Natural Branches

[Deleted]

Just got hold of a variety of natural branches to use as perches. They're a bit longer than I need even to place them diagonally, so I think I'll have to trim them and then sort out how the ends fit onto the cage.

A couple of them have one end just about narrow enough to sit between the bars, but the others will either need to be shaped down or have a groove carved in.

The groove would potentially make it harder to place perches diagonally, but carving them down would lose me the nice curvy shaped ends I have on some pieces.

So perhaps a variety of methods is in order.

[birdguhl]

Where did you get your branches and what kind of wood, Ira?

Pics please?

[Hezz]

The groove shouldn't make it too much harder to position diagonally, as long as you make the groove a bit wider than your bars need. Also if your perches are thick ones you may still need to whittle down one or both sides of the grooved end to give you that degree of flexibility. And remember not to make them all going straight across - put some at an angle and cut appropriately. You will need a slightly longer length to start with to be able to do this.

If there was a Master's degree in making perches, I would have one for sure. I have storage boxes full of perches for each individual cage.

[Deleted]

Hezz These are all more than long enough to go diagonally so I'll probably have different ones for different purposes, as the groove would have to be really deep for me to use the same perches for straight and diagonal positions. Won't need all 10 at once for sure.
Could probably go for 5-6 drastic diagonals (because there's more than enough length for that) and 4-6 straight with the potential for slight diagonals.

birdguhl



I bought them from www.etsy.com/uk/shop/HangingWoods
I saw they sold natural things for decoration so asked if it was possible to get some plain branches and sent a list of safe woods and the sizes I'd need. The wood is cut as part of woodland management.
These are hazel, ash, beech, and birch. They had one other, I think it was hawthorn, but the shop owner was worried the thorns might be a risk to the budgies' feet so didn't recommend it.
Very helpful shop, going to leave my review once I get the perches sorted out and in use so I can take a picture.

[willowsmum]

Just a thought @sillycat84, I've deliberately left some of my perches too long so that they stick out beyond the bars and provide perches outside the cage too. I've found that this works best with forked branches where the main branch can be secured in the cage and the thinner fork left to stick out beyond the bars. It should also work for the branches you are going to wedge through the bars. It doesn't look pretty but Willow often uses the outside branches to perch and preen and the perches close the the cage base give him easy access to that elusive 'cage base reflection budgie' he likes to chat to

[Deleted]

willowsmum That's a good idea if I have aby thin enough.

Thus far I have cut a groove into two ends of one to go diagonally across and up, and attempted to place it in the cage. Getting it in place was more just luck of where it ended up because I had to put the whole perch in and then when trying to get one end in place the other one just ends up somewhere.

[jellybean]

Hope to see some pictures of the end result @sillycat84.

[Deleted]

jellybean Will do!

I just experimented with making a block at the end of one rather than a groove so that the perch could be rotated.

Grooves are definitely quicker and less fiddly.

1.5 branches in and my thumb is now sporting 4 cuts from a slip of the saw blade...

I might stick with grooves. They're safer to make...

[Deleted]

Thus far:








Also I really need to start either doing more bonding with these two whilst they're in the cage in the morning or chase them out first thing instead of waiting until after lunch.

[Deleted]

Damn, ruined my favourite part of my favourite piece. Not the end of the world, it's still a perch.

I have decided the best method is just to cut a wedge off of ends that are too wide for the bars.
Rather than cut the branch shorter like I did with the one I liked that I wanted to have fairly flat, I'm just cutting a long enough wedge long enough that I can have the perch flatter with more sticking out between the bars or more diagonal with less sticking out.
It also makes getting them into position easier as I can slide them back and forth.

[tweetiepiesmom]

Thanks for posting this @sillycat84! It hadn't occurred to me to look at Etsy for those perches but I did and saw some I liked. I ordered one. I also got some ideas from you seeing how you placed them in the cage. Look out guys - major rearrangement coming!

[Deleted]

My housemate heard me sawing and came in to help. After the first bit of sawing he left and came back with a Stanley knife and just pared the ends down, which was way faster and neater. We just narrowed about 3 inches at each end because I regretted cutting one of them shorter.

Meanwhile Yuki and Indie were pestering me to go home.

Will clean and rearrange the cage tomorrow.

[willowsmum]

It's looking great @sillycat84. It takes time but I'm sure Yuki and Indie will appreciate all of your hard work

[Hezz]

Oct 9, 2020 16:51:33 GMT @sillycat84 said:

My housemate heard me sawing and came in to help. After the first bit of sawing he left and came back with a Stanley knife and just pared the ends down, which was way faster and neater. We just narrowed about 3 inches at each end because I regretted cutting one of them shorter.

Meanwhile Yuki and Indie were pestering me to go home.

Will clean and rearrange the cage tomorrow.

I have an old fashioned pocket knife that I use almost only for whittling down the ends. My father would be horrified as he always kept his pocket knifes as sharp as. But better to be used than just left sitting in a drawer going rusty.

[Deleted]

Yeah, there's no point in having a tool if you don't use it!

I knew whittling would be the easiest way but it wasn't until he came home that he remembered that he had something that would work. It took me ages to saw 3 perches and then he goes and does the rest in 15 minutes!