Why I Use Only Rope Perches

[yehudasf]

BS"D

Herewith a couple of pictures of the feet of O'Hara, & Rivka. Before I switched from wood perches, all of the birds inevitably would get flat, shiny pads on the bottoms of their feet, and most would develop pressure sores on their "wrists" (some call this hocks). In the year since switching to all rope perches, rings & play areas, all of the bird's feet are rounded, well pebbled, dark (not pink), & completely without pressure sores.
Perhaps it is just subjective, but they seem a good bit more comfortable & happy.

[Adi]

Ah, well that explains a lot! Now I know why you are buying 600$ worth of rope perches!!!

I must say that they do have very nice feet! Although my bird is much smaller, I also started using the rope perches and dont' think I could ever go without them now! Sunny has a better grip and he has even started hanging upside down from them. I also find that his feet aren't as dry as they used to be when I was using more wooden perches.

Yehuda, do you use ropes of varying widths to make sure their feet get exercise? That was the only thing that was keeping me from putting entirely rope perches in the cage.

[BirdsUnlimited]

I use only natural branches for my birds, usually fresh maple or apple. My birds never get the foot sores you mentioned but I do see it from time to time w/ birds on wooden dowels. Birds feet need a variety of textures and diameters.

[yehudasf]

BS"D

ParrotletLover

I am in the process of getting Lily rope perches for her cage. However, it is difficult to find them so small! The good pet store has a few, and next time I'll try to catch a few tiny ones!

Where do you buy your's, if I may ask?

I purchase from a manufacturer here in California, known as the "bird toy man". Buying in bulk, & from the source directly saves a bit. If you want really small diameter rope perches, try http://www.drsfostersmith.com they have rope perches small enough for canaries.

[yehudasf]

BS"D

Originally Posted by BirdsUnlimited

I use only natural branches for my birds, usually fresh maple or apple. My birds never get the foot sores you mentioned but I do see it from time to time w/ birds on wooden dowels. Birds feet need a variety of textures and diameters.

I would call you quite fortunate. My experience has been that the flattening of feet, & development of (in varying degrees of severity) pressure sores is nigh universal on birds on hard wooden perches. My birds had the best of perches, manzanita, plum, apple, yucca, of multiple variant sizes & shapes, but all still had "flat pad". That is, until I switched all of them over to rope perches. My Avian vet posits that since parrots in the wild spend a remarkable portion of their foraging time on the ground, on clay licks, or on mossy, leaf-littered branches, the unending exposure to nothing but a hard surface (in captivity) may be why they develop flat pad & pressure sores. Whatever the cause, I am just very happy that I could resolve this particular cause of possible discomfort for my beloved psittazens.

[The Outlaw]

I buy all of my rope perches and boings from www.stuffforbirds.com. They have the best buys on the net.

THE OUTLAW

[Adi]

Originally Posted by ParrotletLover

Very good Yehuda! They have beautiful feet.

I am in the process of getting Lily rope perches for her cage. However, it is difficult to find them so small! The good pet store has a few, and next time I'll try to catch a few tiny ones!

Where do you buy your's, if I may ask?

Blake, I know Hagen makes a 5/8" diameter rope perch. Was that the size you were looking for?

[The Outlaw]

Blake:

Its been a while since I've had to order boings or perches and I no longer see them on the Stuff for Birds site. However, here's a link to do-it-yourself boings. The principle is the same for the perches.

http://bellaonline.com/articles/art6814.asp

THE OUTLAW

[Franciscus]

There is a good article in the current issue of BirdTalk magazine about proper perch sizes that helps prevent some of the issues you describe Yehuda. I understand the point of rope perches being soft but the thing I dislike about them is that they can get fouled up rather quickly with food from birds rubbing their beaks on them as well as droppings. I just find them too difficult to properly clean. Do you have any suggestions for cleaning them?

[Adi]

Although I haven't tried it yet, I've been told that you can put them in the washing machine. I just keep enough on hand that I can rotate clean ones in, and soak the dirty ones in water without worrying about putting them back in a rush. But then again, it's easier with a little guy!!!