Would it be safe to just take a branch from any tree outside and put screws into them and make your own natural perches? I went to petsmart and was going to purchase each natural perch for about 8 dollars each adn my brother in law was with me. He works with a lot of wood adn said that I could just make them myself with screws and branches off a tree. But, I am worried about bugs and little mites and stuff. Would it be safe to do what he said by just using regular branchs or should i just buy the ones from the pet store?
2007-08-12 08:21:44 · 4 answers · asked by L70 3 in Pets ➔ Birds
You have to be very careful about using branches from trees outside. Make sure it hasn't been sprayed with pesticide, make sure it's a bird-safe wood and make sure you clean it before you get it anywhere near your bird (You can actually put it in the oven on low heat for a while to kill any bugs and other nasty things.)
2007-08-12 08:30:01 · answer #1 · answered by Resident Heretic 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you can use branches off of a tree BUT, you need to bake the wood first in order to kill any bugs or larvae. (Never use any chemicals, cleaners, bleach, etc. to do this). First, strip the bark then,bake the wood at a low temp (about 250 degrees) for around 1 hour per inch diameter.
2007-08-12 15:34:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You do have to make sure it is safe wood for the bird to chew--there are some that are toxic. Native species may know of the toxicity, but pet birds will not. Scrub and clean well, and bake in the oven to kill parasites. Here'a great link:
http://www.mdvaden.com/bird_page.shtml
2007-08-12 16:04:36 · answer #3 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh god yeah , any way to save money is the way to go! If your worried about bugs or something just, I dunno, put it in the microwave for like 5 min to kill anything alive on it. I think it is an excellent idea actually!
2007-08-12 15:46:04 · answer #4 · answered by kudos4me07 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋