Build a portable perch

[Kaedyn]

With all the talk of PVC playstands and perches, I thought I'd share the portable perch I built, which allows me to tote my fids around the house with me and not worry about droppings.

 

I use this one when doing chores around the house, during TV time late at night, when I am shaving, etc.

They really like to hang out in the bathroom and sing while I shave. This is also a good perch for training, since there are no food or toy distractions. It's very portable and as you'll see, the secret of this perch is that the poop-paper travels with it!

 

I built this one using furniture-grade PVC, which has no writing and has a shiny finish. All of the parts were ordered online. If you don't care about the matching shiny finish, you can get all but two of the parts from your local home store.

 

I purchased everything in the pictures below from ACF Greenhouses at http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/pvc.shtml I built the entire perch using three of the 5' sections of 1" PVC from the site, along with the other specialty components.

 

For those interested in the dimensions of each cut component, they are as follows and all using 1-inch PVC.

 

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2 - 4" pipe snap clamps

4 - 9"

4 - 5-3/4"

2 - 48"

6 - 90 degree elbows

2 - 4-way connectors

 

I was only able to find the snap clamps and 4-way connectors online.

 

All purpose heavyweight paper 12x24

 

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The real secret is the pipe-snap-clamps, which allow me to wrap the paper around the PVC and lock it in place by snapping them over the PVC pipe. The perch is small enough to fit almost anywhere and light enough to carry around the house, with the safety of knowing the paper will catch all the droppings.

 

The pipe-snap-clamp shown below.

 

 

 

All components cut to size.

 

 

 

Perch view #1 without paper.

 

 

 

Perch view #2 without paper.

 

 

 

View of the perch floor with paper and clamps attached.

 

 

 

One CAG added for perspective.

 

[Talon]

Cute & Clever!! I love the paper attached to make moving it simple. Could you add a toy to it?

[Kaedyn]

You can always hang some foot toys from the portable perch, but I have a much wider version of the same perch for longer stays. That one has a few toys hanging from it, along with food and water cups. The 90 degree elbows at the top are replaced with t-connectors, allowing me to extend a piece of PVC overhead and have toys hanging above and below. That's the great thing about PVC, if it doesn't do what you want, you just change it. It's kind of like legos.

[judygram]

That is a wonderful portable perch Jim, how clever of you to make this and it is so easy to carry from room to room, thanks for sharing the perch with us and now I have to get busy on making one for Josey.

 

Did you use any glue to hold the parts together or just allow the friction to keep it from coming apart when moving?

[Kaedyn]

I didn't use any glue, since it really holds together well under it's own strength and I also like to mix and match parts as necessary.

 

I have a second one which looks about the same, but the tall poles are cut in half and then coupled together. This allows me to remove 2 feet of height when I need a low perch, such as training when I am sitting down. It also allows me to disassemble the entire contraption and throw it in a duffle bag for even more portability. No part is longer than 2 feet.

 

If you build your own, definitely let me know how it works out. My fids love to be everywhere I am and that's what prompted me to build it in the first place. When I run downstairs to wash some clothes, or am at the sink washing dishes, I just tote them along.

[n2fisher]

Looks Great! It's similar to my other two perches that I built but convenient in that it's so small. Definitely useful for carrying birds around. I'm curious, you refer to "fids" .. do you have two or more? Do they get along on such a small perch? Having only one myself I have no clue how multiple birds would interact.

[danmcq]

Thats a very functional stand. Thanks for sharing that. :-)

[Kaedyn]

n2fisher:

 

I currently have four--two greys and two lovebirds. The lovebirds get along with each other, but I don't let them out near the greys. The really small birds seem to be more aggressive than others, with complete disregard to size differences. I grew up with multiple birds in the house and even had a Timneh sharing the same cage with a lovebird, but that's probably a very rare situation.

 

I also have two greys. My oldest is about 13 months and my youngest is under 5 months. I'm still in the process of introducing them to each other.

 

In the beginning, my older grey was a bit jealous, but that's starting to wear off. Their cages are in the same room and when out on the portable perches, I sometimes sit them just close enough that they can't ignore the other, but also can't quite reach each other.

 

I've also had them out on the floor together playing with toys. For the most part, they pretend the other isn't there. When they do get close, my youngest tends to lower her head and make cooing noises. My oldest cautiously reaches in her direction and acts like he's trying to bite the top of her head. I think he's really just trying to touch her head with his tongue, but I'm staying on alert just in case. That scenario usually ends with her moving and him getting startled, then pulling back. My oldest is a big chicken.

 

The portable perch is a bit small for the two greys, so I have one for each of them. The lovebirds both fit on it just fine, but they also have a Tinkertoy playgym near the window that they play on. I'll have to post a picture of that sometime.

 

For extended stays, I have a much larger version of the portable perch which has feeders, toys, etc. That one would be large enough for two at once, but I don't think they are ready to share. I also have a large net with toys suspended from the ceiling in their room for solo playtime.

[Kaedyn]

I posted some pictures of the Tinkertoy playgym in the Other Birds forum for anyone who is interested. Enjoy!

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/other-birds/88374-lovebird-tinkertoy-playgym.html

[Mel]

You are so imaginative. Nice stuff. I like the PVC perch. It looks so easy to put in a corner or along the wall maybe even shower. How long has it been in use. I am wondering about landing and wing flapping. Thanks, Mel

[Kaedyn]

Mel,

 

Thanks for the nice comments! It's not at all unstable front-to-back, but it does sacrifice just a bit side-to-side for portability.

 

I've been using them for quite a while. In the early days, there were one or two times when they managed to rock it slightly to the side, but it never fell over. Considering the moving branches they may climb or perch on in the wild, I don't think this was much of a challenge for them. They learned very quickly how not to rock the perch. They preen on it all the time and it stays planted solidly on the floor. Typically they are flying from the perch to me or their cages, so I can't really speak for flying to the perch.

 

If it does become a concern, all you have to do is replace the four pipes going side-to-side with some just slightly longer. You could also shorten the two pipes which give it height, to make it less top heavy.

 

When I first put it together, I was a bit concerned that it needed to be wider and longer at the base, but it hasn't been a big issue. I'd be more concerned with someone walking by and bumping it sideways, than with my fids tipping it.

 

They do sell longer pieces of the pipe-snap-clamps, so you can make it as wide as you need to for your fids and your own comfort level.

[Mel]

Thanks,Mel;)

[kittykittykitty]

A really good idea!

[zooman]

I too was like wow nice stand and also that could tip over no? I built one for my TAG Zuri and something about the PVC he hates still no,luck in him using it. It was my first with plastic everythign else is wood so maybe thats it. But if your greys love it well thats all that matters. Good work witht eh love bird one too it looks like alot of fun for them

[lovemyGreys]

zooman if you still have your PVC stand you could always try wrapping vet wrap or rope around the perching area for him,it may be the texture,smoothness of the PVC he doesn't like.

[Toni]

Nice perch! Im jealous.I wish I had the time to do that for Alcazar.

[Kaedyn]

I should have pointed out the vet wrap in the original post. If you look at the photos, it's the purple coloring at the top of the perch. It makes them much more comfortable for your bird and adds needed grip.

[Christian]

hahaha! very clever!

 

If you add 6 way connections at the top you can add another bar were you can hang toys from. or make it a square on the top were the parrot stands as well and then add another square at the top so there can be more place to move about and more places to put toys. Or you can use the square where the bird stands to add food bowls.

 

Kudo's! you get one karma!<br><br>Post edited by: Christian, at: 2008/08/09 18:26