Parrot Cages Vary, But Their Perches Are All The Same!

Every cage I have ever gotten (and I’ve gotten several sizes and shapes! always comes with food bowls and a perch. And every perch is always perfectly cylindrical plastic or wood- and it shouldn’t be.

Note: this is originally was a live video on FB at https://www.facebook.com/ParrotBliss/videos/234978487579342/ – join the flock at https://www.facebook.com/groups/pbflock/

Parrot Feet Are Special!

Your parrot, whether a Budgie or a Macaw, should get to flex their feet! Parrots have amazing zygodactyl feet which allow them to use their feet as a hand and hold their food!

Those feet should get to stretch and move around, like they would in nature! The relief of taking your shoes off and rubbing them at the end of your day is what your parrot wants to feel too!

A natural wooden perch will shift and change in diameter, just like a tree branch. As a matter of fact, tree branches are great perches in your parrot’s cage! They are soft, giving and allow your parrot’s foot to naturally move and flex, plus they allow your parrot to bite at wood and bark, which is very natural to them – so much so that when I finished my video, I offered Kami, my Harlequin Macaw, the branch and she started biting away at it, so I snapped a picture for my title slide!

Bark is good for your parrot – it is a natural food that they eat (along with clay or dirt) to bind lectins, or plant poisons, they have eaten, so that they poison doesn’t affect them! Yes, this is what you see when you see the photos of Amazons and Macaws on cliff-sides biting away at the dirt!

CHECK FOR TOXICITY & CLEANLINESS

I’ve heard that some people wash and even bake the branches they give their parrots- probably not a bad idea.

Check to see that the plant type is not toxic to parrots (you can search online); also look at the branch. Check that there is no black mold or anything else that holds plant illness and that could be hazardous to your parrot. I often cut the branches down to fit the diameter of a cage; I either drill a hole into the ends so that I can then place a zip tie through the hole/bars to secure the branch or do something like this so that the perch is as steady as I can get it for my parrot. Some times I just cut the branch at an angle to wedge it between the two sides.

Your parrot should be able to bite and enjoy their perch. Such perches are a type of enrichment and help provide your parrot with a more natural and health-promoting environment for them.

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