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[Lauren_201]

I think my chins are bored with their toys. Any suggestions for making them more interesting? I'm really low on cash right now, all I have are branch bites, lava bites, apple sticks and a couple of various Petco wood chews leftover from my last purchase.

The reason I think they are bored is that they have been chewing things they have never chewed before, in example the walls, cubboards, basically anything they find! They usually stick to their stuff, so I'm thinking they are bored!

Does anyone have any suggestions on making things a bit more interesting for them, poor babies!

[Stacy]

I went to Low's this morning working on the same thing. I have the hanging bird toys and I add things to them. When I just sit things in there they end up dirty looking and I don't want them to chew it so I just hand every thing. They have 1 that has only alfalfa cubes on it. The others are a mix of anything I can find that is safe for them to chew. Lava bites, cholla chews, pine blocks, and they get the apple branches, but they arn't big enough to drill a hole in. I am going to try drilling a hole in the pumice stones and see how that works. I also get these little toilet paper roll looking things from Lone Star that I stuff with hay and that keep them entertained for a wile.

[Abby W.]

I have found that my guys prefer just plain old pine wood to the store bought toys.  I just get a 2 X 4 X 8 and cut it down into 1 inch blocks.  They love them, and it is much less expensive than the pet store.  You just have to make sure the wood is pine and untreated.  They do also like the cardboard rolls you can buy at Petsmart, I think they are called "Chubes".

[Debbie.nl.ca]

My daughter came up with a good one that is getting great reviews with the chins.
The heavy cardboard tubes we use we are now hanging from the ceilings of the cage with a window cut in them.
I had her chins over while she went camping, and they loved it so much I've been doing it in all my cages.
They can get out either end, and chew it, but it's easy to replace.
I'm always looking for new things too

[Jo Ann]

Hi Lauren,

    Debbie, that's a wonderful idea!

    Empty toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls and empty egg crates are all great toys for the chins, just cut them to the size the little ones can handle them ... rolls about 2" wide and egg crates each individual holder for an egg.

    If you do not have an electric saw to cut wood, get you a hand saw and a piece of untreated pine that is 1" x 2" and what ever length they will sell you.  (Often they will have scrap pieces at a discount price.)  Just make sure it is untreated pine ... some woods are very bad for chins.

    We make our huts and shelves out of 1" thick wood and use the left-overs for chew blocks.  If you cut a piece 1" x 1" x 4", some chins will round it off and make what looks like a pencil.  

 
Jo Ann

[Lauren_201]

Great Ideas everybody!

[Stacy]

I just got back from the hardware store and I got my own drill and saw for the chins. Every time I use my husbands I have to wash them 1st but now they have there own and I hope I can do it myself. I also got a very small chain and I am going to try to fill it up with things for them to chew and sting it across the cages.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Hi All,
A note on the tube thingy.           {thanks for pointing that out to me Jo Ann}

The way my daughter has it braced on either ends, lets the chins chew off either end and the tube could fall.
I have screwed it to a piece of wood on the outside of the mesh roof.All they can do now is make it dissapear.
Safety first, and all cages are different, make sure yours is safe for your chins.
You may need to MacGyver things you see on the net to set them up in your cage.