Making sand perches...what glues are safe?

[Compadrre]

If I wanted to make my own version of these (below) what kind of glue should I buy? Also, what kind of sand is good? I've seen sand, quartz and a few other things online. But who here has had the best luck with which combo of grit & glue?

 

[nkrbkr]

Hi there! While I love DIY’ing, I would not recommend sand perches for your feathered friends. Sand can be very hard on their feet, and cause soreness. I’d recommend a perch that has pumice on the two sides of the perch where the bird’s nails grip, but not on the surface that’s directly underfoot. These are the perches I use:

Sweet Feet & Beak Safety Pumice Perch Medium

High-Density, High-Impact Plastic. More Perch, Lower Price. Smooth surface on top protects the bird's pad from wear. Rough surface grooms nails. Rough surface made from safer pumice stone instead of sand. Maintains room temperature. Assorted c.

www.mysafebirdstore.com

They come in different sizes, and can be found in many stores online.

 

[Compadrre]

For this project I would be trying to make strips kind of like those, on manzanita wood. (making a stand) The wood I have might be a tad big for their feet, so I wanted to give them a lil extra grip. Especially because my one bird is super clumsy!

 

[nkrbkr]

Oh, I see. VetRap works really well to add grip! I have a Java wood tree stand that is a bit slippery for my Amazon. I added VetRap in various places so it is easier for her to move around.

 

[Compadrre]

Is that safe for them to destroy though?

I love vetrap, use it for my horses & myself all the time...I've even put it on pitchfork handles & pliers too! Love that stuff.

Here's my issue with vetrap for this particular use though...Tech will be definitely be terrified of that & Yoshi would shred it to pieces instantly.

Which is why I was hoping to do something totally hidden from them. If it is like the perches they already walk on, they won't notice. So long as it doesn't stick out, then there is nothing for Tech to freak out about (she is a total scaredy cat!) & there would be nothing for Yoshi to tongue to death & then shred.

I have also considered maybe putting notches in the wood? In some kind of way? Maybe shape them kinda like the pic in the first post? That sounds much more difficult than attaching some sand though. I saw an old thread on here that said something about white carpenter glue for woods....

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Any sand or grit you glue to a perch will be picked off pretty quickly, and likely swallowed, including any dried glue. All birds swallow some sand and grit and in some species it helps them digest their food. The gizzard is a muscular organ that pulverizes food particles with the help of particles of swallowed grit swallow mm

 

[DonnaBudgie]

There are so many fantastic safe perches available today on Amazon. I love the idea of DIY projects but not when they involve things that can potentially be swallowed. Parrots can easily take poorly applied paint off cage bars so I can just imagine how fast they would remove any grit glued to a perch! It's a shame you can't use vet wrap. One of my budgies, Joey, was born with deformed feet (she's flne) and when she first started perching at 3 or 4 weeks old I vet-wrapped all her perches to cushion her feet and help her grip. Fortunately she's never tried to on chew it.

 

[nkrbkr]

As mentioned by @DonnaBudgie , I would not recommend any glue or sand, as it’s a risk that your birds will pick at it and ingest it. I’ve never had a bird pull vetrap apart, but of course, you don’t want them ingesting that either if you know your bird will pick at it. I think the safest option may be carving some notches in the perches for grip?

 

[Jcas45]

I agree with adding notches rather than trying to glue anything to the perches. Or, something simpler to try; use a very coarse grit sandpaper not to attach to the perches but to actually sand the perches and rough them up a bit so they aren’t so smooth.

 

[Compadrre]

OK anybody got suggestions or pics on what kind of notches? visual aids preferred plz

 

[Jcas45]

I think doing long, shallow, horizontal grooves like this would work. Not too deep and you could probably just do them on the sides of the perches, not the top or bottom.

 

[nkrbkr]

Here’s another example, with larger notches.

 

[clark_conure]

Elmer's glue or paste is safe. It's s made form horse hooves and we let little kids eat it. other than that I'd not trust any chemical glue.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Ewww! I definitely won't use it now for anything!

 

[rheashard2]

I am enjoying this thread. I purchased vet wrap to make a small diameter perch a little wider. Nameliss was in terror of it. I ignored her and it. Returning after a long errand she had peeled the vet wrap off. I was interested in how she tried to unravel it intact. I tried a square shape. She rounded it. So any suggestions here I will consider.

 

[clark_conure]

Ewww! I definitely won't use it now for anything!

Thy don't kill horses for the glue but its a safe way to utilize. AI:

Modern Elmer’s glue does not contain horse hooves or animal by-products; it is a synthetic, PVA-based (polyvinyl acetate) formula. Historically, animal glues were made by boiling hides, bones, and hooves, often including those from horses, but major brands like Elmer's shifted to synthetic ingredients long ago.

• Historical Context: In the past, collagen-based glues were made from animal parts because they were strong and long-lasting.

Also

Elmer’s school paste and glue are generally non-toxic and starch-based, often featuring a white, creamy, and slightly sweet or minty scent that entices young children to taste it, particularly in kindergarten. While rarely causing serious harm in small amounts, eating paste is a common childhood memory for many, often described as a sensory experience or a "secret snack".

• Why Kids Ate It: The paste was famously known for having a faint, appealing minty scent, which caused confusion and led to snacking rather than crafting. It was sometimes perceived as a, "secret sauce" or a sweet treat, say commenters on Facebook and Reddit users.
• Ingredients & Safety: The traditional white paste was often made of starch, water, and sometimes sugar, notes Wikipedia. While not poisonous in small quantities, it was not intended for consumption, says a Reddit post

 

[clark_conure]

In my day in school it was horses though

 

[rheashard2]

In my day in school it was horses though

Are our ages showing? My daughter can't believe that I was in third grade before we got television! We were among the first in the neighborhood to get one. Nameliss watches more TV in a week than I do in two years! Most of my TV is from being trapped waiting for a health care appointment.

 

[clark_conure]

I'm not old I'm just more bird experienced. I own a TV but I watch like once a year on super bowl the rest I stream.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I don't have a TV anymore and never miss it.