New foraging idea !!!

[wrench13]

I just attended an IAATE Webinar on Behavioral Enrichment, which was very good and informative. One zoo came up with a foraging idea for one of their raptors which was to freeze a dead rat in a block of ice but leave it a thin enough block so the bird can still see the rat. I surmised that the same method could be used to present treats to our parrots, likek making ice cubes in an ice tray half way full, and when it freezes add your treats and more water. The presenters thought this would work great with parrots, and I intend to try it in the next day or 2. Busy beaks and minds are happy beaks and minds.

IAATE is the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators

 

[fiddlejen]

Seems like a good idea. Only question — I know I’ve read that they should not be given excessively cold food? Is digging food out of a block of ice safe? It sure does sound like fun for them though.

 

[SailBoat]

Julio has been known to enjoy an ice cube in his water bowl when the temperatures are a bit more extreme.

Only down side I can see is when using dry food is that it could become saturated and that will effect the level of interest one's Parrot would have. With raptors and a rat, it is a rainy day catch.

Interesting concept!

 

[wrench13]

I am going to try this with walnuts and pine nuts, which dont really absorb water much if at all. Pellets would probably not be a good idea. A shelled peanut or other hard nuts would work too. Or a colored wood toy disc. It just depends on what your parrot would want to get out of the ice cube.

 

[Scott]

I'll give this a try with an almond. My flock will do anything for a shelled almond!

 

[noodles123]

Seems like a good idea. Only question – I know I’ve read that they should not be given excessively cold food? Is digging food out of a block of ice safe? It sure does sound like fun for them though.

I wondered about this too. Mine seems to have no concept of when to stop touching something that is too cold...Like, she doesn't know when she is potentially harming herself. I gave her an ice-cube once, and took it away for this reason.
She will also play in cool water so long that she has icy little feet---like a kid who stays in a pool even though their lips are neon blue lol.

 

[wrench13]

How could an ice cube be cold enough to cause any harm? Its not like its gonna be cold enough to have foot or a tongue stick to it.

 

[noodles123]

How could an ice cube be cold enough to cause any harm? Its not like its gonna be cold enough to have foot or a tongue stick to it.

It can lol! "They" always say never put ice directly on human skin if you are injured (always wrap it in a cloth). Have you ever tried holding a bare ice-cube on your skin without a break in a 70 degree house? lol ---It starts to burn.

For humans:
https://www.healthline.com/health/ice-burn#:~:text=Ice or cold packs that,cells of your skin freezes.

My thing is, humans can regulate body temperature way better.
If supervised and on a hot day, it could work for a parrot, but birds of prey can often survive the winter better (if they are local...owls, hawks etc).

 

[NandyNando]

Sometimes I will put mandarin oranges in ice cube trays. Fernando loves chewing these frozen oranges and letting the juice drip down his beak.