Be patient with your friend, as they might not get the idea of foraging toys instantly.
DIY Budgie Toy Ideas: Chewing Toys
Providing your budgie with a chewing plaything is vital despite what species they belong in. Chewing works as both a physical and mental stimulator for your feathered friend.
Budgies are quite active animals and need something to do constantly. If not, they will get bored and show some negative behavior, such as aggressiveness. Thus, bird chew toys help them to constantly stay busy with something.
On the other hand, it is also beneficial for their beak. The beak is continuously growing on a budgie. So it’s important to preserve it in good shape before it gets too big, which may cause discomfort, pain, or even impede proper eating. Here, chewing helps them maintain their beak in good condition.
Materials That Are Safe And Suitable For Budgie Chewing Toys
The material that the budgie chews on plays a significant impact on its health. Choosing the wrong material can lead to health problems. First off, if the material is excessively large or heavy, it could harm the bird’s beak.
Furthermore, poisoning from playing with a gadget comprised of poisonous chemicals can result in serious disease or even death. So here are the materials, including precautions that are safe for your budgie to chew on;
- Untreated Wood: Make sure they are chemical free
- Green-tanned leather: Do not use leather that has been chemically treated or colored.
- Natural fibers: Severe shedding or frayed fibers should be avoided.
Step-By-Step Instructions For Making A Chewing Toy
Once you have chosen the material, you can follow this step-by-step guide to make yourself a chewing gadget for your budgie. We will take untreated wood for this guide.
- Step 1: Cut the material so that it is neither too little to be swallowed by the budgie nor too large to be frightening to it.
- Step 2: Take sisal rope and tie it to the material.
- Step 3: Now that the rope is tied with the material, you can use the other side of the rope to attach it to the cage.
- Step 4: You can attach additional things, such as bells or beads, to make it more appealing for the budgie.
- Step 5: Make sure everything is accessible to the budgie at ease.
Tips For Introducing Chewing Toys To Budgies
Here are some tips that you can follow to make the best use of chewing toys;
- Always start with a chewing gadget that is not complicated for the budgie to understand that it’s made for chewing.
- Keep moving the toy in different parts of the cage to keep it appealing.
- Always keep an eye to check whether the budgie likes it or not.
- Replace the chewing material with a new one if they are damaged.
DIY Budgie Toy Ideas: Climbing Toys
Your pet budgie belongs to the wildlife where they are free. Even though it’s happy with you, there’s no way to stop their wild-life instincts. One of the instincts that run in their blood is climbing.
Climbing plays a significant role in their wildlife as this allows them to express themselves. As budgies are known for their playfulness, climbing helps them to exert that feeling.
Additionally, it also helps them stretch their muscles. As most of the time, your pet is stuck in a cage; it doesn’t have enough space to exercise. Here’s where the role of climbing miniature comes in, as they can help your pet free up its muscles in a short space. Let’s check how you can make DIY budgie toys for beginners.
Materials Needed To Make A Climbing Toy
Making climbing miniature is one of the easiest DIY you can gift your pet with. Before we get into the step-by-step guide, let’s take a look at the materials you will need to make a climbing toy;
- A few pieces of wooden bird perches
- Sisal rope
- A knife
- Sandpaper
Step-By-Step Instructions For Making A Climbing Toy
Here’s how to make homemade budgie toys that are used for climbing;
- Step 1: Cut the wooden perches according to the size of your bird playgrounds/cage using a knife.
- Step 2: Take sandpaper and smooth out the sharp corners by rubbing the perches with it.
- Step 3: Place it on your pet’s home and tighten it with the cage using a sisal rope.
- Step 4: Make the same adjustments to the other perches, being careful to place them at various heights at a distance that will allow your pet to jump between them.
Tips For Introducing Climbing Toys To Budgies
Let’s take out some tips that might come in handy when introducing natural toys, such as climbing miniatures, to your budgie.
- Make sure the perches are chemical-free and specifically made for birds
- Observe your budgie whether they like it or not, and try again later if they don’t like it
- You can also use wood or natural fibers if they don’t like the material the current perches are made of
- Having textured perches can be more appealing for the budgies
DIY Budgie Toy Ideas: Interactive Toys
As already mentioned, budgies are quite an active species. They love to roam, climb and socialize. Yet, when you leave them alone in their home, their instincts are to be fulfilled. Your pet can’t do anything that they generally do in the wild.
Well, the interactive gadgets can come in handy here. By providing them with such items to play with, many doors to interaction are opened.
Overall, it cures the boredom of your pet and encourages them to exercise. Not only does these types of gadgets keep their mind active, but they are physically active as well.
What You Can Use To Make Interactive Toys
The best part of making an interactive toy is that it can be anything. Starting from recycled materials to upcycling materials, you can use anything you like. The only condition that is applied here is whether it is brain teasing or not.
Nevertheless, we will talk about the 4 safe budgie toys you can use as interactive gadgets for your pet. They are;
- Puzzles
- Mirrors
- Balls
- Bells
Now let’s check how to utilize them properly so that your pet can interact with them properly.
Instructions For Utilizing Different Types Of Interactive Toys
Now that you know the best interactive toys for your budgie, let’s check out how you can utilize them properly.
Puzzles
One of the best puzzles out there has to be the foraging wheel. The budgie will then turn the wheel and get at the treats within using its beak and claws. The bird’s agility and problem-solving abilities can both benefit from this form of entertainment.
However, make sure that you don’t put anything in that wheel that will ruin your pet’s diet. Rather use a different type of pet bird supply that is healthy.
Here’s a video that will give you a better understanding of how to use the foraging wheel;
Mirrors
In short, budgies love mirrors due to their history of self-obsession. So you shouldn’t hesitate to add a mirror as a part of birdcage accessories. Utilizing it is quite simple. Just add a small mirror in your bird’s home and wait.
Soon they will realize what it is and will interact with it by singing, talking, grooming, and even spitting up food.
Balls
Firstly make sure the balls are non-toxic and free from small parts that could be swallowed. Secondly, make sure there’s enough space to play with it. Being one of the natural toys out there, it certainly requires plenty of space to play with.
Just leave them in a wide space with a ball, and these budgies will do the rest to keep their mental and physical health stimulated.
Bells
The bird may spend hours examining and engaging with the bell since it can be fascinating to them. By putting balls in various spots around their play area or hiding treats inside them, you may also encourage your budgie to play with balls.
This will encourage your budgie’s natural foraging instincts while also keeping them occupied and amused.
Tips For Introducing Interactive Toys To Budgies
Here are some tips for introducing interactive gadgets to your pet;
- Reward them with treats when they interact with the gadgets
- Keep the interactive plaything in rotation so that they don’t get bored with it
- Observe your pet and see which gadgets they like and the ones they don’t. Avoid the ones that they don’t like.
Safety Tips for Budgie Toys
As a budgie owner, you must always be worried as they are quite sensitive birds. Well, the following tips will enable you to stay safe at all times.
How To Ensure The Safety Of Homemade Budgie Toys?
You can ensure the safety of homemade budgie gadgets by following the tips below.
- Always using bird-safe materials for your bird.
- Avoiding anything small enough to go through their throat.
- Constantly monitoring their interaction with their playthings.
Signs Of Unsafe Toys And How To Avoid Them
The signs of unsafe toys are;
- Budgie is constantly getting sick
- The budgie have scars or any type of damage in their body
- Choking
Here’s how you can avoid them;
- Making sure the gadgets are chemical-free and specifically made for animals
- Check the gadgets for any damage. If found, then replace them instantly.
Tips For Supervising Budgies While Playing With Toys
Some tips for supervising budgies while playing with gadgets include;
- Prioritizing safe toys over the ones they like the most.
- Place the toy in a location where it is easily accessible for your budgie and safe as well.
- They shouldn’t be the only ones having fun; you may join in with your budgie and their playthings.
What To Do If A Budgie Ingests A Toy Or Toy Parts?
Begin by studying your bird and looking for any signs of distress, such as difficulty breathing, vomiting, or diarrhea. It is done to confirm whether your bird has consumed any toy parts.
If the answer is yes, you need to act quickly and seek immediate veterinarian care.
Conclusion
Upcycled budgie toys can be made from anything, from mirrors to unused wood in your garden. As long as the material is bird-safe and not too small for your bird to swallow, you are good to go.
However, making your bird gadget is frequently disregarded. Though, not all materials are safe for birds. By using chemical-free materials when making it yourself, you can ensure the safety of your bird. Additionally, purchasing bird gadgets from retailers can often be rather pricey. Consequently, you also get to save some money.
Overall, you get your own bird’s safety. We are all aware of how active these birds are, and it is our responsibility to protect them. As a result, it’s critical to routinely take care of them. One method is to regularly inspect the plaything for damage.
So what’s stopping you from making your bird’s toy yourself? This will also enhance the bond between you two.
