Michelle please try to repost the photos using the Insert Image tool in the 13th box above.
Last edited by spiritbird; 05-16-2016 at 12:06 PM.
They are colorful and busy looking. I'm sure Charlie will enjoy them. Lady would too.
Nice looking toys. But two of them have a lot of hard plastic parts. My concern is that many birds will shatter or bite bits off of those and potentially ingest some of the shards. I don't consider them safe for that reason.
He wanted to live. He was my Heaven... He's gone!
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww67eiii.htm
http://www.superbirdtoys.com/articles/safety.htm
Tony I do not necessarily agree with you on this one. If any one is concerned about risk of plastic used in bird toys please read the link provided and the statement printed on TNT web page. http://www.tntbirdtoys.com/ Plastics have been used for years without incident. I think the bottom line is you have to know your bird
Last edited by spiritbird; 05-16-2016 at 01:56 PM.
I have to agree with Diane about the toy parts. It all has to do with the way your bird plays with toys. There is no toy or toy part that is going to be 100% safe for each and every bird. Wood parts can splinter and cause problems, acrylic and hard plastic can create sharp shards, grapevine balls can unravel causing a bird to get tangled and whose end pieces can poke an eye out. If anyone has ever made toys using sisal you know even it can give you splinters and paper can cause paper cuts. Each toy part whether plastic or natural has pros and cons, the best you can do is when you give your bird a new type of part is give it under supervision until you know how he/she plays with it and keep in mind that even their mood swings can change the way they play with their toys.
mdg1109 (05-18-2016)
Dianne: My point is clearly stated at the second URL you've provided (http://www.superbirdtoys.com/articles/safety.htm) under the "Plastics" heading. I've cited the relevant paragraph below.
I have large macaws. Large macaws will often shatter brittle plastic/acrylic objects. Those hard materials tend to fracture into sharp shards. Broken acrylic fragments, especially, can resemble broken glass. We know that our birds may swallow fibrous matter from frayed cloth and rope. Doing so is not natural, yet many birds do it. Salsa and Jack have both swallowed bits of hard plastic after fracturing it away from various objects themselves. If a bird ingests a plastic/acrylic fragment of a certain shape and sharpness, internal organ damage may result. I personally feel that this potential is worthy of a cautionary warning to parrot keepers.When considering toys with plastic components a bird owner must consider the nature of the plastic component (i.e., soft vs. brittle) relative to the size of the bird. Brittle plastics should not be given to larger birds because when they break very sharp, cutting edges are formed and if swallowed accidentally could result in ruptured organs. Hard plastic toys specifically designed for parakeets and cockatiels should not be given to larger birds with the beak power to destroy them.
I therefore maintain my position that hard plastics/acrylics are not safe for some birds. Obviously, if your bird is not inclined or powerful enough to break apart such objects, this risk tends to vanish.
He wanted to live. He was my Heaven... He's gone!
I can understand that. My GW chews through 4mm chain, bends o'rings, washers, etc. like they are nothing. He's obsessed with metal so I can't use any in his cage and I'm very careful about what goes on his playstand for use under supervision. Mostly the only metal I use for his toys are 6mm quicklinks and the 1/4" thick skewers. He can also break those large one inch acrylic beads with no trouble. Never had to worry about him trying to ingest them though. It really does come down to knowing your bird and how they play.
I also have to say TNT makes some great bird toys.
I hear what you're saying. But we should be careful to avoid blanket conclusions that every material presents an equal risk. I would much prefer a mouthful of sawdust of shredded wood than a mouthful of shattered glass (this goes for acrylics or hardened plastics as well). What sharp shards can do to the inside of one's mouth, they can certainly do to elements of the digestive tract. I agree with you, however, that knowing one's bird and its behavioral inclinations is essentially important in matters such as this.
He wanted to live. He was my Heaven... He's gone!
I always found it kind of humorous how we tend to pick out toys for our animals based on our own preference. Many of the toys for our animals are so cute that I'm hesitant to even give it to them. Knowing full well they will be destroyed ($$$) in no time. Where in Nature do Birds have access to the Various Toys That we feel they so Desperately need. Do they really know the difference between a Toy vs. Tree branch with leaves that they Shred, Chew and Strip with the added bonus of getting nutritional benefits such as pectin and naturally occurring enzymes. What about pine cones, Bamboo! my Birds love to strip the bamboo I have growing and chew on the young fresh shoots, no matter where you live, you can find something in nature that will not only be safe but satisfy their chewing . Research here PP the lists of toxic and safe plants and flowers.
mdg1109 (05-18-2016)