The following is a short description for a basic perch for Crows, and other high strung perching birds.
You must have a minimum of two perches to enable hopping, or flight at all times because birds of this sort require an "out" or "escape". They have active and "paranoid" imaginations; always taking evasive action from predators, or perceptions. They have a take no chances survival strategy, are flighty, claustrophobic, and panicky by nature.
Cage or aviary environments create tensions by constraining nature's usually free and open boundaries resulting in stress. Fortunately, there are ways stress can be released, or dissipated in artificial, confined environments. This post is only about perch design which may reduce stress which can quickly, and repeatedly build up in cages, or aviaries.
A Crow cannot make do stationary, on a single perch, except to sleep, even then I don't recommend it. Crows move naturally forward, more so than sideways.
The following is a description of what I have learned that makes a good perch in captivity. When I figure out great, I'll let you know.
Main perches if you can only have two should be two different sizes with one being about 4 inches in diameter and another about half that, for Crows. (For song birds generally, aim to open the bird's feet about half way, and fully in an arch. Allow for a long unobstructed flight, but keep in mind that captive birds spend more time standing still than a wild bird, they need the support underfoot of broad main perches. Pad perches with one or two layers of fleece if the perches are solidly stationary. Tree branches give by bending, thereby absorbing shock. Stationary perches do not bend, so padding them is a good idea to prevent repetitive stress injuries. I recommend two layers for big birds like Crows. Fleece can be glued on with white glue and held with plastic zip ties. It is easy to wash with soap, hot water, and a brush, and dries quickly,
At each end of the perches, tie a rope segment, or loop of small link plastic chain, fishtank tubing, or a hoop of plastic or wood.. The end of a perch on a tree has sky, an escape. A wall creates stress, so a bite, or move stress toy is essential at or near the ends of perches at both ends of all perches. I recommend placing your ropes, chains, or rings made from fish tank tubing near, but not at the wall, or cage bars, to keep birds from coming into contact with walls or cage bars and using the wall or bars to bite, peck, touch with a foot, or otherwise come to associate with dissipation of stress. Cotton rope, rubber jump rope, fish tank tubing, and light plastic chain work well. Crows cannot untie cheap rubber jump rope. You can tie short segments of colorful strings to a chain, or to a tubing ring for double stress release because the bird must first move, or rotate the chain or loop and hold it with a foot before it can tug at a string. A block of balsa or soft pine to peck is also good for beak growth and conditioning. Never use any metal, screws, nails, or hard ceramics! Drill holes in your pine or balsa blocks to create caches, and you can even cram peanuts into the holes for the bird to peck out. Think move left or right, rotate, tug or peck. Have some variety in toys/stress release objects. Bits of leather tied in slightly obnoxious places make great natural tug and peck "agitators" to expend energy on.
It is a good idea to place smaller diameter perches without padding, just bare wood, at 45-60 degree angles at the wall ends of perches. These 30-40cm inclines offer smaller diameters, natural wood to wear nails, angled leg exercise, imaginative play opportunities, and stress relief by deflecting attention away from sheer wall, or bars.
In the center of perches it is a good idea to attach a loose folded towel. Birds can clean themselves, release stress, cache food in, land on, focus on, play with, and fight with this towel. It is essentially a buddy, a security blanket, and someone to boss around, which is especially important for solitary birds.
Finally place a plastic cup under the short angled perches. Crows want places to put food. They'll gladly use a fixed cup to drink from, or eat from.
I will post a photo of Fig's perch.
This perch design works very well to provide constant, compulsive, high energy state activity switching: jump forward, turn around, hop sideways, hop up at an angle, hop down, get some food, cache something, uncache something, wipe the beak off, tug something, rotate something, stand on something in order to peck at a rope escaping reach by gravity, lift something, move something left, right, back to center, push something up the inclined perch, pull it back down, duck down posturing, flat standing, up stretch, downward stretch, stretch around an obstacle, and more.
You must have a minimum of two perches to enable hopping, or flight at all times because birds of this sort require an "out" or "escape". They have active and "paranoid" imaginations; always taking evasive action from predators, or perceptions. They have a take no chances survival strategy, are flighty, claustrophobic, and panicky by nature.
Cage or aviary environments create tensions by constraining nature's usually free and open boundaries resulting in stress. Fortunately, there are ways stress can be released, or dissipated in artificial, confined environments. This post is only about perch design which may reduce stress which can quickly, and repeatedly build up in cages, or aviaries.
A Crow cannot make do stationary, on a single perch, except to sleep, even then I don't recommend it. Crows move naturally forward, more so than sideways.
The following is a description of what I have learned that makes a good perch in captivity. When I figure out great, I'll let you know.
Main perches if you can only have two should be two different sizes with one being about 4 inches in diameter and another about half that, for Crows. (For song birds generally, aim to open the bird's feet about half way, and fully in an arch. Allow for a long unobstructed flight, but keep in mind that captive birds spend more time standing still than a wild bird, they need the support underfoot of broad main perches. Pad perches with one or two layers of fleece if the perches are solidly stationary. Tree branches give by bending, thereby absorbing shock. Stationary perches do not bend, so padding them is a good idea to prevent repetitive stress injuries. I recommend two layers for big birds like Crows. Fleece can be glued on with white glue and held with plastic zip ties. It is easy to wash with soap, hot water, and a brush, and dries quickly,
At each end of the perches, tie a rope segment, or loop of small link plastic chain, fishtank tubing, or a hoop of plastic or wood.. The end of a perch on a tree has sky, an escape. A wall creates stress, so a bite, or move stress toy is essential at or near the ends of perches at both ends of all perches. I recommend placing your ropes, chains, or rings made from fish tank tubing near, but not at the wall, or cage bars, to keep birds from coming into contact with walls or cage bars and using the wall or bars to bite, peck, touch with a foot, or otherwise come to associate with dissipation of stress. Cotton rope, rubber jump rope, fish tank tubing, and light plastic chain work well. Crows cannot untie cheap rubber jump rope. You can tie short segments of colorful strings to a chain, or to a tubing ring for double stress release because the bird must first move, or rotate the chain or loop and hold it with a foot before it can tug at a string. A block of balsa or soft pine to peck is also good for beak growth and conditioning. Never use any metal, screws, nails, or hard ceramics! Drill holes in your pine or balsa blocks to create caches, and you can even cram peanuts into the holes for the bird to peck out. Think move left or right, rotate, tug or peck. Have some variety in toys/stress release objects. Bits of leather tied in slightly obnoxious places make great natural tug and peck "agitators" to expend energy on.
It is a good idea to place smaller diameter perches without padding, just bare wood, at 45-60 degree angles at the wall ends of perches. These 30-40cm inclines offer smaller diameters, natural wood to wear nails, angled leg exercise, imaginative play opportunities, and stress relief by deflecting attention away from sheer wall, or bars.
In the center of perches it is a good idea to attach a loose folded towel. Birds can clean themselves, release stress, cache food in, land on, focus on, play with, and fight with this towel. It is essentially a buddy, a security blanket, and someone to boss around, which is especially important for solitary birds.
Finally place a plastic cup under the short angled perches. Crows want places to put food. They'll gladly use a fixed cup to drink from, or eat from.
I will post a photo of Fig's perch.
This perch design works very well to provide constant, compulsive, high energy state activity switching: jump forward, turn around, hop sideways, hop up at an angle, hop down, get some food, cache something, uncache something, wipe the beak off, tug something, rotate something, stand on something in order to peck at a rope escaping reach by gravity, lift something, move something left, right, back to center, push something up the inclined perch, pull it back down, duck down posturing, flat standing, up stretch, downward stretch, stretch around an obstacle, and more.
No comments:
Post a Comment