The Best Way to Arrange Perches in a Parakeet Cage

Parakeets, also known as budgies, make great pets. You will be amazed at their intelligence as some parakeets can be taught to speak and have a vocabulary of more than 100 words. Parakeets are also active and need exercise regularly. If you are unable to let your parakeet out of his cage often, perches will help give your parakeet a workout.

  1. Arranging Perches

    • Perches should be arranged in several areas throughout the cage that allow your parakeet to hop easily from one perch to another. Perch hopping is a great form of exercise for your parakeet. A concrete, or mineral, perch should be placed in an area where your parakeet likes to do his grooming. It is a good idea to place perches at different levels of the cage; however, be sure they are not directly over the food and water dishes.

      Make sure to arrange the perches in a way that does not inhibit your parakeet̵7;s movement or cause damage to his feathers as he moves around inside the cage. Another important thing to remember is that the perches should be placed in a way so your parakeet's tail does not touch the side of the cage when he is sitting on it.

    Types of Perches

    • There are different types of perches, and each type has a specific benefit to your parakeet. You can make a perch yourself using untreated cotton rope, but keep an eye on it to make sure your parakeet doesn̵7;t eat strings from the rope and that he doesn̵7;t get a claw caught in a frayed area.

      Your parakeet̵7;s cage might come with basic wooden dowels to use as perches, but natural tree branches are actually better for your bird. The uneven shape of the branches means your parakeet will not always be putting pressure on the same part of his foot.

      You can use the branches from most fruit and nut trees such as magnolia, dogwood, ash and elm. Cut the branches to fit inside the cage, and always inspect the tree branch for insect egg pods before cleaning them by scrubbing with detergent, rinsing and then drying in the sun. According to Peteducation.com, heating natural branches in an oven at 200 degrees for 45 minutes to kill any insects is recommended.

      One of the most important perches to have in your parakeet̵7;s cage is a mineral perch. Usually made of concrete, the mineral perch gives your parakeet a place to groom his nails and beak. If you are unable to have all these types of perches in your parakeet̵7;s cage, it is acceptable to use the wooden dowel type perches, but be sure to pick up a mineral perch as well.