KJ>As for the new toys/perches, etc.--some birds don't take to new things
KJ>right away. What I do with my "toy-shy" birds is set the new toy a few
KJ>feet away from the cage for a couple weeks.
>I have found that if the babies have toys even before their eyes are
>open, they will accept them as a "normal" part of the decor of the
>brooder.
I've not tried hanging toys in the brooder, but I DO put stuffed animals
in with single babies. When the babies get to a weaning cage, they get
hanging toys AND a swing.
I think it's important to give them a swing right away, so they learn
how to perch and balance. I use a swing with a single hanging point so
it rotates a bit. They don't usually try it on their own until they have
mastered flight, so I don't worry about them falling off. Every clutch
has a swing-hog, and all the babies end up fighting over who gets to
sleep on the swing at night.
I offer toys made of all different materials--plastic, wood, leather,
acrylic, strung on metal rods, on chain, and on leather cord. That way,
when they leave here they won't encounter anything they've never seen
before.
>I put hand toys such as the Gerber baby toys or a short piece
>of brightly colored chain on the floor of the brooder.
I could do this...I just never thought of it! I've always been more
concerned with introducing foods when they're still in the brooder.
--Kathy
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