Weighing scale

[amri]

Do you guys have a weighing scale to check your bird's weight? I took Mili to the vet and the Vet weighed her and she is in the normal weight range for her age. I want to monitor regularly.
I cant find any in the petstores. Do you know of an on line site that I could buy one from? I tried a few but, could not find exactly what I have to get.

Thanks.

[cbalvino]

Dr Fosters carries them,about 70.00$ anyone know of a more reasonable price? please post!

[Okanairda]

Any kitchen scale that measures grams will do actually! :) I bought mine from Bed Bath and Beyond and my birds will step down onto the surface of the scale. Or, you can get this scale: My Weigh iBalance 2500 (i2500) - Digital Kitchen Scale / Food Scale - i2500-BLK. I like it since it does double duty as a kitchen scale or a bird scale if you get the optional bird perch.

[Conure crazy]

I have this one:

Sterling Professional Avian Scale Kit - The Birdsafe Store

I think I only paid $70 for it at Foster & Smith almost 4 years ago. They are now carrying a different model.

[xafsmom]

I have a regular gram kitchen scale. Cost 20 bucks. I took it in with me when I went to the vet last, to see if it matched the 'calibrated scale' they have. Dead accurate. I made a T perch for it and just put the perch on it, zero out the weight, and weigh the birds. Easy and cheap.

[cbalvino]

show us how! thanks

[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).

[cbalvino]

thanks so much! you are one handy person!

[amri]

Wow, great. Thanks a ton folks.

[Monica]

Walmart, Target, and similar places sell gram scales. You want a kitchen or postal scale that weighs in DIGITAL GRAMS! Makes weighing a LOT easier! I have a kitchen gram scale.... use it almost every day to weigh out food for the birds.... and to weigh the birds themselves sometimes, too.