Dangerous Bird Toys

Aug 29, 2011

Dangerous Bird Toys
by: Linda

I make parrot toys using only cotton rope. The reason for this is that the nylon rope is even more dangerous for bird than the cotton. Nylon rope does not have the flexibility of cotton and will cut off a toe or wrap around a foot and cut off circulation so foot is dead. Though the nylon comes in different colors, it can and does cause severe injury and death to a large number of birds every year. It is also dangerous for dogs as well.

What I do with my cotton rope is make thick knots by knotting a few rounds and then slipping a wooden chew toy piece onto rope and then making another fat knot directly underneath toy piece and so on until I'm at the end of the rope. Toys are hung using chain, and links have to be large enough for bird's toes to easily go in and out, but not large enough for heads to go through.

I also use only stainless or nickel plated metal pieces including chain because the other materials are made from zinc, and the stuff coming from China can have poison mixed in with the zinc plus zinc is as toxic as lead for a bird.

So, though this was a terrible tragedy, it was not the fault of cotton rope. If too many loose strands are left on the toys, birds have a bigger chance of becoming tangled in them. The hanging itself took a lot of doing and not sure how that could have happened.

If you don't make your own toys, make sure loose strands of rope are trimmed down to where toes, feet and or heads cannot become entangled with them. Use only cotton rope in your bird's toys because there have been far more deaths involved with nylon rope than cotton. Sometimes, toys become so scruffy as they are used and age, that they become unsafe. We are responsible for changing them out way before then. Bird's will always find another "favorite" toy especially if new one looks similar to old one.

We do appreciate your comments, and anything can become dangerous to a parrot, so caution with any kind of toy is advised, but cotton is safer than nylon if used properly in parrot toys.

Thanks for wriiting,
Linda

Dangerous Bird Toys

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Dangerous Bird Toys

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