PVC perches?

[Bosshawk]

Okay, I've been thinking… is it possible to make perches out of PVC? Sure, they wouldn't be quite as durable as steel, but is it worth a shot? There must be a reason why they're not so popular, but just put some astroturf on top and it seems like all you'd need!
Thanks,
Bosshawk

[Austin]

Anything can work if it's designed properly. I think plastic has a tendency to break after being exposed to weather elements for long periods of time. It is also slick and glue has to be used to wrap materials onto it. But who knows give it a try I'm sure someone has.

[echotadog]

I use PVC for my mews perches , wall perches. I also have a cherry tree branch as one of my window perches. My PVC is covered with long leaf AstroTurf ( daisy mat ) held on by zip ties. I would not use a tethering perch made from PVC but in a mews they work great, clean easily, and don't harbor mold or asper spores.

Boss hawk it might be time to stop asking so many questions and start reading some books on falconry until you find a sponsor. You don't want to fill your head with other ideas before finding a sponsor. Your sponsor will likely want to walk you through their process and materials .

[SkyRider]

I've used PVC perches with both a kestrel and a red tail. It works well as a material for building a perch. It was great for the kestrel because it created a light weight, easy to transport perch. Not to mention, since I kept the kestrel inside most of the time, I didn't have to worry nearly as much about the PVC getting beaten up by the weather. For the red tail, I just kept a closer eye on the perch and checked it more frequently. It will work just fine as a perching material. You just have to pay closer attention to it and be ready to change it more often.

[robhawkyyz]

Jan 9, 2015 8:25:51 GMT -5 echotadog said:

I use PVC for my mews perches , wall perches. I also have a cherry tree branch as one of my window perches. My PVC is covered with long leaf AstroTurf ( daisy mat ) held on by zip ties. I would not use a tethering perch made from PVC but in a mews they work great, clean easily, and don't harbor mold or asper spores.

Boss hawk it might be time to stop asking so many questions and start reading some books on falconry until you find a sponsor. You don't want to fill your head with other ideas before finding a sponsor. Your sponsor will want to walkmyountyroigh their process and materials .

walkmyountyroigh ? is there a definition?

[Bosshawk]

Thanks guys, I'll give it a try. And echotadog, I do read falconry books when I have them but I'm working on another project as well right now, so I don't have much money to buy books. But when I'm around falconers, I do ask questions. I do reading online as well, so this is not my ONLY source.
Best regards,
Bosshawk

[Ally]

I will add that with a larger bird, weight can be a concern on a PVC perch--make sure that the base of your perch is weighted somehow, or a bird like a redtail will drag it all over the place. I've even seen some nifty block perches made out of PVC using large diameter pipe and end caps. You are only limited by your creativity...I've seen perches made out of flower pots. You'd be amazed at what works!

[Bosshawk]

Jan 11, 2015 10:21:01 GMT -5 Ally said:

I will add that with a larger bird, weight can be a concern on a PVC perch--make sure that the base of your perch is weighted somehow, or a bird like a redtail will drag it all over the place. I've even seen some nifty block perches made out of PVC using large diameter pipe and end caps. You are only limited by your creativity...I've seen perches made out of flower pots. You'd be amazed at what works!

Good to know! Thanks! I have also thought about reinforcing the inside of the pipe with something... But I haven't figured out what yet.
Thanks,
Bosshawk

[stephend]

Jan 9, 2015 8:25:51 GMT -5 echotadog said:

I use PVC for my mews perches , wall perches. I also have a cherry tree branch as one of my window perches. My PVC is covered with long leaf AstroTurf ( daisy mat ) held on by zip ties. I would not use a tethering perch made from PVC but in a mews they work great, clean easily, and don't harbor mold or asper spores.

I would echo echotadog. PVC is easy to keep clean and would be useful in the mews. I doubt it would make for a good bow perch or anything that is exposed to the elements regularly. It being light weight would make it light and easily portable, but a strong bird could knock it over and drag it easily like Ally said. I have PVC with long leaf AstroTurf in my set up. No complaints and easy to clean. If for some odd reason the astroturf gets worn out, you can just snip the zip ties and wrap a new piece around it.

[safetyED]

My sponsor uses a PVC perch for the back of his truck, its just secured in place with some velcro, You could also use larger diameter for the base part like 2 in, and fill it with sand to give it extra weight. Also schedule 80 PVC the grey electricians pipe is a little tougher than the white stuff. If you want to make a bow just use a heat gun or hair drier and heat the pipe up till its flexable, bend it gently to the shape you want and then let it cool down, it will last for a couple years easy.

[borderhawk]

Heated in the oven until soft and then formed, this made a great kestrel perch. The only real downfall is that even though it was filled with gravel for weight, a female kestrel could still drag it across the floor while bating. I put a glazed clay planter drainage tray under it which both held it in place and provided something to catch the mutes too.

A bigger diameter version with tent stakes to hold it to the ground could "possibly" work for bigger birds, but I haven't tried it yet....

[SkyRider]

I made one similar to this, but I did make the bottom larger. And I made it squared so it was tougher for the kestrel to move. Filled it with a little bit of dirt and it didn't move at all. Wider bases definitely help!