Post by eve on Mar 30, 2012 21:04:44 GMT
Hi. It's been a while since I've been on. Mainly focused on the elections here in the U.S. when I'm on the computer.
As I've just created a bunch of new chew toys that my budgies love as the old pine cones are falling in droves from my pine tree right now, thought I'd post this info. My budgies go wild over these cones and have them chewed up within a day or two......I just put in more, then.
I gather the cones, soak/rinse them 3-4 times in warm water to get any dirt off, then soak them in vinegar to kill anything bacterial (as if the next steps don't do that as well) and the budgies seem to prefer the strongly vinegared ones.
Then, I cook them for about 20 min in a 250 degree oven to kill anything harmful left from the vinegar soak, then microwave them for about 10 minutes.
When dried, I put them in 2-3 at a time tied together with a piece of crochet yarn that I handcrochet to a thickness to cut down on any possibility that they might get their feet caught in them when the cones are gone and before the next batch is put in.
The hens find these immediately and began fighting over the chance to chew these things. Then, the males TRY to get in some time, but the females run them off. ;D
As I've just created a bunch of new chew toys that my budgies love as the old pine cones are falling in droves from my pine tree right now, thought I'd post this info. My budgies go wild over these cones and have them chewed up within a day or two......I just put in more, then.
I gather the cones, soak/rinse them 3-4 times in warm water to get any dirt off, then soak them in vinegar to kill anything bacterial (as if the next steps don't do that as well) and the budgies seem to prefer the strongly vinegared ones.
Then, I cook them for about 20 min in a 250 degree oven to kill anything harmful left from the vinegar soak, then microwave them for about 10 minutes.
When dried, I put them in 2-3 at a time tied together with a piece of crochet yarn that I handcrochet to a thickness to cut down on any possibility that they might get their feet caught in them when the cones are gone and before the next batch is put in.
The hens find these immediately and began fighting over the chance to chew these things. Then, the males TRY to get in some time, but the females run them off. ;D