DIY: Balsa Wood Foragers

Wood foraging blocks don't have to be expensive, especially if you are handy (or have handy friends). Here are two examples of easy balsa wood foragers that were both hits in my flock! One forager was grooved using a router, while the other was simply drilled, and both were stuffed with delicious almonds. As you might have forseen, they didn't last very long in my flock.

Materials: balsa wood (purchased from NationalBalsa), stainless steel eye hooks, and almonds

Tools: router, drill, and saw (vacuum for cleanup)

With the router, I cut straight edges on each face of a balsa block using a straight-cut bit. 

The result was a four-leaf clover shape.

Almonds were chosen because my birds love them; however, other nuts and toy parts can also be suitably stuffed in the soft balsa.

I gave this one to Chaucer, and it kept his beak busy for quite some time. 

The other foraging block was the simplest to make, just requiring a saw to cut up the balsa and a drill to make holes.

Stuffed with almonds, this toy was irresistible to my galah.

Here's Mr. Bubbles in action and what remained of the forager after he was finished. Fun foraging times.