Sandy Perches

[entrancedbymyGCC]

Sandy Perch perches have come up on a couple of threads recently and I wanted to know how many people use them or other products like them. Everything I've read has consistently warned that these can scrape up a bird's feet and either suggested not using them at all or using them in conjunction with other perching surfaces and being very careful to look for any signs of sore or abraded feet. I did get one sanded perch by Sweet Feet that has a strip along the top where there is no sandy material, but I've been avoiding the fully sanded ones for the most part. My portable stand has a Polly's Sandwalk perch built in and Scooter doesn't seem to like the surface much anyway.

I can see why they'd be the #1 choice for a shower perch since they are nonslip.

So, do you use these? Ever had a bird get sore or injured feet?

[lzver]

I have one sand perch in each cage ... with various sizes of wood and rope perches as well. Lucy or Jessie don't spent a lot of time on those perches and I keep a close eye on their feet because I know the possibility of sores. Lucy and Jessie have never had any sores on their feet so I'm not too concerned. I do find that they do provide benefit with their nails ... I can go a bit longer between clipping their nails.

[TheNzJessie]

i have a pumic perch in each cage. and perched with the bark on them and my birds like scratching the bark off. but i dont use sandy perches

[Rue]

I love SandyPerch products! But I'm talking about the SandyPerch brand...NOT any generic rough perch product.

SandyPerch is the best of the sand perch type products as far as I'm concerned. I don't use the other brands. (I should get commission! ).

You only use one per cage. You shouldn't have all your perches rough! I also have a couple of SandyPerch stands - but the birds only use those for short periods of time.

[Ark]

I don't use any abrasive perches, I find that hardwood perches with bark intact do a good enough job and keeping my birds nails trim. I usually need to file their nails 3-4 times a year for the Greys and for the Pois I used to do it once every 2 monthes or so. Seems reasonable to me.

I don't think that there's anything bad about using one perch per cage, so long as it is not the highest perch or in another spot where the bird really loves to hang out. I have used SandyPerch in the past, and I would go for that brand again if I ever decided to use abrasive perches again. I never had any problems.

I'd be wary about using a cement perch for a shower perch. I had heard that there is something about the alkalinity of wet cement that can irritate a bird's feet because, because the PH can go up when it gets wet. I don't know much more about this, or if it applies to all cement, but I'd rather be safe then sorry until I know more about this.

Does somebody here know anything about this?

[entrancedbymyGCC]

Without looking at it too closely, I don't see how water would catalyze a reaction that caused alkaline compounds to form. Seems more likely to me that if the effect is real, it's that the skin on the feet gets softer when the feet get wet. I guess it is also possible that it just dissolves a bit of the cement and that the liquid makes more contact with the feet and is irritating. But cement is pretty inert stuff.

[Rue]

I can't remember what exactly the problem was with cement perches...but they're not as good as the sand ones...so I don't use them.

I think we have one cement one in the finch cage (my daughter's birds)...all I remember is it's stupidly heavy...

My Pi uses his SandyPerch quite a bit...I've never trimmed his nails. The Amazon and the CAG don't use theirs as much...I should try and switch the placement and see if I can get them to use theirs more. I'd rather they filed down their own nails vs. having to wrestle them to clip...but that's just me...

[Ark]

After searching for awhile, I have only come up with things stated on aquarium sites/forums, about cured concrete leaching limestone into fish tanks, thus affecting the pH levels, and about keeping the concrete submerged in water for at least six weeks before adding it to an aquarium. Even something about adding some cured concrete to the aquarium if you need to up the pH.

And then I clicked that I had just been doing a search a few weeks ago for something to do with my house, and something called efflorescence came up. According to that search, it seems that water can pass through concrete and bring minerals to the surface. Efflorescence is when the water evaporates and leaves a chalky residue. If the water is carrying limestone, then maybe it can affect the surface pH. That might be where the person who told me about the perches was drawing their logic from.

I don't know what goes on when making bird perches out of cement/concrete, if they are soaked or not, or how any of this even applies. I did find one site that said not to wash cement perches by submerging them in water, but it didn't say why.

[MandyG]

I only use a sandy perch in the shower. I'm wary about using sandy or concrete perches in cages because I read somewhere that Amazons can be prone to developing foot problems and sores when they use them too often. I've searched but I can't find that article now...

Anyway, I've never noticed any problems from using the perch in the shower, he's only on it a couple times a week so I don't foresee any problems developing.

[pfinarffle]

We've been using them including ones that are bamboo but have sandy strips and ones that are entirely sandy. They've been just fine. Our bird likes to sharpen his nails when he's bored or anxious, so they help keep the number of nail filings we do way down. Of course, like others said, you can't use only sandy perches, you should vary the diameter and materials of the perches up, and you should check your bird's feet (and weight etc) now and then to make sure he/she is healthy no matter what.