How to Make a Homemade Shower Perch for a Parakeet?

A shower perch for smaller birds offers an opportunity for warm moist heat to soften feather follicles, clean nares and hydrate feathers and skin. There are several shower perch designs that are feasible for smaller birds, but all should be made of non-toxic, non-slip surfaces and of the appropriate size to prevent fatal drowning accidents. A triangle swing perch is easy to construct, simple to hang and requires no tools to assemble.

Things You'll Need

  • 4-foot natural, bird-safe, leather strip one-half inch in diameter
  • One 10- to 12-inch-long natural wood perch, one-half inch in diameter
  • One large stainless steel C or J shaped ceiling plant hook
  • One clean, dry bath towel
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Instructions

  1. Getting Started

    • 1

      Double the bath towel and lay it down on a clean surface. Use this as a clean area to work on.

    • 2

      Wash the perch in warm vinegar water, rinse it and set it aside on the towel.

    • 3

      Uncurl the leather strip, wash it in warm, soapy water and rinse it well. Leaving the leather strip wet makes it easier to work with.

    • 4

      Fold the leather strip in half, pinch the folded center of the strips together with one hand, and hold both ̶0;tails̶1; of the strip in the other hand.

    • 5

      With the center pinched together, fold it over and tie a knot. This forms a loop right above the knot that will suspend the perch from the C hook and leave two tails below the knot.

    • 6

      Tie one end of one of the tails around the perch 1 inch from the tip end of the perch.

    • 7

      Tie the other end of the other tail around the opposite end of the perch 1 inch from the tip end of the perch as well. You should now have a triangular shaped perch with a loop in the center of the strip.

    • 8

      Check to make sure the perch will suspend evenly on both sides of the loop by hanging it on your finger, and adjust the ends accordingly.

    • 9

      After all adjustments are made, firmly tighten the knots to prevent the perch from slipping free. As the leather dries, the knots will tighten around the ends of the perch.

    • 10

      Select where in the shower the perch should hang. This should be a place where the parakeet will not receive any more water than a light mist.

    • 11

      Screw the C shaped hook into the ceiling, making sure it will not slip out under the weight of the swing or the activity of the parakeet and suspend the perch by the loop created by the knot in the center.