Your Manzanita bird perch questions answered

Why is Manzanita so great for parrot perches? It's natural bumps, turns and uneven surface is great for your bird's feet. It cleans easily and it lasts along time, unlike many of the items your feathered companion comes in contact with :-) Single bolt bird perch? All perches don't have to go from one side of the cage to another. A single bolt perch lets you put the perch anywhere on the cage, inside or out What size is right for your bird? Generally speaking a good bird perch allows a bird to wrap it's feet around without the front toes touching the back toes. Our recommendations: 3/8" - 5/8" Small diameter perches are appropriate for these smallest species and these smaller species birds 5/8" - 7/8" Medium diameter perches are appropriate these medium species parrots and medium large birds 1" - 1 1/2" Large diameter perches are appropriate these medium large birds and large species parrots Remember, these are natural braches. Diameters will vary from one end to the other end of every single perch - once again good for the bird. Why do we put so much emphasis on bird perches? Your parrot or small bird is it's feet 24/7. Their feet need constant stimulation to stay healthy. Every cage for a large parrot should have at least 3 perches of different surface. The hardwood dowel bird perch that came with your parrot cage, a Manzanita perch and a rope perch for sleeping.

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Why is my Manzanita bird perch cracked? The answer is it's how its harvested and processed. Our vendor slits each branch as soon as he harvests it. This allows the piece to expand naturally, from-the-inside-out with less splitting.  That said, the Manzanita bird perches well sell are natural plants complete with natural imperfections like bumps and cracks. The good news is, all these "imperfections" actually make each piece more interesting to your bird. More bumps make your birds feet work more - a good thing. And cracks offer a great way for your bird to trim their own beak. By the way, most perches can be turned to aim the cracks downward to collect less debris and they will serve your bird well for many years.  Why is the bark peeling? Manzanita bark will shed it's "skin" for 3 or 4 days a couple of times a year. If your bark is peeling, that piece was harvest during that brief regeneration period. The good news is it's more for your bird to pick at and play with. What exactly is Manzanita? Manzanita  is an evergreen bush or small tree found in western North America. It can be found from British Columbia in Canada to California, New Mexico & down to central Mexico A unique shrub, smooth, orange or red bark and stiff with twisting branches. You may be surprised to learn there's about 60 species. Manzanita is a close-to-the-ground species found coastally. The mountainous variety is where you'll see small trees of up to 6 feet. Manzanitas bloom winter to early spring. Their berries and flowers which are edible As bird people all we see is terrific means of providing a resting or climbing place for our birds but Manzanita berries can be dried and ground into a coarse meal. Refreshing cider can be made from soaking fresh berries and branch tips. You can even quell a nauseas stomach with bark that has curled off and boiled into tea. You can burn it a campfire or a wood burring stove. You can barbeque with it but with caution because it burns so hot it can damage thin-wall grilles Dead Manzanita decays slowly and last for years making it ideal for parrot perches. Over time sunlight will bleach and smooth it to a light grey or even white. You can even use it in your aquarium,  it's chemically neutral & resistant to the leaching of tannins. Just weight it down or soak it for a while because its really buoyant. Catherine Tobsing Owner and Manzanita Buyer WindyCityParrot.com