# is 1 3/4'' perch wide enough ?



## fishbone (Nov 24, 2013)

hi,
just building me a loft, and flight pen attached.
before i close it in with wire, i want to run some long perches around the perimeter of the flight.
the wood i'm using is 1 3/4'' wide.

i'm going to have racing homers.
will this width be sufficient for them to stand on comfortable ?

thx,


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## orock (Mar 28, 2011)

I think it will be fine, as long as its a flat perch.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Are you going to put hardware cloth on the aviary? Espicially if you are running perches along the perimeter. Hawks and things can grab birds through larger holes, and have.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

If they are next to the edge I think that would be to close, if you could use a spacer and move them out a couple inches that would help.
Dave


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Crazy Pete said:


> If they are next to the edge I think that would be to close, if you could use a spacer and move them out a couple inches that would help.
> Dave


Yes, that would help a lot.


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## fishbone (Nov 24, 2013)

yes, i was planning on moving the perches away from the side.
yes, i'm enclosing the area. thought i better get the perches in first.

i was guessing pigeons need something with a little more width to it, to stand on comfortable. just wanted to make sure that was wide enough for them.

thx guys,


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## fishbone (Nov 24, 2013)

i have some 3''-4'' dia. round wood i can use to.
can pigeons grip to stand on round stuff, or are they not ''grippers'' like other birds can do ?

or do thet prefer to stand on something flat ?


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## Peacbackacha (Feb 24, 2013)

*Needs to be flat*

Hello,

They like flat perches. They are not grippers


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## fishbone (Nov 24, 2013)

Peacbackacha said:


> Hello,
> 
> They like flat perches. They are not grippers


thx!
i'm i the first on this forum to use the word ''grippers'' ?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

They can use perches that size, but would actually prefer a wider perch for perching on for any amount of time. You could have both those and wider. My birds like to bathe and then spread out in the sunlight to dry, on a shelf like perch. They can't really do that if they are on something that they have to grab onto. They love to lay in the sunshine, but need a wider shelf for that.


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## fishbone (Nov 24, 2013)

i found some old deck wood at neighors, and split it lengthwise.
made them some nice 4'' wide perches, all the way around.
i moved them in 8'' from where the chicken wire will be. so they can turn around without getting there tail feathers into the wire. 

thx for your help, really appreciate it.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I hope you will close the loft up from the aviary at night, as rodents and snakes can get through chicken wire. And raccoons will tear through it.
I wouldn't use old deck wood as it would most likely be pressure treated.


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

Jay3 said:


> I hope you will close the loft up from the aviary at night, as rodents and snakes can get through chicken wire. And raccoons will tear through it.
> I wouldn't use old deck wood as it would most likely be pressure treated.


why is pressure treated wood bad?


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## fishbone (Nov 24, 2013)

yes, i can close the loft.

whats the issue with the old pressure treated wood in the aviary ?

i was thinking they would like that wood on the floor better then wire.






Jay3 said:


> I hope you will close the loft up from the aviary at night, as rodents and snakes can get through chicken wire. And raccoons will tear through it.
> I wouldn't use old deck wood as it would most likely be pressure treated.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The old pressure treated wood is toxic. It lasts longer, but it has toxins that leach out. I guess some probably use it, but I wouldn't. Otherwise I think it's nice.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

They do make pressure treated wood now that is supposed to be safer for kids and animals. This is an article on the older PT wood.

Pressure-treated wood (PTW) is the material of choice in numerous products around the home, including raised beds in the garden, arbors, outdoor furniture, sandboxes, play gyms, porches, decks and various landscaping projects. PTW lasts much longer than untreated wood and resists rot and attack by bacteria, mold, fungi and insects.

Manufactured since the early 1900s, PTW is made just as its name implies - wood is placed in a pressure chamber and liquid preservatives are forced into the pores of the wood, forming a chemical barrier against the elements. Three widely used preservatives - creosote, inorganic arsenic compounds (CCA), and pentachlorophenol (penta) - are highly toxic. In 1986, the use of wood preservatives containing these compounds was restricted; only licensed applicators can now purchase products containing these compounds.

Today, about 3.8 billion board feet of treated lumber is used in North America every year. According to the American Wood Preservers Association, treated wood accounts for more than 21 percent of all the dollars spend on timber products. The chief benefit of PTW - it can last fifty years or more - contributes to the associated and growing health hazards: creosote and CCA have been shown to cause cancer in humans; penta causes cancer in lab animals. CCA has also been linked to genetic damage and birth defects. There is, moreover, no environmentally sound way to dispose of treated wood once it has outlived its use. Burning produces highly toxic fumes and wood preservative products must be disposed of by a licensed hazardous waste handler. 
http://audubon-omaha.org/bestofbbml/boxesptl.htm


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