Repurposing Dowel Perches?

[Sarah Rose]

I have some dowel perches that came with Clover's cage and I'm not quite sure what to do with them. Definitely don't want to put them back in her cage (horrible for her feet) but also don't want to throw them away if they can be used for something useful. Can I make them into some sort of chew toy, or are they not safe? Any ideas?

 

[TikiMyn]

You can make a playstand out of them If you screw them onto a piece of wood vertically, you can drill holes in them and insert perches

 

[Mhert]

Some people cut them up and drill holes through them for toy parts. Some people whittle at them to give them a better shape, like the Nu-Perches.
Having a single dowel should be fine as long as you have a couple others of different textures and diameters higher up. I think Manzanita and Java have the same issue for the most part but they're still widely used.

 

[faislaq]

Dowel perches aren't inherently terrible. They're only bad if they are the only option or the highest perch in the cage (sleep perch usually). You can still use one or two in their cage at a time & rotate them out as they get dirty or chewed. Maybe put it in on an angle so they work their leg muscles a bit? Dowels are good for that because they connect at both ends; most other perches only attach on one end so they're always horizontal.

If you want to change up the texture a bit, a few whacks with a hammer would give them an uneven surface as long as they're not so thin that they split. Or you could wrap them in sisal or no-pill fleece. Actually if it was padded enough with the fleece, it would be thicker and cushy on their feet & might make a good sleep perch that way after all.

 

[Serin]

There is a belief in the bird community that dowels are somehow harmful to birds' feet. They aren't. Birds developed foot issues because in the old days people only gave them a couple of identical dowels and the birds stood on only those dowels for years at a time. In conjunction with a few other perches dowels are just fine to use.

 

[rocky'smom]

You can also padded them out with fleece and vet wrap. Makes them more comfortable for the bird.

 

[Peachfaced]

I stick a few in the cages while I'm cleaning the dirtied perches. Having one in the cage isn't bad so long as there are other options. Some birds enjoy destroying them, too, so there's that.

 

[Shezbug]

I have cut up some of mine to make a ladder with and also toys. Some of them I have drilled holes in to hang them up and hang things from them and other bits I have just left as a short rod for my bird to use as a foot toy or chew chunk. He loves destroying the dowels more than most of the other blocks of wood he gets for some reason.

 

[webchirp]

Some people cut them up and drill holes through them for toy parts. Some people whittle at them to give them a better shape, like the Nu-Perches.
Having a single dowel should be fine as long as you have a couple others of different textures and diameters higher up. I think Manzanita and Java have the same issue for the most part but they're still widely used.

That's what I do...but for a tiel, you'd have to slice them fairly thin.

 

[LSA]

I sand off random areas along them and put them back to give my budgies easier access to food and water.

I also drill through them lengthwise then slice them into pieces with a saw. String them up on sisal knotted between to make a great chew toy. My conures love them and I've even sewn some onto denim busy boards.

 

[Leih]

My main issue with the dowels are they are so slick. After seeing my bird fall off one I whittled it down to make it rougher. This is the one that is in front of her bowls but she loves to scamper around her cage so definitely needs a good grip.

 

[Marvel_ous]

You are able to take a knife or really any sharp carving implement and whittle away pieces in several places to give more variety! You may want to sand then rinse afterwards to prevent splinters.

 

[Brittany0208]

Java's first cage came with two really long dowel perches. Knowing how bad they are, I decided to keep them but modify them. I placed them next to each other and wrapped them in vet wrap to make one long perch with some areas wrapped in a washcloth for diversity.
He used them for awhile as long as they were extra padded, but now that he's in his new cage, the dowel perches are under my desk somewhere. They won't fit in his cage but I really don't want to throw them out in case I find some use for them in the future.

 

[Feather]

I use the dowels that came with my cages as step-up sticks.

 

[Leih]

I use the dowels that came with my cages as step-up sticks.

Oh yeah, I do that too since my lovebird is still hand shy and a nippy 6 months old. I love when she doesn't seem to realize she's actually on my hand not the perch .

 

[EkkieLu]

I'm covering older dowel perches with colorful vet tape! It brightens up their cages and look brand new!