The Hidden Dangers of Bird Toys

Could your bird's favorite toy be a hidden danger? Let's talk about how to keep playtime safe. Here at BirdTricks, we prioritize our bird's safety and your bird's safety above all else. This applies to all of the products we develop and endorse from our food products, track packs, tea stands, aloe, and especially our natural bird toys. We also prioritize safety with our training techniques from target training all the way to outdoor free flight. So safety has to come first, because although parrots can be incredibly resilient at times, they can also be so vulnerable to so many things. And the stakes are high. A bird could literally die if we don't prioritize their safety. And that's just not a risk we are ever willing to take with our flock or yours. We pride ourselves in providing all natural toys that are made from bird safe materials, which come straight from nature. By eliminating dyes, plastic, fabric, unsafe metals, and other components that have been known to cause issues, we're reducing a considerable amount of risk to our birds. In fact, our toys are the safest on the market. They have to be for us to give them to our own birds. However, and I really want you to hear this, no toy is 100% safe for every bird all of the time. The same goes for cages, perches, and anything else in your bird's environment. Birds, as you may already know, have a mind of their own. A very curious mind. They do not always play with their toys how we intend them to. We're going to give you some examples of ways that birds can and have hurt themselves with toys that we consider to be bird safe. This video is not meant to scare you into leaving toys out of your bird's cage for fear that they will injure themselves. Birds need enrichment, just like they need a healthy diet and clean water. But knowing the potential risks can help us to be more proactive about keeping them as safe as possible while they are having fun and just being birds. So here's a real life example. A team member recently had a terrifying experience with her blue-throated macaw. Her macaw had wrapped his wing with the metal chain that remained after he had chewed off all the toy parts. He panicked, started screaming, and she ran over to his cage and tried to free him from the chain. She got bit in the process, but successfully got him free. He was completely fine other than going through the scare. But it could have been so much worse. Could this have been prevented? Maybe. Something I can think of to prevent this with one of my birds would be to one, remove toys on chains once they've been fully or mostly chewed up. So if you see majority of chain left to toy ratio, let's just get it out of there. Two is ensure there are plenty of other enrichment options in the cage to hopefully keep this bird from hyper fixating on this one toy's chain. And three, I might avoid chains altogether if this is something that my bird seems to have a tendency of interacting inappropriately with. Chains in and of themselves are not typically a problem. But once there are no toy parts left, some birds can get themselves into trouble with them. It's so important to regularly check all the toys your bird has access to, whether they're in the cage or out, so that you can catch any wear and tear before a fun toy turns into a safety hazard. Here's what to check for during toy inspections. Any worn or frayed ropes or strings. These can lead to toe or neck entanglement, strangulation of limbs and impaction from swallowing pieces. Look for loose or exposed hardware. Sharp, exposed hardware can lead to cuts. Exposed chains can lead to strangulation. Open quick links and o-rings can get caught on beaks and penetrate them. Loose hardware can allow toys to fall onto a bird and cause injury. Loose perches can fall while the bird is perching, etc., etc. So make sure that you're regularly tightening nuts, bolts, screws and quick links as needed. Be on the lookout for sharp edges or splinters from broken plastic or wood pieces. These can cause cuts and mouth injuries. Also be on the lookout for rust or discoloration on metal chains or parts. This can lead to heavy metal poisoning. Also look for loose or small parts. These can be a choking hazard. And cleanliness, check for droppings or mold. You may also want to be on the lookout for openings big enough to fit their head through, as these can cause neck injuries due to panic and or strangulation. Now let's talk about how often to do these inspections. Quick daily visual checks during cage cleaning are awesome. And weekly hands-on checking is really, really great. It can be done more frequently if your bird is going through certain toys really quickly. Some birds destroy a toy within 15 minutes. So if there is something about that toy that you know could be a hazard after it's been destroyed, you'll want to come back and check it or remove it just after that 15 to 30 minute window. Keep in mind that toy safety starts with selecting the safest toys to begin with. So let's talk about safe toy selection. You want to choose appropriate toys for your bird based on their tendencies and personality. Does your bird tend to stick its head in openings? Well, then avoid toys with parts that can fit their head. Plastic is easily cracked by a larger bird and would present a much bigger hazard to a larger species versus a budgie. So though we don't recommend plastic parts for any species, try to steer clear. Seek out non-toxic, bird-safe materials. Materials should be stated on the tag or on their website. Never assume that because it's being sold for a bird that it's automatically bird-safe. And make sure the toy is strung on bird-safe cord or chain. Avoid cotton or plastic rope or cord. Avoid unsafe attachments. Pear-shaped quicklinks and quicklinks that are spring-loaded can get caught on or injure their beaks. Carabiners are easily opened by most species and can also get caught on and injure their beak. Avoid unsafe materials like toxic dyes, treated woods, zinc, and lead. All these can poison your bird and in the worst cases be deadly. Keep an eye on the smell because it has a reflection of cleanliness. Natural materials typically have a funny smell to them that's normal, but they should not smell rotten or moldy. If they do, avoid them. Improper storage of natural toys can make them unsafe. So avoid toys that have visible dirt, a thick layer of dust, or mold on them. Avoid toys with bells or mirrors. Both trigger hormonal behavior and are a physical hazard if your bird chews on them. Bell clappers can be removed and swallowed by a parrot making it a major choking hazard. Now when it comes to DIY toys, be sure to make them mindfully using only natural bird-safe parts. Make sure that you buy those from reputable bird toy suppliers that you trust. And if you need a recommendation, check out our all-natural bird toys at birdtricks.com. We hope you found this video helpful, and more importantly, we truly hope this helps prevent a bird from injury. So go check your bird's toys today. A five-minute check can save your bird's life. Parrots are the third most popular pet in the entire world, yet the number one most rehomed. 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