Perches

Introduction

Your birds will spend the whole of their lives on their feet, keeping those feet in perfect condition is important to their survival. The perches they stand on will play a huge part in their daily life, and using the wrong types of perches will eventually create many problems for their feet. I see it time and time again, people using the wrong types of perch for their birds, then ask what is wrong with their feet. I want to highlight not only the importance of using the right perches for your birds, but also suggesting the right ones, ones to avoid, best places to put perches, and how many to use.

What are the right perches to use?

A bird should be able to not only stand on a perch, but also be able to firmly grip that perch. Perches should all have different diameters, such as natural branches. You can rarely go wrong with a natural branch for your birds to stand on, you just need to make sure it is from a non-toxic tree. Yes, some trees are poisonous to some birds, Below I will list a few which are safe and non-safe. Branches with many fingers are usually best, depending on the species your branches are for. For larger birds, it is typically best to remove any bark to reduce the risk of consumption of something unwanted. Remove any buds, leaves, and flowers just to be on the safe side.

For smaller birds such as finches, canaries, or birds of a similar size, it is best to use natural branches with many fingers which are springy. You can use a mixture of smaller natural branches mixed with fewer thicker branches, this helps give a nice variety. Various sizes help prevent Bumble-Foot, sores, arthritis in later life. Natural branches are hard to strip of its bark, and are best left on, but just make sure the branches are from trees that are safe for that species.

For larger birds, such as a parrot, larger, more sturdy perches are better. Larger birds are much heavier than smaller birds, and they tend to chew the branches a lot more (another reason to strip the bark first). It is best not to use the ends of branches for larger birds, but rather use the inner section that grow closer to the trunk of the tree.

Which perches should I avoid?

There are far more incorrect perches to use than correct perches. Some cages come with plastic perches, these should be removed, and thrown away. Straight wooden dowels are no good, they are often the wrong diameter, have the same diameter all across the length. NEVER use sandpaper sleeves that wrap around a perch, they wear down the pads on the bird's feet. Worn pads on your bird's feet will become sore, cause Bumble-Foot, possibly lose limbs. Stay away from rotten, or diseased branches, they usually have unwanted insects, or bacteria lurking in the cracks.

Do not use second hand branches or perches, previous owners give them away for a good reason. Always use freshly picked branches, and not one that was picked up from the floor. Last thing you want is to use branches after some manky dog has been munching on it. Always check new branches for mould, disease, fungus, if any of these are found, then discard them.

Perches that have been painted, or has been dyed should not be used, the dye, or paint may be toxic.

I have a bird with bad feet, what perch is best for its feet?

I create my own perches, which you can not seem to buy anywhere. These perches are really helpful for birds with sore feet, or suffering with Bumble-Foot. I want to share how I make my hospital/support perches with you, so that you can help any of your birds who suffer with feet issues. I have 2 different types which I commonly use for feet issues, the first one is as follows:

1. Use a branch stripped of bark, in one end of the perch, use a u-nail, but do not bang it in fully. Thread some jute under the u-nail, then tap in the u-nail to grip the thread. Wind the thread around the perch to hold the moss onto the perch. The thread should be wound just enough to hold the moss tightly to the perch, until you reach the other end of the perch. On the other end of the perch, tap in a u-nail, thread the end of the jute through the u-nail then tap down until gripped tightly. You can make many of these perches, each with different diameters.
2. The second perch is pretty simple, but uses only a perch, and a long length of jute. On one end, drill a hole through the perch close to the edge, thread some jute through the hole, then tie it off. Wind the jute around the perch as close as possible but tightly. Go right from one end to the other. Drill a hole at the end of the perch again, poke the thread through the hole, then tie off the end. Do not use regular string, Jute is natural, and harmless if consumed in small amounts. Lastly, do not use dyed jute, use plain undyed jute 😃

Birds with hook beaks, such as parrots, will eventually chew the hell out of the perches, so you will probably need to make quite a few. I used perches like these for some birds that never had feet, they worked wonders.

How many perches should I use in a cage?

Larger birds seem to require fewer perches than smaller birds, but again, it can depend on the species of bird in question. The minimum amount of perches for any bird should be two, and no less. The size of the cage matters, clearly a small cage cannot be overloaded with perches, but will still need a minimum of two. As long as the birds have room to fly, all will be good. It is good practice to have perches at each end of the cage, so they have a landing point. Aviaries do much better as planted aviaries, meaning there are live plants, or even trees supplying natural perches.

Where should I place the perches?

In cages perches should be placed about halfway up, in aviaries they can be placed in various locations, and various heights. Because cages have limited space, care must be taken not to overload the cage with perches, and never place them too high. Avoid placing perches directly above feeders, drinkers, baths, grit dishes, or directly above other perches. Remember birds poop often, and the poop will fall directly below them.

What is a privacy perch?

These types of perches have many functions. They come in many different sizes, and can be singular, or multi-sectioned. The most common is the multi-sectioned type, which is usually stacked side-by-side. I prefer to build my own, which often have a combination of singular and doubles. Singular cubicles will only have enough room for one bird to perch at a time and, doubles having enough room for two birds to perch together. The walls on each side prevent the birds from seeing the birds on neighbouring perches, and offer some degree of privacy.

If you have a bird which is stressed, these perches will give the bird a place to perch, whilst being left alone. It prevents pecking, or bullying from other birds in the next cubicles. They are a favourite place for birds to roost at nights, where they can be left alone with some peace and quiet. It is usually best to install them as high up as possible in the aviary, this prevents birds from sitting on top, and annoying the birds sitting underneath in the cubicles.