need some suggestions for making stress perches

[tinysparrow]

i am looking for simple suggestions on how to make some stress perches for my large community cages. i have seen photos of them online... a lot of them have a perch in the centre with little walls that run along the perch so that the birds can stand individually, and have "me time" without others bugging them.

i am not good with power tools, so ideas that don't require power saws or nail guns etc. would be appreciated! thanks!

[Martie]

Amy, this is not exactly what you're looking for, but may be worth a try to see if the birds will rest and feel alone anyway. Zebra breeders often have problems with fighting among their birds in large flights. Many of them use clothes pins on the perches - spaced so only one bird fits between. I have seen this work pretty well - but don't know if the birds consider it "me" time.

They have some inexpensive ones available to purchase. You can buy the plastic ABBA ones for $1.65 a "hole". They snap together.

Just a couple of ideas FWIW...

[debbie276]

Could you possibly run a perch through pieces of cardboard?

[debbie276]

I'm pretty sure there has to be a top to the whole thing too because aggressive birds attack from above and that is what you are trying to prevent with the stress perch.

[tinysparrow]

great suggestions! thanks everyone!

yes i am starting to see some ragged tails in my large flights i'm hoping to make these perches to help with the swooping and attacking, as debbie mentioned.

[Nerien]

Use a tissue box, turn it on it's side, cut out the front, and I guess the bottom. Run the perch through one side, then through pieces of cardboard to create the separate slots, then back through the other side of the tissue box. Instant cover for the individual slots.

Maybe leave the back, maybe cut it out, too, depending on where this will sit and what you think you need for coverage.

[lovemyfinch]

Use a tissue box, turn it on it's side, cut out the front, and I guess the bottom. Run the perch through one side, then through pieces of cardboard to create the separate slots, then back through the other side of the tissue box. Instant cover for the individual slots.

Maybe leave the back, maybe cut it out, too, depending on where this will sit and what you think you need for coverage.

Great idea...I love it Inexpensive and disposable

[Nerien]

As I read all this, and went to look up what a stress perch was, I'm sitting next to my degu cage, where we put in a tissue box last night, on its side, and the degus are inside it chewing the front off.

So I have to credit Chester and Chitter for the idea.

[cindy]

I will be making some from thin flat 1 1/2 wooden slats with black mesh dividers for my aviary. As soon as my husband cuts the wood I will post my idea.

[nelloyello11]

A while back, someone posted a clever idea. Can't remember who it was...

Use a regular dowel perch. Find some old CDs (or just blank ones). Cover them with contact paper. Slide them over the perch to make the spacing you want. You have to kind of wiggle them on, as they are pretty snug on a 1/2" dowel, but this keeps them from moving. If you put the perch close to the top of the cage, there won't be room for them to go over the top to pester each other.

[tinysparrow]

great ideas! thanks everyone. i will hopefully be making some soon so i will post pics