How to turn your kitchen scale into a parrot scale for >$10

[Kiwibird]

With the cool weather returning, I want to get back into training Kiwi. I'm thinking of putting him on a 3 day a week training meal-plan (regular feedings the other 4 days) and need to weigh him daily for that. I have used the kitchen scale for years to weight him once a week, but it a hassle since it has no perch. After seeing the prices on bird scales I decided to DIY my own solution. It's super easy and should work with any larger, flat kitchen scale!

Basically, it's just a tiny perch, extra careful to accurately cut all pieces to size so the perch lays perfectly flat, which is important to get an accurate weight (there should be no wobble, I had to re-cut a piece to make it flat):

You basically just sit it on top and tare out the scale (make it go to zero to accommodate for the weight of the perch so you can accurately weigh the bird):

Then you weigh your bird (Bird may be unsure of perch at first, poor, sweet tolerant Kiwi)

All the pieces cost >$10 at Home Depot. I used 1/2" PVC with 6 "U" joints and 2 "t" joints. Took about an hour to make and a blister on the palm from cutting the pvc:52:

 

[bigbluemacaw]

What a great idea!! I have another suggestion too that won't cost a bean! All you need to do is:

a) Get on your bathroom scales and take your weight - write it down

b) Put said Parroticus on shoulder and repeat exercise noting new reading

c) Take b away from a and you'll know what he/she weighs!

But I love the plumbing idea and would do that just for the sheer fun of it!!

[ame="https://youtu.be/8sjsYsBRn3c"]Blue; Playtime with Daddy! - YouTube[/ame]

Daddy and Blue x

 

[Anansi]

Great DIY idea, April! And very economical. (Very cool looking scale, btw!)

Bigbluemacaw, while your idea is cool in theory, the flaw is that most bathroom scales are not sensitive enough to give accurate readings down to the nearest several grams or even fractions of grams. Not a big deal for us, but essential for weighing parrots.

Especially true since most wouldn't weigh anywhere near a fully grown hyacinth. A conure or cockatiel on your shoulder will mean less than nothing on most bathroom scales. Know what I mean?

 

[4dugnlee]

That's what I did too. Well, my pvc perch is a little different shape but essentially the same thought. I just used leftover pieces from the play gym and didn't even have to cut anything. I think the shape yours is in would be more steady...mine is more of the "T" stand on the bottom.

Bigbluemacaw...I do use this method to weigh my dogs and cats. I don't have any birds big enough to use it with them.

 

[Aquila]

The weighing on my own scale doesn't work anyway, since I know it weighs up at least 20lbs more than it should, right!?

And I totally understand about cutting the PVC! It's a big pain in the butt, I haven't finished my playstand because I get so tired of cutting the PVC over and over it drives me crazy, I have a clamp but it's not meant for PVC so it just ends up being more of a hassle.

 

[Anira]

I teach Mason (RLA) to walk up on the scale himself without a perch.

At the vet, they had a perch that he had never seen before, so he would NOT go near it (they even tried shoving it near him to get him to step up on it before I could tell them not to; he hates that). I told them to remove the perch and just leave the scale on the table. He didn't recognize their scale either, so he didn't want to get on it. But I just pet him a bit, then picked him up (palms over wings, fingers lifting underneath his body) and set him on it. He stood still on it then. I only pick him up like that on occasion. He doesn't mind as long as it's quick (I assume; I haven't tried holding him like that for very long).

 

[bigbluemacaw]

Great DIY idea, April! And very economical. (Very cool looking scale, btw!)

Bigbluemacaw, while your idea is cool in theory, the flaw is that most bathroom scales are not sensitive enough to give accurate readings down to the nearest several grams or even fractions of grams. Not a big deal for us, but essential for weighing parrots.

Especially true since most wouldn't weigh anywhere near a fully grown hyacinth. A conure or cockatiel on your shoulder will mean less than nothing on most bathroom scales. Know what I mean?

Good point - Blue weighs in at around 1.8Kg so he's easy to see!!