Mew Perches

[john]

I was wondering what kind of window perches people use in their mews that work best for keeping a bird from damaging its tail. I'm having some real problems with my peales doing a number on her tail. Just opened up her mew so she's in a 10x10 chamber with two windows in the front. She was in a smaller chamber and I tried having a straight 2x4 across the window about half way up, and a shelft perch as well. With either perch she always seems to want to grab at the bars and come down on her tail.

Right now I've got a perch in each window that is 2x4s attached by brackets and is about miway up the window and 12" from the bars. I really want to free loft her but I'm at a loss to keep her from hurting her tail.

I'm considering attaching perches to the ground so there's nothing near the window for her to run between her tail feathers, but even then I think she'll jump and grab the bars and slide down the the bottom of the window where she'll damage her tail. Any thoughts? I'm kinda at wits end.

[ccrobbins]

Try putting the perches up closer to the top. I had to raise mine to get my RT to stop that. I have a 2x4 running the whol length of the window that puts his head level with the top of the window. It is out about 16 inches from the bars.

[john]

I've tried that too. Her perches now are about mid-way up so that the top of her head is about even with the top of the window. That trick has worked with other birds I've had, but not this one.

[childressjayc]

try putting 2 pole perches near the window. i had a problem with a hybrid using2 2x4 screwed together with padding which made it 7'' thick. he would go from the back wall to the window perch at an angle with his tail fanned bending the ouside train . when i went to the pole perches the problem stopped.

[john]

I had considered putting some kind of free standing perch at the windows, but wasn't sure how to design it best. You wouldn't have any pictures or plans that you used? Thanks for help.

[jfneumann57]

I'm looking for an "A" frame type perch plan fro my weathering area