Foraging isn’t just an adventure…it’s necessary activity
The purpose of foraging in the wild is for a bird to find food, which may take several hours each day. In the caged bird world foraging hasn’t been necessary. The handy water and feed cups we attach to our bird cages has made feeding birds easy for us, but has stopped our birds from the “hunt”.
If your bird doesn’t have enough to occupy his mind he may use time in a destructive manner such as feather picking. Birds need challenges to keep them happy and healthy. Foraging toys and treats provide the physical activity your caged bird lacks.
What is a foraging toy or treat? It’s anything that makes your bird work for his food. Start off with easy foraging methods so your bird gets a chance to learn the art of foraging. Simple foraging methods include placing pieces of their food in other areas of the cage, covering food with a paper towel, and hanging smaller foraging toys in various places with treats. Acrylic toys that they need to go through a series of steps in order to get the treat and Pinata’s are a great ways to spur foraging skills, but shouldn’t be used until your bird has learned the basics.
|