So my surprise cockatiel came with a cage that had only one perch. It is one of those rope perches so I a natural stick perch. It makes sense that different perches would feel better that standing with your feet in the same position all the time. Bur I notices she also stands on the flat cover of her food dish. I want to give her something where she can stand flat on her feet. I have read that pine is good for perches and I have the end that we cut off the Christmas tree. I was thinking of cutting it in half and attaching each to the ends of a dowel rod so that there are two platforms with a perch i between. What I don't know is how to prep the wood. Should I bake or boil it? Should I strip off the bark or is it ok if she picks at it? Should I seal the wood with something? Any advice is appreciated! Thank you!