What type of cement or calcium perch do you use?

[Anne73]

What type or brand of cement or calcium perch do you use for you finches and how do you like it? How does it work to keep their nails and beaks trimmed?

[L in Ontario]

I use Pedi-Perches in all my cages. It has a rough surface to file/trim their beaks (when they wipe after drinking) and nails when they land and move around on the perch. Placing it right beside a drinker is the best place so they will use / land on it a lot.

[kathmcm]

Which size pedi-perch is best for finches? Mini?

[CandoAviary]

I use natural wood perches from smooth woods to coarser bark. Different sizes also...In the aviaries with these type branches I never need to clip nails or trom beaks. The cement and lava type perches sometimes are too rough for finches...I have seen them cause sores on the feet. They are also porous and tend to grow lots of bacteria... so make sure you sanitize regularly. The sand type perches are also abrasive and cannot be washed as the water dissolve the glue golding the perch together. For larger birds and parrots sometimes they need this rough of a surface but small finches only need natural wood. Also most grass finches do a lot of vertical walking, like up and down grass stalks. It really helps to set some perches vertically and attach millet at the top. This is great excercise and also really wears the toenails down.

[L in Ontario]

Which size pedi-perch is best for finches? Mini?

Extra small or mini - yes.

And I agree with Candace about natural wood perches. I only have 1 Pedi Perch in each cage but also quite a few natural branches from the backyard.

[kathmcm]

Is there a way to tell whether nails need trimming, without handling the bird? I have had a GS pair for about 2 months now and they are always really skittish when I approach the cage. A couple weeks ago, with lights low, I caught the female and clipped the nails on one foot - they were past the vein but I don't know if problematic yet. At any rate, she was really scared and the next morning I saw that she had tossed all of the nesting material out of the nest she sleeps by. I don't want to handle them again.

I have natural perches from the yard in their cage, but the birds smooth off the bark pretty quickly between their constant bopping around, bill-wiping, etc. Maybe one small pedi perch wouldn't hurt, if it is not placed where they have to use it frequently?