The following is a list of puzzle activities which Fig does from time to time as entertainment/ enrichment.
CAUTION: All puzzles listed here are supervised activities because toys, especially string, represent a serious health, safety, choke, trip, snag, strangle, injury, maim, etc...hazard to birds! There are always unexpected, unforseeable risks and hazards posed by any object you introduce into your bird's environment. I suggest you assume not to know what the worst case scenario might be.
If you choose to try these puzzles with your bird, you do so at your own risk. I assume no responsibility. Never leave a bird unattended with "toys". And don't try these activities with your bird if you are not able to control the bird, should the bird get tangled up or otherwise into trouble.
If you want to try these activities, I suggest introducing them one activity at a time, gradually over time, and again, supervise, monitor, and learn along with your bird; know your bird's limits; know what your bird knows, and keep non pointy scissors handy in case of entanglement. If a rope gets around your bird's neck, and it panics, that will be very bad. Introduce toys gradually, and let the animals learn about new objects flat on the floor, then loose over a perch before attaching an end, or using a pully.
Puzzles:
1. Loose string draped over a perch (1-2meters)
Variations:
A. Tie food at one end.
B. Tie food at both ends.
C. Use a smooth perch.
D. Use a rough perch.
E. Use a fat perch.
F. Use a thin perch
G. Wrap string once around the perch.
H. Tie one end to the perch.
I. Use a hook to attach one end to the perch.
(I use soft aluminum wire in silicone tubing)
J. Tie knots along the string.
K. Tie loops into a soft chain.
L. Use thin string.
M. Use cord.
N. Use rubber tubing.
O. Use flat lace.
P. Use a strip of ribbon.
Q. Use paper.
R. Use toilet paper.
S. Use fabric
T. Use over sized plastic chain.
U. Use small plastic chain.
V. Use a rigid stick, with a hook at one end.
W. Use a rigid stick, attached to the perch at one end.
X. Use a length of bent wire in silicone tubing.
Y. Drape over two perches close together.
Z. Make one big loop, with a couple food rewards attached.
Aa. Drape over a flat wide board.
Ab. Tie 2 differents strings together.
Ac. Tie 3 different strings together.
Ad. Tie obstructive/distractive objects into the length of your string.
Ae. Attach a weight at one end of the string (I use a yogurt cup with water in it).
Af. Wet the string and attach bits of ice to the string as obstacles.
Ag. Make a "chain" of short sticks.
Ah. Make a "chain" of long sticks.
Ai. Mix up string, stick, and chain
Aj. Put a hook at both ends of a string, stick, or wire with food or weights at either end.
I make hooks from soft aluminum wire in soft silicone tubing.
Ak. Try putting the reward in a pet bottle for added challenge, or use one of the enclosure methods listed under 2. (below).
Etc...
2. HIDE THINGS
A. Wrap a treat in a paper towel.
B. Use a cloth hanky.
C. Hide it in your clothing.
D. Hide it in your hair.
E. Hide it in a bath towel.
F. Hide it in a cardboard box.
G. Hide it in a paper towel tube.
H. Hide it in a paper bag.
I. Hide it in a PET bottle.
J. Hide it in a drawered box.
K. Hide it in a hinged top box.
L. Seal it in an envelope.
M. Put it in a plastic bag (ziplock)
N. Put it in a length of clear fish tank tubing. Start short, and gradually lengthen.
O. Mix (paper towel, paper towel roll, envelope, ziplock bag, card board box
P. Mix (cloth hanky, drawered box, towel, paperbag)
Q. Tie strings around the hinged, or drawered box.
R. Wrap a box with paper or cloth.
S. Tie a PET bottle to a flat board.
(see below)
3. HARD TO GET. Put something out of reach. And leave sticks of various lengths about.
A. In a barred box.
B. In a narrow, high walled box ( I use a thin A4/8.5X11 paper file box)
C. In a tube. (see through or not)
D. In a nook under a perch.
4. WOOD: Drill or poke holes in...
A. A block of soft pine, or old soft branches. Insert mealworm, and some oats. Plug holes by tapping in balsa plugs, or soft pine plugs so the Crow can peck them out.
B. A block of soft pine. Insert peanuts snuggly.
C. A half an apple. Stuff holes with peanuts.
5. ICE: Make a 24 hour block of ice. Note: Freezing longer makes the ice harder!!!! Soft is safer.
I recommend 500ml size.
A. Hide nuts, berries, fruits, veggies, an egg yolk, few mealworms, etc... in the ice.
B. Hide a short length of rope (straight, 6-8 inches)
C. Hide a hankerchief full of treats.
D. Hide a box full of treats.
E. Hide a feather. Fig's favorite toy is her own feathers.
F. Hide a small chunk of low sodium cheese.
6. SANDBOX: (Box of leaves, dirt, sand, gravel, eggshells rinsed well)
(Note on egg shells: I read that chicken bones become brittle and likely to make sharp shards when cooked, so dogs should not eat cooked bones. I don't know, but I suspect that cooked egg shell may present similar issues for birds. So I only give Fig raw, uncooked egg shell. )
A. Bury treats, or toys.
If you choose to try these puzzles with your bird, you do so at your own risk. I assume no responsibility. Never leave a bird unattended with "toys". And don't try these activities with your bird if you are not able to control the bird, should the bird get tangled up or otherwise into trouble.
If you want to try these activities, I suggest introducing them one activity at a time, gradually over time, and again, supervise, monitor, and learn along with your bird; know your bird's limits; know what your bird knows, and keep non pointy scissors handy in case of entanglement. If a rope gets around your bird's neck, and it panics, that will be very bad. Introduce toys gradually, and let the animals learn about new objects flat on the floor, then loose over a perch before attaching an end, or using a pully.
Puzzles:
1. Loose string draped over a perch (1-2meters)
Variations:
A. Tie food at one end.
B. Tie food at both ends.
C. Use a smooth perch.
D. Use a rough perch.
E. Use a fat perch.
F. Use a thin perch
G. Wrap string once around the perch.
H. Tie one end to the perch.
I. Use a hook to attach one end to the perch.
(I use soft aluminum wire in silicone tubing)
J. Tie knots along the string.
K. Tie loops into a soft chain.
L. Use thin string.
M. Use cord.
N. Use rubber tubing.
O. Use flat lace.
P. Use a strip of ribbon.
Q. Use paper.
R. Use toilet paper.
S. Use fabric
T. Use over sized plastic chain.
U. Use small plastic chain.
V. Use a rigid stick, with a hook at one end.
W. Use a rigid stick, attached to the perch at one end.
X. Use a length of bent wire in silicone tubing.
Y. Drape over two perches close together.
Z. Make one big loop, with a couple food rewards attached.
Aa. Drape over a flat wide board.
Ab. Tie 2 differents strings together.
Ac. Tie 3 different strings together.
Ad. Tie obstructive/distractive objects into the length of your string.
Ae. Attach a weight at one end of the string (I use a yogurt cup with water in it).
Af. Wet the string and attach bits of ice to the string as obstacles.
Ag. Make a "chain" of short sticks.
Ah. Make a "chain" of long sticks.
Ai. Mix up string, stick, and chain
Aj. Put a hook at both ends of a string, stick, or wire with food or weights at either end.
I make hooks from soft aluminum wire in soft silicone tubing.
Ak. Try putting the reward in a pet bottle for added challenge, or use one of the enclosure methods listed under 2. (below).
Etc...
2. HIDE THINGS
A. Wrap a treat in a paper towel.
B. Use a cloth hanky.
C. Hide it in your clothing.
D. Hide it in your hair.
E. Hide it in a bath towel.
F. Hide it in a cardboard box.
G. Hide it in a paper towel tube.
H. Hide it in a paper bag.
I. Hide it in a PET bottle.
J. Hide it in a drawered box.
K. Hide it in a hinged top box.
L. Seal it in an envelope.
M. Put it in a plastic bag (ziplock)
N. Put it in a length of clear fish tank tubing. Start short, and gradually lengthen.
O. Mix (paper towel, paper towel roll, envelope, ziplock bag, card board box
P. Mix (cloth hanky, drawered box, towel, paperbag)
Q. Tie strings around the hinged, or drawered box.
R. Wrap a box with paper or cloth.
S. Tie a PET bottle to a flat board.
(see below)
3. HARD TO GET. Put something out of reach. And leave sticks of various lengths about.
A. In a barred box.
B. In a narrow, high walled box ( I use a thin A4/8.5X11 paper file box)
C. In a tube. (see through or not)
D. In a nook under a perch.
4. WOOD: Drill or poke holes in...
A. A block of soft pine, or old soft branches. Insert mealworm, and some oats. Plug holes by tapping in balsa plugs, or soft pine plugs so the Crow can peck them out.
B. A block of soft pine. Insert peanuts snuggly.
C. A half an apple. Stuff holes with peanuts.
5. ICE: Make a 24 hour block of ice. Note: Freezing longer makes the ice harder!!!! Soft is safer.
I recommend 500ml size.
A. Hide nuts, berries, fruits, veggies, an egg yolk, few mealworms, etc... in the ice.
B. Hide a short length of rope (straight, 6-8 inches)
C. Hide a hankerchief full of treats.
D. Hide a box full of treats.
E. Hide a feather. Fig's favorite toy is her own feathers.
F. Hide a small chunk of low sodium cheese.
6. SANDBOX: (Box of leaves, dirt, sand, gravel, eggshells rinsed well)
(Note on egg shells: I read that chicken bones become brittle and likely to make sharp shards when cooked, so dogs should not eat cooked bones. I don't know, but I suspect that cooked egg shell may present similar issues for birds. So I only give Fig raw, uncooked egg shell. )
A. Bury treats, or toys.
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