Finding Perches

[Meelahs_Mommy]

I'm looking for perches that come in different widths for my budgies...
I went to a few pet stores yesterday, and I only saw ones that were $5+ and you had to buy them individually..
Does anyone know where I can get them for cheaper, so I can buy more of them. I'm looking to get three big perches..

Thank you for your help :D

[Pippin's mom]

Hi! Do you possibly have the resources to make your own perches? I make mine with Manzanita branches from the bushes on our property. They work great and are free!:)

[keet_tweet4]

Do you want natural wood? You can pick those up in your yard. Just make sure they are safe!

www.birdsafe.com/woods.htm

[Red-Raven]

:) I use mostly woods from my property that are safe for birds. If you're worried about fitting the cage just cut desired length, cut a notch to fit vertical wire or just shove a tapered end snuggly between veritcal wires. Your fids will love stripping the bark!

[atvchick95]

i use natrual, dowel rods, and Sandy perches(thats a brand name) those ones help with nail/ beak Trimming and conditioning

I've got multi sized, and shaped dowel rods they're cheap and you can use em over and over and over, they last for a long time Even with all my chewers.

[kcasey_72]

I just thought I would mention the sandy perches can hurt there feet and don't really work as they use to think. Just thought I would mention it I know there are a lot of differnt thoughts on this but at least if you don't take them out make sure that not all perches have the sandy serface so they can get away from it if they want. It can really harm there feet. Think about how your bare feet would feel all day on sand paper.

but I agree if you don't spray your trees or know someone who does not just make sure they have not been treated. Good luck

[atvchick95]

I just thought I would mention the sandy perches can hurt there feet and don't really work as they use to think. Just thought I would mention it I know there are a lot of differnt thoughts on this but at least if you don't take them out make sure that not all perches have the sandy serface so they can get away from it if they want. It can really harm there feet. Think about how your bare feet would feel all day on sand paper.

but I agree if you don't spray your trees or know someone who does not just make sure they have not been treated. Good luck


I don't use the sand paper covers, I use the ones that are made by Sandy Perches it's thier brand name, they're made of concreate ,I've got one Perch in my budgies cage, my breeder budgies have a swing with the perch, my tiels have a swing, in one cage and a perch in a different cage but it only has the rough surface on the outsides of it.

[Bea]

I use branches from eucalyptus trees from around the place. :D They're free and come in a range of textures and widths. ;)

[Meelahs_Mommy]

I'm not sure what my trees are, but I will pick some branches up.
They only problem is the branches are covered in 3 feet of snow right now :(

[BUUZBEE]

Hi! Do you possibly have the resources to make your own perches? I make mine with Manzanita branches from the bushes on our property. They work great and are free!:)

Good job they are on your property! LOL... you get a hefty fine if caught cutting down manzanita in the wild

[BUUZBEE]

I'm not sure what my trees are, but I will pick some branches up.
They only problem is the branches are covered in 3 feet of snow right now :(

Once you find out what they are, go for it. break out the snow shovel!

[Pippin's mom]

Good job they are on your property! LOL... you get a hefty fine if caught cutting down manzanita in the wild

I had no idea! I guess I never even thought of that because where I live there is an abundance of Manzanita. In fact most people have to end up clearing a lot of it off their property before they can build. I grew up always surrounded by it. Now California Poppies I do know will land a hefty fine. When my cousin and I were young our mom's were always reminding us not to pick the poppies.:)

[BUUZBEE]

I dont remember the exact law, if its forst owned property ect. I'll have to look for some info on it. I think its like the cal. poppy's. If you plant them, you can pick them, but if they are wild, you cant (i think thats the way it goes)

[Pippin's mom]

I will be interested to see what you find out. I'm in Nor. Cal. so its possible the laws could vary too. Most people that I know can't stand Manzanita they treat it like an undesireable weed. I like it though. I've used its branches for years as perches for my birds and the little pink flowers are cute. When we were little we used to suck the nector out of them. We called it honey.:)

[Meelahs_Mommy]

Awww =)
The poppies reminded me of when my brothers and I were little and playing in the woods in our back yard and picked a bunch of Lady Slippers for our Grandmother.. We didn't know it was illegal to pick them, but seriously.. my older brother was 7, I was 4, and my little brother was 3... She freaked out though, and we never picked them again..

It was a little funny that shortly after that incident, they cleared out those woods and build two million dollar homes in its place.... no more Lady Slippers will ever grow there now.

I'm definitely sending my dad out there to get some branches ;)
Is there any specific woods that I shouldn't put in there? I'm fairly sure that all of our trees are pine :P But I'm not completely sure.

[Pippin's mom]

Do you want natural wood? You can pick those up in your yard. Just make sure they are safe!

www.birdsafe.com/woods.htm

Haley posted this link to the type of woods that are bird safe...guess you missed it.:)

[Meelahs_Mommy]

I know there are Pine Trees all around me.


I might just get some dowels though. :D

[keet_tweet4]

Dowels aren't the best, they are hard on the feet, and very slipperly. Natural wood is the best. ;)

[Pippin's mom]

I really don't care for the dowels. Natural wood is so much better for the health of their little feet and leg muscles and I think they look so much more attractive too.

[Meelahs_Mommy]

Well, we got another foot of snow, and I don't really have much other choice for right now. I don't have any way of cutting any branches off the trees around me, and all of the ones that are close to my house are Pine. It would be a lot of work for them to bite the wood in half in a couple of months (I have woods from around my house in my small travel cage and Meelah has chewed through three huge branches so far...)

I will keep looking in the Pet stores in my area for perches, but if I don't find any, I'm switching to doweling. I know there is doweling you can get that is unfinished. Why would that be too slippery for the birds?

I'm also getting one of those HUGE sand perches that have different widths throughout the perch. They have a really tiny sand swing, and thin perches. I just want to get something that is bigger. They get a lot of out of cage time too, so their little feet aren't always on the little perches =\

I guess that's the best I can do for now.

[keet_tweet4]

Dowels aren't healthy for their feet, the natural wood excercised it by the un natural shapes.

It is ok for the time being, but try to get natural wood ASAP. :budgie: