ire perches are some of the safest perches you can have for your birds. This is, literally, a 15 minute job to get a functional perch.
Notes to be aware of:
- The tire can be modified if necessary. It can become hot when left in the sun, but in that case the tire and bird should be in the shade anyways. You can trim the surface to the proper diameter for your bird's foot and cover with cork, cocoa mat, white latex paint, or wrap with sisal depending on your bird, specific management, and climate.
- Get a tire that has the wall where the tread is flat and straight to avoid the leash catching on it. Make sure that the perching surface wall is narrow and appropriate for the bird's foot size and shape. The tires that tend to be the most like this are those little speedy racing tires.
- Water can collect in the wall that will be on the ground. If this looks to be an issue, drill some holes along that side to prevent water from being held there or use a sabre saw to cut the lower edge out. This will prevent it from holding water, mutes, or feathers.
- If you have a very lightweight tire or a very strong bird, consider pouring some concrete or plaster of Paris into the tire to add weight. Alternatively you can toss in some stones or stake the tire in the ground.
- Tires can usually be had for free from any place that sells tires. Go in and ask if you can have one that is to be recycled. They normally have to pay ~$1 for each tire to be picked up and recycled, so you taking one for free is usually seen as a favor to them.
Materials:
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Tools:
- Drill
- Drill bit for the cable
- Ratchet for tightening the clamps
- Wire or cable cutter
Construction
Start by laying the tire flat on the ground, the perch side down. Drill four holes through the wall of the tire which will be setting on the ground. The holes need to be big enough to pass the cable through. Two will be directly across from each other, and the next two will be directly across from each other.
Thread the cable through one hole leaving a tail of a few inches. Attach one clamp to this end so that the screw on the clamp point downward.
Measure out enough cable to run it across to the opposite side hole and clip the cable with enough length that there will be a few inches left over. If you have an "O" ring, make sure the cable passes through it. Pull the cable across tightly so that it is taut and then attach the second clamp.
Repeat the cable run on the second set of holes. Again, if you have a closed "O" ring, make sure the cable passes through it. The ring will be caught on both cables so that it does not travel.
At this point you have two cables crossing in the middle. If you have an "O" ring, that is attached through each of them. If you are using another attachment, put that on now. If you are using a carabiner with a screw clasp, dot some epoxy or Lock Tite on the threading. Even the most tightly secured clasp has the ability to fail.
Take the duct tape or electrical tape and wrap over the four clamps and around the screw clasp. The point is to make them smooth so that nothing can be hung up on them. Since the screws are all pointing down, the probability is very low, but adding the duct tape will help.
Once this is done, turn it over and you have a perch. It's not the prettiest thing, but it is easy to keep clean, and very safe, especially for a freshly trapped bird. To make the perch individualized, tailor the diameter to your bird's feet. The addition of alternate perching surfaces such as cork, cocoa mat, or sisal can tailor this perch to your own climate and management techniques.
