DIY Bird Scale (image intense)

[Polarn]

So, due to recent discussion in another thread where birdscales came up and the cheers Cml got for his scale I decided to make an easy guide on howto make your own birdscale with regards to a coment on having to get a second scale to still be able to weight in the birds food. Also a scale to weigh your birds daily is as important as anything else you have for your bird, that is your way of finding out if the bird is healthy or getting sick. Althoguh the scale i picked up for this guide is too small to actually fit the bowls i use under the perch you could do the same with a bigger scale to fit the size of your bowls.

Whats needed for the scale:

a scale, 3 dowels (could be natural branches), hemp string (optional), 2 screws, and a glue of your choice.

Tools I used:

A drillbit, a T-15 bit (depending on what bit is required by your screws, a drill, a knife and a saw... and yes I know they look old and beaten, I didnt have the energy to go to the workshop so i grabbed one that had been laying outside on the porch and the drill from the garage...

This is the shape you want to create:


Since im not a big fan of screwing round things together I used the saw to create a small cut on either side then the knife to remove the material beond this cut:


This step is optional but I wanted to make sure the dowels didnt crack as i screwed em together, so I predrilled the holes, this also guides them together how you want them:


Then join them together with the two screws, if your skipping the next step secure em tightly, if your doing the next step leave a gap between the dowels:


Use the hemp and wrap it around the top dowel tightly making sure to pretty much cover the screws but still being able to tighten them, the string is held in place by tightening the screws once you wrapped the whole thing (its easier to start in one end and then secure that end before moving onto the next end) once the screws are tightened you can press the hemp over it and make it disappear:


Once you have the perch done all thats left is gluing it onto the scale:


This particular scale always starts at 0 when it starts up even if something is on it, so by having the perch permanently there it will always account for that weight, when choosing the scale the most important thing is to get one that has 1g increments and not 5grams or something. Ans as mentioned earlier this scale is really small so cant really fit my bowls under the perch but get a slightly bigger scale and you can still sue it for all your birdies needs.

[Polarn]

Oh I might add that the only reason I wrapped the top perch is to make it familiar to my birds since they have no smooth dowels but only has natural branshes and a couple of hempwrapped ones needed to be there to put the playstand together...

[cml]

It looks great polarn , great guide if people need inspiration!

[Polarn]

What I though and since it is something everything should keep around (weather it be putting your bird directly onto the scale or building a perch) I thought it was worth to go out and spend that 7bucks for the small scale just to give some inspiration/plant ideas into thouse who wonder how everyone can afford the 250 "bird scales". And well, never wrong to contribute to the community just that I usually forget to take pictures along the way. But this time i even pulled out the blue screen for it, but didnt get the proper camera though haha.

[Michael]

Very nice. You don't have to glue the perch to the scale though. If you make a bottom for it, you can just take it on and off and let gravity hold it and the scale tare. That way you can use the scale both ways easily. I built a perch for that purpose and used it on my scale until it broke and then I was too lazy to fix it and just started putting the birds on directly and realized the perch is completely unnecessary anyway (unless the bird is really untame).

In this video you can see the one I used to use in case it gives you any ideas. I don't have time to explain it but essentially you make a sideways H and then add two supports to it from tipping over. Thanks for your post.

[cml]

I dont think its completely unnecassary at all, quite the opposite really .

I used to put the birds right on the scale, but that was problematic because their tailfeathers touched the table under the scale, resulting in the weight-data jumping up and down. You really had to look and see when they werent touching to get an accurate reading. With the perch, mine is very similar to Polarns - only a T-shape, its easy to weigh both parrots =)!

I've watched your video-link, and I can see why it isnt necassary in your case, but my scale is almost exactly the same model as Polarns, and they are much lower than yours - making a perch essential !

[Michael]

Ah, ok. Well with Truman, I place him on the scale so his tail hangs over the side (no video to show) but essentially that solves that issue. As for him moving around, it does make it bob around +/-3 grams but that difference at his scale isn't that major. For Kili the number locks in solid.

At first, it seems hard to use the scale without a perch but after doing it a few weeks, the birds get used to it and stay still for you while you do it cause they know they'll be off soon. It just becomes routine. I think the perch is most necessary for untame birds that are stepped from stick to stick cause that's a way to force them on the scale. I prefer training and such but it's a usable temporary fix.

[marie83]

My scales are too small making something to stand the bird on necessary.

[Polarn]

The scale I was using up until now was what you described. It did have a wooden base for the perch. Just thought I might as well do another one since I had the dowels as leftovers from a playstand since I put up natural perches on it instead and I walked past the scale today when I was out, so thought, hey let's make a DIY guide and get myself a smaller scale while I'm at it. And yes it's low. It is only 12mm high and quite small so feathers outside would cause a problem with my zon, Gila I actually place in a shoebox ATM...

[Michael]

Ok, based on your enthusiasm for the scale perch, I came up with an easy to use manufactured perch for the less DIY capable parrot owners.

Anyone who wants something dirt cheap, follow the outstanding guide above. If you'd like to save the work and buy something ready made, here is my latest invention: the Pocket Perch. You can use it as an ultra portable stand to put your small parrot down anywhere or for weighing small to medium parrots. Polarn, thanks for the inspiration.