THE BENEFITS OF JAVA AND DRAGON WOOD

As loving bird parents, you have probably spent a good amount of time making sure that your pet has nutritious food, a wonderful cage and healthy, shiny feathers. But what about their feet?

Most pet birds have had their wings clipped, and as a result they cannot continuously fly as they would in the wild. What that means, is that your bird buddy spends 24 hours a day on their feet! Your friends foot health is vital to their overall health!

Bird’s feet are actually built for long term standing but due to the way a birds foot naturally locks on, they can develop pressure points on the bottom of their feet if they consistently stand on a perch of the same diameter and surface.

Think of it this way. Remember a time when you had to stand in one place for hours on end without really moving much? Chances are your feet (and probably back) were very sore! The term for pressure point sores that form of their feet is Pododermatitis, also known as Bumblefoot. A poor perch is the most common cause of Bumblefoot.

The good news is that such a condition can be easily avoided with a good perch, which is most like what a bird would find in nature.

Natural wood perches are the best option for keeping a bird’s feet in optimum health. In nature, a bird would perch on hundreds of different types of surfaces that would vary in surface, texture and diameter. A real wood perch replicates some of  that natural environment.

Pine is considered safe for birds but tends to be smoother and can produce sap, which is not exactly a thing that would make your bird very happy! The most popular alternatives for avian owners is Java Wood or Dragon Wood.

Java Wood

Java wood is made from a single coffee tree that no longer produces coffee beans, usually around 25 years or older. The wood from a java tree is hard, durable and naturally insect free! Java branches naturally grow  horizontally with twists and knots. Another great thing about using java wood perches is that these trees are harvested in an environmentally  friendly way and gives additional income to coffee growers.

Dragon Wood

Another great hard and durable wood, Dragon Wood is grown from trees in Florida. The variety of textures and irregular shapes are ideal for working the muscles in your birds feet and is easy for them to grip.

A Dragon Wood tree is a evergreen tree that produces small berries that are eaten by birds. The bark is a rich and beautiful color!

Other Therapeutic Benefits

Having these hard and long lasting woods for your bird  are beneficial in other keeping up natural habits. Birds can safely use these perches for chewing, biting and wiping their beaks. These types of wood perches aid in keeping a birds claws trimmed.

Bird experts and vets recommend these type of perches for your feathered friend and you pet will definitely love them! A bird wants to do bird things, so let them, and be confident in the long-lasting and safe wood perches that King’s Cages sells.

Perch Selection

Did You Know?

• Dragon wood trees are listed as vulnerable due to loss of habitat and climate changes.
• The leaves of the Dragon Wood tree are fed to goats in time of drought.
• The red resin from the Dragon Wood tree has been used for varnish in violins since the 18th century.
• A coffee tree is actually a evergreen tropical shrub and coffee growing regions are found in the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, known as the Coffee Belt.