DIY foraging toys on a budget — share your ideas!
I look after 6 rescue birds and toy costs add up fast. I've been making DIY foraging toys from cardboard, paper cups, and natural materials. Anyone else do this? Would love to swap ideas!
YES! Cardboard boxes stuffed with shredded paper and hiding pellets inside is one of my go-to's. I also thread veggies on untreated rope — super cheap and hours of fun.
I wrap nuts in newspaper pages for Mango. Also found that paper bags from the grocery store are amazing — stuff them with shredded paper and pellets and let them tear into it.
This is such a valuable thread — foraging enrichment is one of the most important things we can provide for captive birds, since wild birds spend most of their day searching for food.
Some of my favourite budget-friendly ideas:
Cardboard & Paper
- Toilet paper roll stuffed with shredded paper and treats, ends folded in
- Brown paper bags tied shut with hemp rope
- Egg cartons with pellets hidden in each compartment
Kitchen Staples
- Threading veggies on a stainless steel skewer (hang in cage)
- Wrapping almonds in a palm leaf, secured with cotton twine
- Plastic bottle caps strung on natural rope as foot toys
Seasonal/Free
- Pine cones (pesticide-free!) stuffed with peanut butter and seeds
- Dried fall leaves (safe species) crinkled up with treats inside
What species are your 6 rescue birds? That can help tailor ideas — foraging difficulty should match their natural behaviour!
Paper cups with treats inside, folded shut, placed in the cage. My budgies spend 20 minutes working those open. Also muffin tins with tennis balls covering each cup — the foraging puzzle keeps them busy.