[xafsmom]

How to what? Make a t-perch scale? If you're talking to someone else, then disregard the rest of this post hehe.

Easy to make t perch... Go to a craft store and buy an inch thick square of crafters foam (the kind they make those grade school missions out of), or, for a portable useful one - goto a home depot and get a square or circle of wood. It has to be big enough to be stable, but not too big. Think 8" x 8" for conures. Then at either place, get dowel rods, one being 3/4 to 1" diameter, the other being 1/2" diameter (for perching). Then get a small package of stainless steel screws to screw into the base (if wood) and through the horizontal perch into the vertical dowel. For the foam, get crafters glue, shove the vertical dowel into the foam, pull it out, smear with glue and push it in again. If you can't countersink the screw, purchase some vet wrap and wrap the horizontal dowel with vet wrap (I do it anyway, easier to grip for the birds) until it cushions and hides the little bit of screw head that you can't get flush to the wood. Now, if you can't countersink the screws, you'll have to put a bottom on the base - if wood, or else it'll wobble. That's what the craft store's for again - buy a piece of heavy craft felt and glue it to the wooden base - that makes it stable.

Then, you get a scale that has a zero function. Most kitchen scales do, because you're weighing stuff like flour where it has to be exact. So, you would put a bowl on the scale, then hit the 'zero' button, and then pour the flour in. It gives an accurate read. Same thing with your little diy t-perch (and it won't slip thanks to the felt bottom!), just set the t-perch onto the flat surface of the scale, zero it out, and weigh your bird.

Nothin' to it and a LOT cheaper than 70 dollar avian scales.

Or, skip the t-perch and teach your bird to stand on the scale itself, it's easy, mine do! But, the t-perch comes in handy in other places too (if it's a wooden base).