screws for Can 'O Nuts

[Empath]

I've got several of these Can o'nuts toys

eventually the birds get their beaks in between and get the screws out where they chuck them and lose them rendering the toy useless. here's a pic of the screw

you can see it has the end cut off and a little groove cut into the bottom. does anyone know what type of screw this is and where i can get replacements? I think its stainless steel.

if i had a name for the type of screw (unless its a custom made one for the company) i could probably track down some. the other option ive thought of is to get some similar sized screws and cut the end off, but i'm not sure if theres a specific reason for the groove

anyone got any ideas?

 

[MikeyTN]

Here's the reason why I do not like these type of toys!!!! I bought something similar many years ago and Willie the macaw manage to get his foot stuck in the peanut shaped part. Had my partner not been home when he did it, it could of been pretty bad. When birds freak and if they get their limbs stuck in something they will chew themselves off to free themselves. Willie would of died if he had done that....My partner called me while I was at work, I had to rush home from work and give work an excuse to get home to free Willie. I had to towel him and had my partner unscrew the toy from the cage and bring him out, took pictures of the toy with his foot stuck in it. I put olive oil on his foot and ankles. Then I had to use tin snips to cut the toy apart cause his foot will not come back out then I had to use pliers to pull the toy apart to free him. Then I had to run back to work. Later I sent the pictures with a complaint to the company that made it and asked them to remove them off the shelf. It took them awhile but they did remove them all off the shelves in every pet shop, I checked around so I know.....

 

[RavensGryf]

So you didn't tell your work what the emergency was? "I have to go home now!! My bird's foot is stuck in his toy!!"

We bird people know it's serious, but your employer may have fired you for leaving for an "invalid reason", or laughed their butt off!
Unfortunately we may have to lie at work when it comes to our birds because people just wouldn't understand. We at least get some degree of sympathy if a dog dies or has problems, but a bird will make people laugh and act insensitive.

 

[MikeyTN]

I did tell them the reason why I had to run....every single place I've ever worked for knows how much I love my animals. If they don't like it, tough, I would leave to go somewhere else where I'm appreciated. I've never been fired at any work before, I'm the one who always decide to leave.

 

[Empath]

Mikey, did your macaw get caught in this particular brand? i still see these quite regularly in Australia