Tutorial: Parrot scale with perch

[SammyAndyAlex]

Things you'll need:
-Kitchen scale with included bowl
-Drill, SS screws and drill bit (i used 5mm screws with 4mm drill bit + 6mm, 10mm drill bit)
-Perch (I purchased a pretty thin Y-shaped perch)

Step by step pictures: https://imgur.com/a/rtAffbn

1. Buy a kitchen scale with an included bowl.

2. Remove the included bowl and use the 4mm drill bit to drill a hole in it. Make the hole larger with the 6mm drill bit.

3. Make sure the screw fits into the hole on the bowl.

4. Drill hole into the perch pieces. Two (one in each end) in the bottom part and one in the middle for the top part.

5. Attach the top and bottom pieces with screw.

6 a/b how the perch should look now

7a. Screw the perch to the bowl
7b. How it should look now

8a/b. Place the bowl onto the scale. The scale is now ready to use. Turn on the scale for it to automatically "tare" itself, so it starts at 0.

 

[Jen5200]

Very nice, and far better than what my scale has on it. I’ll have to do this!

 

[ChristaNL]

or alternative: just ask you parrot to step on a normal flat kitchen-scale and try to make him/her stay put long enough for you to take a reading (or with an advanced model: save).


Perches are not really necessary at all.
It depends on how you train your bird.

 

[SailBoat]

Great tutorial of upgrading a kitchen scale.
We use a triangle perch that comes with three different perch sizes and two triangle end pieces. Selected the perch size best for your Parrot and set it up with the other two acting as a base. Found at or on Big Box Pet Store or Sites: Scale Accessories.
Thank-you for the DIY tutorial!

 

[SammyAndyAlex]

or alternative: just ask you parrot to step on a normal flat kitchen-scale and try to make him/her stay put long enough for you to take a reading (or with an advanced model: save).


Perches are not really necessary at all.
It depends on how you train your bird.

Yep, depends on the bird. Sammy had nothing against the old one (but due to issues with it I had to buy a new one). He refused to be on the new one and as Im getting a baby Grey in about 2 months, I thought, hey, I could make this pretty nice for both the birds.

I have heard of vets offices having a tupperware with holes on the sides and top and simply placing the bird in the tub for accurate weighing. Luckily we dont have to resort to that! Hah.

 

[ChristaNL]

I love the DIY btw, am always in awe of all the creative solutions anyone comes up with.

I just added that comment because some new person may think it is mandatory to have a perch-and-scale, and getting al your absolute basics together when you are just starting out is already quite a challenge.
(We've all been there.)