The Day I Took Ellies Toys Away.

That't right, I said it. I took Ellies toys away. 

And this beautiful lady is to blame. 

I push enrichment down the throats of anyone who will listen. You have a dog? yeah, you're learning about enrichment. You have a neighbor who's sister used to have a bird? Yeah, you're learning about enrichment too. 

Sometimes I forget to think like a zookeeper with my pets at home. If you're new here, then you haven't heard me talk about how zookeepers are the most creative enrichment creators in the entire world.

Zookeepers are the most creative enrichment creators in the entire world. 

The #1 go-to enrichment at zoos has to be a tie between cardboard boxes (cats aren't the only ones who love a good box) and browse. When I say Browse, I mean natural tree/shrub/plant clippings that are safe for the animal getting them. 

I am still new to the Midwest and not that great with plant identification off the top of my head so browse doesn't jump out at me like it did in AZ. But, as I was trimming this tree in my front yard I figured I should see what she was. 

Naturally, its a parrot safe tree that I have been walking by a million times a day and not sharing with my bird...whoops. 

Anyways, my tree happens to be a Hawthorn and she is listed as parrot safe here and here. 

Do me and your pets a favor and walk around your property and familiarize yourself with whats growing around you. You'll be blown away by what is growing in your own garden. 

Like the name implies, she has thorns. Even though I think that Ellie would probably be fine with some thorns, these things were no joke. 

So I nipped them off before filling her cage. 

We don't use pesticides or fertilizers on our property so I feel comfortable using browse from my yard. I would be a tad more cautious taking browse from unfamiliar locations. 

I only put browse in half of her cage and left her door open to give her the opportunity to stay away if it was a little too scary. But, in true Ellie fashion, she blew off my concern and dove straight into it. 

Bring the outside in sometimes. Let them be birds and shred some shit up. We all know that its what they love to do and what a great way to change up their environment and try something new. 

P.S you'll be cleaning up a huge mess. I remove it all the next day and bring back the basic toys. This fun doesn't last forever. 

About that Egg Cup

There is an easy rule to feeding rabbits. Always have free access to hay and you can feed about an egg cup full of pellets per bun a day. That being said, lets make a festive supervised foraging toy! 

We could get way more nitty gritty about diets here, but I am no expert on nutrition so I will leave that to your veterinarian to discuss with you. 

I am, however REALLY good at helping animals display natural behaviors so, lets do that! 

Heres what you'll need:

• Fillable Easter Eggs

• Drill

• Pellets

• Espadrilles (Sort of Optional, but they really help get you in the Spring feel)

Just drill a hole or two a tad larger than your pellet size in each egg, scoop some pellet in and your done. 

Easy, right?!

I would only suggest this foraging toy be used supervised. While its great fun, novel, and allows them the exercise their bodies and minds...the plastic is flimsy and not suitable for alone time. 

Chick Starter

Everyone in the whole wide world is getting chicks right now.

Not me. Why? Because I live in a city with livestock restrictions that don't yet exclude chickens. I'll have to work on that! 

I do have the next best thing though, a friend out of city limits who just hatched out his first clutch of chicks! Im sure that Ill wear out my welcome by the time they're out of their brooder. 

If you have ever been lucky enough to let your broody hen set and watch those little peeps grow up with mom, then you know that they are up and off as soon as everyone hatches. They are out foraging with mom as soon as 24 hours from hatching. While out foraging, the family comes into contact with various auditory, textural, social and (my favorite) novel foods. These are all sources of enrichment that are easy to take for granted. 

Raising chicks in the brooder has its own set of perks. (Can we say chick snuggles whenever you want?!) But, we have to get these little guys busy while they're in the brooder! What do your chicks see while they're growing? If your answer is the same 4 walls of a tupperware tub, let's enrich it! 

Some wild fowl have been observed actively foraging for up to 80% of daylight hours.

80% is massive. 

Here are some easy ways to get your hand raised peeps as stimulated as the chicks outside! 

Roosting

This is a wreath made of Tea Tree branches by National Geographic. I took some grape vine branches that I had left over from making Ellie new perches and added legs. Now, the chickies have a natural roost to practice hopping about on. 

Foraging

This is my favorite.

Now, you have flipped through the McMurray catalogue, or maybe you're a Tractor Supply Chick days type, and you've got your peeps. What is the next thing that you looked into? 

Feeding them. I try to stick with natural choices as often as I can, so a feed brand that I gravitated to was New Country Organics. They have an organic chick starter that is sure to set your peeps on the right track.

In addition to a good starter, chicks with mom are out foraging. They are foraging for the greens and foraging for the bugs and your chicks don't have to miss out! Petsmart has pinhead crickets that are the perfect size for tiny beaks to gobble up. 

The first time you feed your peeps live crickets, just pour some in and let them figure it out. Once they have the hang of it you can add a foraging ball to the mix like this ball made by National Geographic out of willow and agave. The foraging ball used with live feeders works 2-fold. It serves as a hiding place for the crickets which in turn makes it more difficult (and more realistic) for the chicks to forage. I always bring a jar so I don't have to take their plastic baggies every time. 

A jar of wheatgrass is a simple way to let them taste some good fresh greens. Your cats will thank you if you decide to share. Wheatgrass is also marketed as cat grass! 

Pinecones. You've made those pinecone feeders for the wild birds, right? They make great feeders for your birds too! sprinkle some starter in there and you're golden! 

Disclaimer- All of the items here are not perfect for every animal. Always watch your animals when giving enrichment. See how your animals interact with the items and each other. Are they picking too heavily at fibers? Are they getting too pushy at feeders? Please choose what you feel is best for the animals in your life and let them have fun!