Suggestions for items for toy basket for shelter baby

[jenphilly]

Okay macaw lovers! I am making a 'prototype' toy / shred basket for the shelter. I am presuming Victoria will give it to Max, but not really important for this!

I have one of the baskets that look like a wicker laundry basket. I have taken apart a few big wooden swings and such that no one plays with so I have some decent size chunks of wood... nothing that will stand up to a macaw beak for long, but hey its a shred basket

Questions... I have rolls of paper that go into a desktop calculator that my bare eyed too loves, but is that a bit of waste for a macaw? Same thing with things like egg cartons? I want items that are fun shreddable, but for a macaw are these don't even waste your energy putting them in? Everything will be tied in, much like the little raffle ticket baskets Victoria made for our birds.

I have a white carboard type box that I'll tie in also to 'hide' some walnuts, can easily fit a dozen in there, but will put a couple with some shreds or such.

Just need some suggestions for items we might have around that a macaw would find interesting, even if not a challenge. I have foam and some plastic that I'll use too, but again, I keep thinking a macaw will laugh at some of the items

The basket itself is a item to shred as well, but our guys have a blast going thru everything in the basket before they start ripping the basket apart.

I wanted to send one over to the shelter with Victoria on Wednesday, so any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[crimson]

your so thoughtful Jen!

sorry I can't help with any suggestions, but I'd love to see a pic. when your done!....I bet it will be fantastic.

 

[Terry57]

You are amazing, Jen
I also don't have a macaw, so am not really sure what works for them...hopefully one of the mac lovers will jump in with some advice

 

[Allee]

What a good idea, Jen. I love that you are taking gifts to the shelter babies. I know the birds will love them! I don't have Macs so I'm no help, but I also would like to see photos.

What kind of wicker baskets do you use? Which ones are safe and untreated?

 

[jenphilly]

Well I thank the three of you for your support (as always)... here are pics of the first basket attempt. By chance we had just found these super long straws at the grocery store, so had the hubby make some extra long curly straws, tho I think they will make it all of 0.2 seconds with a mac, but cute and hopefully will get their attention (again presuming Max will get this cause I won't be there to give it to Chyna!!).

Allee - Bamboo and willow type wicker baskets are safe, actually most baskets are as long as they are untreated, great part is that the cheap baskets are actually the safer baskets because 99% of the time they are untreated! Victoria found a great site where we buy baskets in bulk for our birds.... Wholesale Baskets Supplier for Wholesale Gift Baskets and Wicker Baskets Wholesale Distributor - The Lucky Clover Trading Co. They actually indicate natural, undyed. Even with shipping, they are way cheaper then we can find at any stores.

So here are the pics... be honest, tell me what ya think Keep in mind, its a first and while we have bins and drawers full of conure and cockatoo toy parts, nothing really intended for a can opener beak

 

[Pinkbirdy]

Any safe hard plastic ,bells and you know those dog rope toys ? Oh and chains

 

[jenphilly]

Any safe hard plastic ,bells and you know those dog rope toys ? Oh and chains

I do have one of the rope dog type toys that I have not used for Ivory... bells worry me, but I'll let the shelter salvage bells from destroyed toys, I actually figured alot of toy parts for the baskets will be salvaged... that's making the presumption that some parts can be salvaged like I do with our birds

I debated about stuffing the bottom of the basket (or back when its hanging) with more of the banana leaves, but wasn't sure how full or busy to make it. The fruit chain of toys has hard plastic on it, its actually part of a macaw toy that was a 'replacement' toy for one of our bird orders. I don't have any other large plastic suitable for a macaw for this basket, but I'll put it on the need list for the future baskets

Plastic chains or metal? I do have some medium size plastic chains somewhere....

thanks for your thoughts!!

 

[Terry57]

That basket looks awesome! I have to ask, how do you make those curly straws?
Hmmm, wonder if I can find any untreated baskets after Easter...I will have to take a look at Michaels

 

[jenphilly]

That basket looks awesome! I have to ask, how do you make those curly straws?
Hmmm, wonder if I can find any untreated baskets after Easter...I will have to take a look at Michaels

The straws are super easy, literally all you need is a kid's pencil sharpener. There is a video on youtube... think this is it!

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD1zRedZ0fs"]How to make spiral straws..... - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Terry57]

How cool and easy is that! I can even do that with my very limited skills
Loved hearing her fids in the background, too
Thanks Sweet Pea for sharing!

 

[jenphilly]

If I had known would have stuffed some into Chad ' box! If you find straws without the bendy neck they work best. I tracked down a restaurant store locally that has straight straws for next time we need to buy

 

[Birdbrain91]

My macaw loves to play with the old fashion baby plastic keys.

My kid's Girl Scout troop is making bird toys of all sizes for my local parrot rescue. I'm getting all the supplies and thinking about bringing my macaw ( because we adopted him there) and talk to them about what the rescue does and how they can help.

 

[jenphilly]

I actually had a baby key type toy I forgot to use!! Really cute they are almost like measuring cups they nest.... Maybe I'll just tie it to top ,

 

[jenphilly]

My macaw loves to play with the old fashion baby plastic keys.

My kid's Girl Scout troop is making bird toys of all sizes for my local parrot rescue. I'm getting all the supplies and thinking about bringing my macaw ( because we adopted him there) and talk to them about what the rescue does and how they can help.

Awesome way to earn a badge!!! Hope the girls have a blast! !

 

[goalerjones]

I tried to watch the video. She was doing something with her hands...All I kept wondering was, "how did she teach them to talk?"

 

[Pinkbirdy]

plastic chains are fine or the right type of metal .

 

[jenphilly]

I tried to watch the video. She was doing something with her hands...All I kept wondering was, "how did she teach them to talk?"

You still have National Geographics hidden under your bed don't you!!?? :22:

 

[crimson]

That basket looks awesome! I have to ask, how do you make those curly straws?
Hmmm, wonder if I can find any untreated baskets after Easter...I will have to take a look at Michaels

terry- I get my wicker baskets at Value Village

 

[crimson]

what about corn husks....they would make a great shreddable toy

 

[jenphilly]

There is a bundle of corn husks tied to the top of the basket, but that was store purchased.

When corn season hits here I actually plan on talking to our local farmstand and ask them if we can take a bag of their corn husks. They usually have a big bag by the corn so people can clean their corn their instead of getting silk all over their kitchen

What about drying corn on the cob too to put on the baskets? Could easily blanch them, run a hole thru centers and put twine / rope thru and then dry... Or I could even dry the entire piece of corn including silk and husks... anyone try that for macaws?