Natural wood perches & swings

With the right materials and tools, it is relatively easy to make your own natural wood perches and swings in a wide range of variations.

Recommended tool:

Fruit wood nibble branch

Material:

Apple stem 10-20cm (Ø 2-3cm)
Fastening set – branch screws (incl. insertion aid)

Instruction:

Pre-drill the apple trunk first with the 4mm wood drill.
Now carefully screw in the knot screw.

With the two washers and the wing nut, the perch can then be fixed in the cage.

Single or multi branch perch

Material:

suitable branch 20-30cm (hazelnut, fruit trees or corkscrew hazel)
Fastening set – branch screws (incl. insertion aid)

Instruction:

The branch should first be cleaned with hot water.
Afterwards it is recommended to pre-drill the branch first with the 3mm and then with the 4mm wood drill.
Now you can carefully screw in the knot screw.
With the two washers and the wing nut you can then easily fix the perch in the cage.

Perch with swing

Material:

suitable branch 20-30cm (hazelnut, fruit trees or corkscrew hazel)
Fastening set – branch screws (incl. insertion aid)
Branch piece with approx. 12cm
Cotton rope Ø 5mm

Instruction:

The branches should first be cleaned with hot water.
After that it is recommended to pre-drill the branch for the perch with the 4mm – wood drill.
Now you can carefully screw in the knot screw.
For the swing, drill two holes with Ø 6mm each at a distance of 10cm in the perch and in the branch piece.
Put cotton rope through a hole in each perch, knot at the top of the end and cut. Then put the rope through the hole in the branch piece and knot it at the bottom with a distance of about 9cm and cut it off.
After that, you can easily fix the perch in the cage with the two washers and the wing nut.

Perch with partner swing

Material:

Branch with 30cm (hazelnut, fruit trees or corkscrew hazel)
Branch piece with 18cm
1 pine cone
1 fastening set – branch screws (incl. insertion aid) or
6 eyebolts
2 leather squares
10-20 wooden beads (mix) to choose from
1m leather strap (Ø 2,5mm) or remnant piece
1m cotton rope Ø 6mm

Instruction:

The branches should first be cleaned with hot water.
After that it is recommended to pre-drill the branch for the perch with the 4mm – wood drill.
Now you can carefully screw in the knot screw.
For the swing, screw in 2 eyebolts at a distance of 20cm on the underside of the perch (alternatively holes with Ø 6mm).
At the other end of the perch, also screw in an eyebolt.
Screw an eyebolt into the branch piece for the swing on the right and left.

From the cotton rope cut 2 pieces of 20cm each and knot them at one end.
Insert 1 cotton rope each from the bottom right and left through the eyelets of the swing branch….
Select 4 suitable beads and drill out to Ø 6mm.
Thread the beads and leather squares onto the cotton ropes (see picture).
Put the cotton ropes through the 2 eyebolts of the perch, knot them at a distance of approx. 12cm and cut them off.
Screw in an eyebolt centered on the underside of the pinecone.
Thread the leather strap through the eyebolt of the peg and put both ends through the eyebolt at the end of the perch. Knot ends of leather strap (see picture) and cut off.

Double – swing (L)

Material:

2 branches with 15cm length (hazelnut, fruit trees, … )
4 eyebolts
2 leather squares
10 wooden beads (colorful) to choose from
10-20 wooden beads (natural) to choose from
1m cotton rope Ø 6mm
1 chain quick release 3,5mm or carabiner (4 x 40mm)

Instruction:

The branches should first be cleaned with hot water.
Screw an eyebolt into each of the 2 branch pieces on the right and left.
Drill the holes in the selected wooden beads with a wooden drill Ø 6mm.
Knot a loop in the middle of the cotton rope and thread 2 suitable wooden beads.
Put the cotton rope through the eyebolts of the upper branch on the right and left and knot it at a distance of approx. 10cm (loop – branch).
Thread on leather squares and selected wooden beads (see picture).
Put the cotton rope through the eyebolts of the lower branch on the right and left, knot it at a distance of approx. 10cm (branch – branch) and cut it off.

Cork seat bar with toy

Material:

1 cork branch 10cm (Ø 3-4cm)
1 eyebolt
10-20 wooden beads (colorful) to choose from
1 leather flower 25mm
1m leather strap 2,5mm or rest piece
1 fastening set – branch screws (incl. insertion aid)

Instruction:

Pre-drill the cork branch on one side with a 4 mm diameter wood drill.
Then screw in the knot screw.
Screw in an eyebolt on the other side of the cork branch.
Knot one end of the leather strap and thread on a suitable wooden bead.
Put the leather strap through the ring screw and then thread on the wooden beads and leather flower (see picture).
Knot the leather strap and cut it off.

Perch for feed bar

After I found a straight and not too thick hazelnut branch in the garden, it was no problem to add a perch to my budgie feeder bar.

Material:

suitable and not too thick branch in the length of the feed bar (hazelnut)
2 pieces of branch with 1cm
2 countersunk wood screws (possibly stainless steel)

Instruction:

Drill through each of the two branch pieces that are to serve as supports with a 3mm wood drill.
Drill 2 holes in the branch with the 3mm wood drill at the appropriate distance.
Use the countersunk wood screws to screw the supports to the branch and screw them in until the tip of the screw protrudes from the supports.
Attach the perch to the feed bar and screw it tight.

Bird bath entry aid

Since the budgies find it a bit difficult to climb sideways into the bird bath, I have installed a small entry aid for them. These are only very short perches made of natural wood.

Material:

Branch piece with 6-7cm (e.g. hazelnut)
Fastening set – branch screw

Instruction:

see at “simple perch