|
Here is a few things for new and not so new bird owners to consider.
Perches: Natural branches from
popale or oak trees are best for a
birds feet because it has different shapes and sizes. Man made dowels can
cause bumblefoot and other foot problems. Plus they look natural and are
free.
Grit: This is a very controversial subject. Some people believe
all birds need grit and others believe that all birds but parrots need
grit. Giving a bird grit that doesn't need it can cause their crop to
become impacted. Parrots hull their seeds and therefore in my opinion do
not need it. My parakeets have done very well without having grit in
their cage. Please contact your avian vet for more information.
Toxins: Teflon pans if burned are very toxic to birds and will
die within minutes.
Some Common Sources of Teflon:
Non-stick pots, pans, and other cookware
Stain repellants
Space heaters and heat lamp covers
Non-stick irons and ironing board covers
Hair dryers
Non-stick oven drip pans and broiler pans
Non-stick griddles, woks, waffle makers, electric skillets, tortilla
presses
Non-stick hot air corn poppers, coffee makers, bread makers
Non-stick slow cookers, roasters, pizza pans
Ceramic cooking stoves
Other toxins
Chemicals, paints and cleaners are also harmful to your pet bird. When
cleaning or using any chemicals it is best to move your bird to another
room until the fumes have cleared.
Plants can also be harmful. Toxic Plants
When in doubt it is best to error on the side of safety.
Lead: is poisonous to budgies. Since it’s poisonous to people as well,
you don’t find so much of it around the house nowadays though. There’s
no lead in pencils, and lead isn’t in paint all that often either.
You can still find lead in some things though, like rust covering paint,
old pewter, foil from champagne bottles, lead batteries and apparently
in tiffany lamps.
Copper, Zinc & Brass: have some really bad effects on your
budgie. Though your budgie probably won’t be able to chew through a
brass padlock if you use one to lock his cage, there are stories of
budgies getting poisoned from chewing at bits of copper pipe and the
such.
Glues & Adhesives: can be toxic if your budgie eats them.
Adhesives used on pet related products will be non-toxic, like the glue
used on sandpaper sheets for your budgie’s cage. Other glues may be
harmful. |
