Dowel perches usually come in the price that you pay for a regular cage for your pet birds. But with other perches available in the market, dowel perches somewhat pale in comparison and some even believe that they can be harmful.
Are dowel perches bad for birds? The answer is that it depends on how you use these perches for your pets. They are bad if you use only dowel perches of the same shape and size. When used in addition to other perches in the cage, these perches are not particularly harmful to the birds.
It is generally recommended to have multiple perches for your pet bird. Amateur bird owners might feel that the dowel perches that come with the cage that they buy are enough. The problem with dowel perches is that they are uniform in size across the perch.
This is harmful because when the birds perch on it, the claws always get the same diameter of the perch and the same amount of pressure.
The claws can get weak due to this and the bird can get the bumblefoot disease, too. As long as there are a variety of perches for the birds to use, a single dowel perch will usually do no harm.
Advantage of Dowel Perches
- Dowel perches are a popular option for pet bird owners because they are simple to clean and disinfect.
- Convenient: Dowel perches are widely accessible and are sold by numerous pet supply stores and internet merchants.
- Cheap: Dowel perches are frequently the least expensive kind of perch available, which makes them a desirable choice for bird owners on a tight budget.
- Stable: Dowel perches offer a safe surface for birds to stand on and are comparatively stable.
- Simple to replace: It is simple to swap out a worn-out or damaged dowel perch for a new one.
What Are Dowel Perches?
A typical kind of perch for birds that can be found in many pet shops and bird cages is the dowel perch. Usually, they are composed of smooth, cylindrical rods made of wood or plastic, with caps on each end to keep them in place.
The dowel perch is perfectly rounded and smooth, which is different from most natural tree branches, where birds typically congregate. This is problematic because your bird’s feet are not naturally made for it.
How important are perches for your bird?
A bird is either in flight or on its feet. Therefore, birds use perches for sleeping, grooming, resting, and even for snacking. In the wild, birds get plenty of exercise by hopping and climbing from branch to branch.
Pet birds that are raised in captivity rely on their owners to provide them with the necessary exercise to maintain strong bones. And, surprisingly, perching serves as a kind of exercise for birds.
Their joints stay flexible and healthy as they exercise their feet by scaling various perches and adjusting their feet on them. Inactivity can lead to the development of bone disorders like pressure sores and arthritis. Incorrect perching can also cause bumblefoot infection.
The foot is inflamed due to a bacterial infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics under the guidance of an avian veterinarian.
Therefore, it’s critical for your feathered companion’s general health to make sure it has comfortable perches.
Ideally, birds can exercise their feet by varying how their claws are adjusted on different perches when they have access to a range of shapes, sizes, textures, and contours.
FAQ
Do dowel perches cause bumblefoot?
Are straight perches bad for birds?
Are metal perches bad for birds?
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