PERCH TYPES
In the wild, birds perch wherever and on whatever they can. In captivity, birds rely on their owners to provide perches for them.
Perches are to birds what furniture is to people. They offer a place where birds can eat, sleep, play and groom themselves.
Perches come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials. Plastic, pine, oak, ribbonwood, dragonwood, manzanita, fruit tree branches and cement are just some types of perches available. As with most things, bird owners have strong opinions about which, if any, of these perches are best for their pets.
Softwood Perches
The most common perch available is the standard wood dowel. Most birdcages come with two or three of them. For many years, these perches were, for the most part, the only perches available.
Wood dowels have many pluses: They are readily available at pet, hardware or lumber stores. They are easy to clean. They come in various lengths and diameters, and can be easily cut to fit most cages.
Wood dowels can be fastened to cage walls by cutting notches into the wood or by using plastic cap ends. (The plastic cap ends often have to be replaced because birds like chewing on them.) Large-diameter dowels sometimes come with a washer-and-wing-bolt assembly so they can be attached to the walls of a cage.
On the other hand, there also are several disadvantages to using wood dowels as perches. They tend to be made of softwood that is easily destroyed by many birds and, therefore, need to be replaced often. Because wood dowels have uniform diameters, they don't provide much foot exercise for birds.
Plastic and Rope Perches
Plastic perches are almost as readily available as wood dowels and are frequently found in finch, canary or parakeet cages.
Many pet birds destroy plastic perches (except those made of PVC or acrylic) quite readily, so these perches may have to be replaced often. They also can be slippery unless grooved.
Perches made of twisted cotton or sisal rope also are available. The rope should be twisted tightly, so birds' toenails don't get caught in it. Because birds will chew on the rope, bird owners should be advised to trim the chewed portion to avoid loose ends that can entangle birds' claws.
Rope perches basically are the same diameter from end to end. However, because the fibers are twisted, the perches are more rugged or "bumpy," which helps exercise birds' feet.
Hardwood Perches
Manzanita wood is perhaps the most well known hardwood used for perches. It's popular among bird owners because it lasts a long time and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, which helps exercise birds' feet. The unevenness of a single length of manzanita forces birds to vary the way they grip the perches while sitting or walking.
As with softwood, plastic and rope perches, manzanita perches aren't popular with all bird owners. Some people consider the bark on manzanita to be too slippery.
Over the years, other hardwoods have arrived on the scene and are attracting large followings. One such wood is ribbonwood, which is harder than manzanita and does not have slippery bark. Each piece of ribbonwood also has various shapes and diameters.
Dragonwood, another hardwood, is very lightweight. It, too, comes in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Another perch option is grapevine. One California manufacturer prepares the vines by removing the bark, disinfecting the vines and then baking them.
Cement Perches
Cement is another popular perch medium among some bird owners. Cement perches come in various colors to match the consumer's cage decor.
The purpose of cement perches is to help keep birds' nails dull-not to eliminate the need for regular nail trimmings. Cement perches should be placed where birds spend most of their time, usually where they sleep.
Many bird owners feel that birds can damage their feet if they spend too much time on a cement perch. They argue that, because most cement perches have uniform diameters, they don't allow for enough "grabbing" exercise.
Some bird owners also complain that the roughness of cement perches could result in foot problems. In researching this article, I only came upon perch-related foot problems once" manzanita foot," a problem about which I couldn't find any documentation.
The weight of cement perches is another issue for some bird owners. Some cement perches are so heavy that they need to be supported by another perch, usually a wood one.
Another disadvantage of cement perches is that they break easily when dropped.
Swings are considered perches, too. Like stationary perches, swings come in a variety of sizes and materials.
Many cage-top playpens, stand-alone playpens, half perches and floor-stand T-perches also are available in the above-mentioned materials.
Keeping Them Clean
Perches require different cleaning methods, depending on what they are made of Wood dowels can be cleaned in water with a disinfectant, but must be totally dry before they can be returned to the cage, as wood holds water. Cement perches, on the other hand, must be scraped clean and not submerged in water. Plastic, PVC or acrylic perches can be submerged in water and cleaned with a disinfectant.
Perches are not just "sticks" on which birds sit. They are an important cage component that can affect birds'
well-being. We make sure your customers are selecting the right perches for their birds by familiarizing yourself with the many different models available, as well as their pros and cons.
Reprinted by Pretty Birds from Pet Age Magazine by Leslie Nelle-UrinyiUse Browser BACK Button
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