Dear Parrots magazine,
Natural Perches
When talking to a like-minded parrot owner recently, the subject of perches cropped up. This was somebody I had heard about although never actually met before who had an African Grey and a Blue-fronted Amazon in two separate cages in the new extension they had just had built on their house.
Eventually I was invited around to meet this couple, but was horrified when I saw the perches in their cages were small diameter dowel that the birds could hardly get a grip of. Immediately I went into my lecture about natural branches and how they can be of far more benefit than the uniform dowel.
It is fortunate that we have a number of apple trees in our garden and I am always pruning bits off them and am glad to say I did convince this couple that they should put in place natural perches which would be far more beneficial to the feet of their birds. We have now become good friends and after supplying and fitting the apple perches in their cages, I have been invited to see their birds as often as I’d like to, so can now ensure that they have healthier feet.
Jim Cruickshank, Co. Durham