Wood Dowels?

[christinacandelaria]

Hi all I'm new to this website and actually going to be a new mommy to a baby TAG soon! I am planning on making a playstand for her (Gucci) and I've been looking at all the neat ones that are on here for ideas. I've seen some with wood dowels and I was thinking about using them myself but I wanted to know if it was okay to purchase the ones they sell at the craft stores and if they needed to be cleaned and if so with what? Could someone please let me know? Any help I can get would be appreciated! Thanks!

I posted a pic of my soon to be new baby Gucci!

[MLaCross]

Aw what an adorable baby! And as long as the dowels aren't painted, stained, treated etc, they should be fine. I bake mine in the oven, just for a few minutes at 350 just to be safe. I use antibacterial dish soap on my wood and toys, and rinse rinse rinse!!! I know some people on here use bleach...i am just to scared too! Hope this helps

[becca623]

You can find untreated dowel rods at home improvement stores that you can cut to the correct size. Some birds (mine) don't care for dowel rods. They prefer either natural wood or pvc.

[chapala]

Dowels might be fine on a playstand, depends how much time your bird will spend on it. Dowels actually aren't good for their feet because they exert pressure on the same parts of the foot no matter where the bird moves. Natural branches are best - they vary in thickness. Rope perches also are very good for their foot health. If the dowel is one of many perches, no problem because the bird can move if he/she is uncomfortable. Far too often, dowels are the only perches available to a bird, and that's when there can be problems.

[MLaCross]

Originally Posted by chapala

Dowels might be fine on a playstand, depends how much time your bird will spend on it. Dowels actually aren't good for their feet because they exert pressure on the same parts of the foot no matter where the bird moves. Natural branches are best - they vary in thickness. Rope perches also are very good for their foot health. If the dowel is one of many perches, no problem because the bird can move if he/she is uncomfortable. Far too often, dowels are the only perches available to a bird, and that's when there can be problems.

I didn't know this, thank you for this information. I will have to do something about that tonight. After all these storms we have been having around here....I am sure I can fine some good branches in my yard to use!

[ruizx6]

I have used the larger sized dowels and then sanded some wave and dips in them so their not the same all the way around. I also have natural branches to though.

[ruizx6]

Very cute baby by the way...I cant wait to get one. Hopefully next week.