One of the many perks of living on a farm and the wide variety of tasks that are done overtime - is the nice collection of random tools and materials that start making its home in the workshop shed. When an idea comes up that you'd like to realize, the chances are pretty big that we've got most of the tools and materials necessary.

One of these ideas is this Parrot Foraging Toy

Foraging Toy with seeds and nuts on the inside. While they work on their long term project to reach to the inner treats, we use the holes to put other food in to keep things interesting.

About once a year the men go through the trees on the property to see which ones need pruning. When this happens, I tend to come tip-toeing around the cut-offs to see if there's any pieces I can use for the parrots or crafting. Last pruning session, we had some nice guava logs that I dragged away from the pile designated for fire-wood.

Not all wood is safe to use for Parrots, so whenever I find something interesting pieces, I check for their safety here. After I've gotten a nice collection of wood, I leave them out to dry. Once they've been thoroughly dried, I also give them a diluted vinegar scrub, rinse, and bake them in the oven to make sure there's no critters lefts alive in the wood.

Next, I basically get Gian involved to do everything else - as he's more experienced in what tools to use and how to use them (I may or may not have set wooden pieces on fire in the past with an electric drill...), and I stick around to watch and learn and give input on the way (which sometimes comes through as me checking Gian every minute to make sure he's not "doing it wrong" - we're working on my control issues).

This is what the log looked like before we took off the side branches and cut it into smaller pieces (minus the blurriness, you'll have to use your inner-Photoshop to get the picture) .

Once in the shed, Gian broke off the smaller side-twigs, cut the log in smaller pieces and cut off the ends to make them level and easier to work with. We couldn't use one giant log as our drill bit that hollows out the wood only reaches so far.

Gian using a mitre saw to cut the wood to size and leveling it out

Tada! A Smaller log

Clamping the log pieces one by one to hollow them out

Getting started with hollowing out. Once in a while taking a break as it gets very heated in there and might catch fire

To get right down in there close to the bottom, and keeping the pressure nicely vertically directed - a change of position may be necessary

Woohoo, it's getting there!! It's so exciting when you see something you conjured up in your head start taking shape in matter! This space will hold the seeds and nuts that the parrots can gnaw out through side holes.

Gian drilling the holes on the sides through which the parrots can gnaw. There are also 2 smaller holes on the top through which we will pull wire to 1) hang the toy and 2) to keep the parrots from cheating through the bigger hole ;-)

Smoothing out the wood shards that were left on the inside

Filling the toy with seeds and nuts, with some peanuts sticking out so the parrots can 'get the picture'

Seeing how much wire we need

Tada!!

The Parrots have mostly been chewing away at the bark. The guava wood is pretty dense and it takes them quite a bit of effort to chip away at it. If we make it again I think we'll go for wood that is a bit easier for them to chop away at.

I hope you enjoyed this little update.

If you like what we do and would like to support us in our endeavors with the Parrots, please consider becoming a patron for Desteni Farm.