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luke1
Fledgeling
Joined: 06 Nov 2006
Posts: 313
Location: UK |
| Wood for outdoor gym? |
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Hiya, I'm thinking of making an outdoor gym for my parrots.
(when im certain they cant fly lol)
So i have seen some and am wondering what wood to use, i know its fairly thick? and probabaly wont last long with freddy! Any ideas..
Thanks, Luke. |
Friday January 26, 2007 9:32 pm |
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Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10102
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| Re: Wood for outdoor gym? |
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Perhaps you can use some apple wood? Or manzanita? Or pearwood?  |
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Saturday January 27, 2007 3:56 pm |
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luke1
Fledgeling
Joined: 06 Nov 2006
Posts: 313
Location: UK |
Thanks ive got an apple tree in my garden but its not very thick.. i keep cutting bits off for the aviary. Where do you get manzatia from?
I also have oak, willow , thats quite thick. Anyone know if thats safe? |
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Saturday January 27, 2007 4:57 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
I've heard that oak may be toxic for birds, at least for macaws, but willow is great! |
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Saturday January 27, 2007 5:04 pm |
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luke1
Fledgeling
Joined: 06 Nov 2006
Posts: 313
Location: UK |
OOhh,, not oak then. I used to have loads of huge willow trees in my garden but they had to be cut down, their roots were doing damage.
How tall are yours?? |
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Saturday January 27, 2007 5:18 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
Unfortunately I have NO willow in my yard, or anywhere accessible to me  Wish I did!
Manzanita is good, but is very slippery when it gets wet & it's such hard wood that birds aren't able to chew on it well, which is some times a good thing. You can get it at some pet stores & I've seen some places on line that sell manzanita play stands, I got Manus from a place on line, I can give you link if you'd like, I think it's called "Manzanita burlworks".
Others may tell you differently about oak, but I stay away from it. |
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Saturday January 27, 2007 5:44 pm |
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Jrmno1
Flying tumbler
Joined: 28 Aug 2005
Posts: 2310
Location: Ohio, USA |
Luke,
Maybe just plain old pine, go down to the lumber store and get the cheapest untreated pine boards they have. Then design your play gym so that the pices can be easly replaced when destoryed by either weather or your birds.
A word of caution though with out side gyms. Wild birds, will use the gym and poop on it. That is where a lot of exposre to diseases will come from. I would never leave it outside unattened.
John |
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Sunday January 28, 2007 1:39 am |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
Are you talking about pine boards John? Or do you mean rounded dowel type things? I've found that blocks of pine don't work real well as perches for my birds, as they're square. But My hubby makes stands from pine which he affixes some kind of natural perch to the top of. |
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Sunday January 28, 2007 3:29 pm |
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luke1
Fledgeling
Joined: 06 Nov 2006
Posts: 313
Location: UK |
Yea i need to get that bird flu killer cleaner stuff.
On this page sues gym, do you mind me askin what wood youv used?
http://www.fluffies.org/parrots-play-gym.htm
BTW i think your gyms great!
I'm gonna go down the park in the middle of the night with a chain saw!lol |
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Sunday January 28, 2007 7:19 pm |
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Jrmno1
Flying tumbler
Joined: 28 Aug 2005
Posts: 2310
Location: Ohio, USA |
quote:
Originally posted by Cathy
Are you talking about pine boards John? Or do you mean rounded dowel type things? I've found that blocks of pine don't work real well as perches for my birds, as they're square. But My hubby makes stands from pine which he affixes some kind of natural perch to the top of.
Cathy I was refer to the material in general, an outside play gym... Inn all likly hood would not be used as much as an inside gym, plus in the winter it would not be used at all. So I would not recommand that he use expensive hard woods. But something easy to replace when needed. I am not sure of the design he plans on using. It was just a suggestion as to materials.
You are right about the perchs, or anything that he would spend a lot of time sitting on. but the frame, steps and a lot of the basic elements can be built with pine boards that he can chew up all he wants to.
John |
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Sunday January 28, 2007 7:32 pm |
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Peanuts
Bappie
Joined: 27 Feb 2006
Posts: 52
Location: Sweden |
Oak is not toxic for parrots. I know that a lot of macaw owners use it. |
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Friday February 2, 2007 11:38 am |
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Jrmno1
Flying tumbler
Joined: 28 Aug 2005
Posts: 2310
Location: Ohio, USA |
quote:
Originally posted by Peanuts
Oak is not toxic for parrots. I know that a lot of macaw owners use it.
Oak has trace toxic elements in it, that build up in a bird system over time. It would be alright in some cases, such as this, an outdoor play gym that is not used all the time. But if you are going to make something that they will be chewing on a lot, then I would use pine or one of the softer woods.
John |
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Friday February 2, 2007 11:58 am |
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Peanuts
Bappie
Joined: 27 Feb 2006
Posts: 52
Location: Sweden |
quote:
Originally posted by Jrmno1
Oak has trace toxic elements in it, that build up in a bird system over time. It would be alright in some cases, such as this, an outdoor play gym that is not used all the time. But if you are going to make something that they will be chewing on a lot, then I would use pine or one of the softer woods.
John
Yes, I know that oak has some toxic elements in it, but here in Sweden itīs considered as a safe tree because itīs so small amounts of toxic. A lot of breeders use it and vets recommend it. A "normal" parrot doesnīt eat wood, and if it did any wood would be dangerous. |
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Friday February 2, 2007 12:16 pm |
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Lisa
Egg
Joined: 02 Jun 2008
Posts: 14
Location: Ohio |
| maple... gotta love ohio |
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What about Maple? |
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Wednesday June 4, 2008 11:21 pm |
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