Ask Lafeber

natural wood

Hello,
first of i want to apologize for my english, it is not my first language.
I am gonna have a cockatiel in a few weeks and i read mutch about how the cage should look like. Natural wood was highly recommended in a cage so i went outside and i found some good looking branches. Now my question:
– do i have to wash the branches or do i have to scrub them with sandpaper or anything?
– do you guys recommend this or would you always say that storebought branches are better?

Thank you for your time

Hi Yoena,

It is probably easiest and safest to buy natural branches. Most are made of manzanita and will last for years. Plus they already have the hardware on them to attach securely to the cage. When finding your own branches, you have to make sure the wood is safe to use for pet birds and the tree cannot have been treated with any pesticides. Natural wood can have parasites or feces from wild birds. You have to wash and disinfect the perches and ideally leave them outdoors in the sunlight for several days. There are several lists for safe wood for birds if you do a Google search.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda