Perch Surface

[mawk]

What is the ideal perch surface? I have been doing tons of searching, studying, and reading to identify what is the best surface. I have learned that long leaf AstroTurf, stadium green AstroTurf, Cocoa mat, cork, nylon rope, and neoprene are some of the best materials and seem to be healthy for the bird (prevents bumblefoot, etc), but all of these seem to have very serious disadvantages. Long leaf AstroTurf has apparently been know to be eaten by the bird, puncturing the crop, stadium AstroTurf has been known to harbor bacteria and prevent air flow causing heat build up, cocoa mat has been reviewed as extremely hard to clean, nylon rope gave my current bird bumblefoot, cork is said to be better for flat surfaces (aka falcons... I have a red tail), neoprene retains heat, although easy to clean, I'm not convinced it prevents bumblefoot.

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, 

MKO

[oregonrt]

I have my bow perches wrapped in sisal rope and I haven't had any issues. The bow perch sits on an Astro Turf rug so he is also exposed to that, still no issues.
The perch in the GH is covered with neoprene, as are the field/training Tperches.

Must admit I haven't had a bird for long but I've had no issues with my perch coverings. My bird is a kestrel.

Maybe think about sisal rope? Better than nylon because it has a rougher surface so bumble foot shouldn't be an issue.

Just my thoughts!

[mawk]

Thank you for your response. How do you clean your sisal rope to prevent bacteria build up without damaging the sisal, and how often do you clean it? 

[echotadog]

I use Daisy mat ( long leaf astro) on ally perches in the mews plus I have one natural bark branch for a window perch.
No issues with my hawks in the past on it. Daisy mat allows great air flow to the pads of the feet ( especially after injuries/ bites)and cleans with a hose .

[Deleted]

I've used neoprene, Cocomat and long leaf astro turf as well as the daisy mat. I have Cocomat on block perches and in my giant hoods. All perches in my mews have long leaf astro turf. My bow perches have neoprene. I go with the idea in the wild they perch on multiple surfaces so why not do that in captivity. The only surface i don't like is the long leaf daisy mat. None of the birds i have had cared for it. So far never had a problem. My Current HH spends about 40% of his time on cocomat and then the other 40% of his time on Long Leaf Astro turf.

[Ally]

I think the answer that you're getting from most folks (and the answer I was about to give) is that varied perching surfaces are really the best option. Each has major advantages and each has it's own disadvantages, as you stated. I use sisal rope, long leaf (daisy mat-type) astroturf, and cocoa mat on varied perches. Coca mat I scrub with a hard bristled brush and spray off with the hose, same with the sisal rope. But honestly with the sisal, once it starts getting nasty I just cut it off and re-wrap the perch. Daisy mat is by far the easiest to clean. I've never had a bird pick at it or eat it.

[mawk]

Where do you get daisy mat?

[Falcon Boy]

Wal-mart or a hardware store will have daisy mats. They're sold as doormats and have a fake 'daisy' flower on them. I too use long-leaf turf (aka daisy mats or something similiar). I have tried many other surfaces, but long-leaf turf has been the best for me. Its also super easy to clean, and super cheap to replace.