Wood for a Playstand

[RoxyGirlsMom]

I'm so confused...has anyone made a playgym from natural wood and if so what woods have you used and how did you prepare it, if you did at all?

I'm wanting to make a playgym and possibly combine both PVC and natural wood, but I'm not sure what wood would be best (hehe). I see so many articles with conflicting info, so that's why I'd like any personal experience if anyone has any?

Thanks!

[chapala]

Look on lists of bird-safe wood. Bottlebrush, Eucalyptus, Pine (dried, not fresh), Fir, Grape vine, Guava, Poplar, Maple, etc.

[RoxyGirlsMom]

Yea but that's what I'm saying...I've seen Eucalyptus, Pine and Maple on Toxic lists. I keep seeing conflicting stuff. I live in SC and I have lots of water oak, river birch, mimosa, crepe myrtle, red maple, purple eye of sharon (a hibiscus variety), and crab apple. Any experience with these or suggestions? Thanks! I've heard bottlebrush is great, but I don't know where to find them or what they look like.

[jenseits]

Originally Posted by RoxyGirlsMom

I've heard bottlebrush is great, but I don't know where to find them or what they look like.

Here's what bottlebrush looks like. I've got a stand made out of it (I bought it, I'm not the "handy" type at all), and my birds really like it. It's got great texture, and my sun thinks that chewing pieces off is great fun.



It's native to Australia though, so I think it's not super easy to get... although I see it for sale on eBay occasionally.

[chapala]

Crepe myrtle I have heard is safe - know people who use it frequently. Hibiscus is safe so your Rose of Sharon should be fine. Bottlebrush is an Australian plant and it may not grow where you are. You can buy bottlebrush perches on-line sometimes. From everything I have read, I am confident for myself that Eucalyptus is safe wood, and I have some in the aviary as perches. I have read that oak wood from a lumber yard is safe, the bark is not.

The best thing is to research as much as possible and use your best judgement. Not every site is correct. If I can't determine to my satisfaction that a plant or wood is safe, I don't use it.

[RoxyGirlsMom]

Thanks! I think that I'm just overly cautious! =P I know most of you would say there is no such thing, but, haha I've been researching safe woods for close to 2 years now O=) and still haven't decided to take the plunge! I think what I'm deciding on is using a little bit of Crape Myrtle, Hibiscus and Butterfly Bush branches. I think I read no bark from the Crape Myrtle, but it's ok from the Hibiscus. I know hibiscus leaves and flowers are supposed to be ok as well. I'll prolly find a good branch or two of Crape Myrtle with lots of good segments and use it as my foundation of the gym. Then use the hibiscus with leaves as foraging fun and maybe the occasional Butterfly Bush branch for added texture. Ugh...I'm still worried I'm going to do something wrong. So rinse, let them dry out completely? Bake or no bake? How long does it usually take a 2-3 inch diameter branch dry out? Thanks again!

[chapala]

I never bake branches. I just use unsprayed branches and make sure there's no wild bird poop on them. I hose them off, and let dry in the sun.

Our birds are barely removed from their wild relatives who live in jungles and habitats with no one to sanitize everything for them. (I do keep the cages, food and water bowls nice and clean!) You don't need to dry the branches before using them - they are more easily shredded when fresh, but birds love to shred, so that can be a good thing.

[maggy]

My stand was made from eucalyptus (off a tree cut down across the road when they built a house) paper bark tree, bottlebrush branches. The branches of eucalyptus isn't poisonous, nor any of those I mentioned. The British use a lot of apple branches for their birds so crabapple should be OK, as would be pear, citrus, olive most fuit trees but not cherry, apricot or plum. I don't prepare them much, scrub with hot water and a stiff brush, dry in the sun. Leave the bark on..good fun to pull it off. Later when it gets grotty, you can use vinegar as it is bacteriacidal, viracidal, and antifungal, but not toxic..and it disolves grease and poo.

[Alan]

I am from SC as well. The woods I am going to use are Magnolia, Fig, and Pecan for the playstand and perches i am going to make for the macaws i am going to get. I have heard butterfly is good one some sites and bad on others. Regular apple is fine alltho I think crab apple isn't if i remember correctly. We dont have bottlebrush here. But you should be able to find the magnolia, fig and pecan.

[clawnz]

Originally Posted by RoxyGirlsMom

I'm so confused...has anyone made a playgym from natural wood and if so what woods have you used and how did you prepare it, if you did at all?

I'm wanting to make a playgym and possibly combine both PVC and natural wood, but I'm not sure what wood would be best (hehe). I see so many articles with conflicting info, so that's why I'd like any personal experience if anyone has any?

Thanks!

I do not clean any wood I use, but be careful of urban pollution.
Quick scrub with warm water and detergent, dry well, make sure no molds grow on it. All the branches in my cage and on the play gym were fresh.
But i have access to all the right woods.
Paperbark Gum, Bottlebrush, Manuka, Pururi.