jayandcandy0402

Thanks for the thoughts everyone:)

Hello everyone. I have a TAG who is a little over a year old. He was absolutely MY baby. Now he bites and "hisses" at me? The only thing differnt is that I am 9 weeks pregnant. He still get the same attention. He now loves my husband who before he was not this found of. Is he picking up on the fact that I am pregnant? Help! I hate that my baby seems like he can't stand me anymore.

I am getting more down these days while he is getting scritched...so hopefully no plucking! Thanks for all your help!

ok I will try that! Thanks.

Honestly...not I am not sure the were maybe 6 or 7 feathers in the bottom of his cage today when I cleaned it. They appeared to have a broken off look to them. Since I got Sterling in October I could be over reacting to molting. I have never saw molting first hand so I am not sure. Any suggestions of the bathing?

My TAG has started plucking a few of his feathers. I called the breeder and she said it was probably just molting and not to worry about it so much. After reading some other posts though I am not so sure. He HATES the water I have tried just putting in the bathroom while I am showering and this scares him, I have tried using a bowl to let him bathe in and this doesn't work, a spary bottle scares him and so on. So now I am wondering if the new feather issue is due to the lack of baths. Any thoughts welcomed! ~Candy

Hi and Welcome! Good luck with your new baby!

Hey guys a new queston for you after these questions arose about redoing a cage I started to question the cage I have. I think it is painted due to the fact that it came with a small bottle of touch up paint. Can anyone tell me how to know for sure? His cage was quite expensive and told to by the bird store I bought it from (also where I the breeder of him) that it was their best cage. It was about 500.00 dollars, did I make a horrible mistake?

I was no way saying that this info was correct or incorrect....I myself hadn't heard of the H2O paint prior to this article and wanted to run it by some more experinced bird owners. I value all of your advice very much much I just wanted to make sure that this wasn't a new product prior to getting the cage powdercoated. I have a wonderful cage for Sterling that is very large, I was just investigating options for this cage that was given to me so that I would have a cage on my breezeway so that he could enjoy some nice spring and summer weather with the family. I have called a few local places reguarding powdercoating and am waiting for them to call me back. Thanks so much for all of the help! Candy

While doing some research on paint I found this article on avain web....I know that you all have said only powdercoating...so is this article in correct? Thanks again for all your help...this gets so confusing! Refinishing an Old Cage: Wear and tear on pet cages is usually pretty high, as parrots often chew, scratch or wear the paint. They can ingest flakes of paint which can be harmful to their health. Pet birds can also be sensitive to fumes from new paint. The following are tips for refinishing your pet's cage: Clean the cage: Scrub the wire / bars thoroughly with a wire brush to clean the cage and remove any rust and loose zinc flakes, and then sand smooth by hand. If your cage is rusty, please refer to the below for tips on how to remove rust. Spray with some fish oil and wait for it to dry. Expect it to be tacky. The fish oil will stop the cage from rusting again. Select the paint: Look for paints that do not contain lead, zinc or chromate, are "high adhesion", formulated to bond with the metal surface, are hard-wearing, and are fast drying. Another suggestion is to look on the back of the paint can and see if it is safe for a human infant. There usually is a picture of a mom holding a child's hand somewhere on the can. Also refer to this website for non-toxic, environmentally safe paints. Krylon and Rust-Oleum are two paints that are certified as "bird safe" in terms of ingredients and residual toxicity. Both have been extensively tested and the only problems ever discussed have been flaking due to improper prep work (failing to remove all of the rust, scale, or bird poop). Neither uses cadmium dioxide or any other heavy metal as a whitening or tint base, unlike certain very cheap house brand spray paints made in China. Rust-Oleum makes a great paint for recoating--unfortunately it is only available in white, almond and black. It is a spray type appliance recoating paint and dries very hard. As a matter of fact, it is used for painting new refrigerators. Almost all of the gloss and semigloss Krylon products are suitable as well--and they make a "hammered finish" paint in charcoal that is really attractive. Krylon paints have a faster evaporating solvent vehicle (VOC's) than the Rust-Oleum - but with both you are looking at being able to handle the painted material in just a few hours. This time is referred to as the "initial cure set" when the majority of the VOC vehicle has evaporated and a hard shell formed on the surface. Single coats will be fully free of VOC residuals in about 12-18 hours. Multiple coats extend this time - so it is prudent to allow at least 24 hours after the final coat in an area above 76F for all VOC's to evaporate and the coats to become fully hardened. For those wanting to play it safe, 48 hours will give results that are completely beyond doubt. Keep in mind though, that both companies make specialty paints--rust conversion primers and high gloss metallic finish types. These are not suitable for bird use as they do contain possibly toxic materials. While painting, be sure to move bird to a separate room and work in a well-ventilated area. It's best if you paint the cage outside, if possible. Apply paint in a thin coat. If you're using a spray paint, be sure to hold a large piece of paper or cardboard behind the cage, moving it as you go, to act as a backdrop which catches the excess paint. After painting the cage, wait a week or longer before using it. Solvent-based paints take time after initial drying to release the solvent vapors. NEVER cover a bird in a freshly painted cage. This tip to help minimize paint chewing by birds: Birds love to climb, and paint damage often occurs from birds' gripping the cage with their beak to assist them in climbing up the cage. Aviculturist Eb Cravens also once reported that, by wiring perches or appropriately-sized tree branches onto the inner sides of the wire enclosures, the birds will be encouraged to climb from place to place by gripping these with their beaks, so that they do not even touch the wire when climbing. A recommendation from Palace Cages: "Much of the cage industry today uses a "Powder Coat" system. They advertise it is easy to clean and super hard. It may be easier to clean but I don't use powder coat on my cages. The chip problem gets much worse with a very hard material. Powder coat is not paint. It is a thermoplastic. Chips will not break up and be more likely to cause intestinal blockages. It is also difficult to repair. It is melted on to the cage at appromately 300 degrees. Powder Coat can be less of a threat with some birds, but I don't recommend it for hook bills." Rust Prevention: Prevent indoor metal items from rusting by keeping their surfaces dry, dusting regularly and wiping down occasionally with a damp cloth. Dry immediately after wiping down. Tips for Removing Rust: Thoroughly clean the cage. Rust needs to be removed as it is toxic to birds. To remove rust stains, choose one of the following instructions, per your preference and applicability: Tea Bags: To remove rust from steel parts (whether it be cages or toy parts, the secret are ordinary tea bags. Boil about 1/2 liter of water and add about 4 or 5 tea bags. It should be a strong mix of tea. Stir well and let this brew for about 5 minutes and remove the bags. If you used tea leaves, strain the liquid. Let it cool down and then add the rusty steel parts fully submerging them in the liquid. The rust should come off after about 1 to 8 hours - depending on the amount of rust. Keep an eye on them and remove once the rust has dissolved. You will find that the steel parts have taken on a blue-greyish color after the soaking. It is easily rubbed off with very fine wire wool and oil. After this procedure, clean using your usual procedure. You will find that this procedure will not harm the item in any way; it doesn't affect brass and it actually delays further rusting. Hairspray (pump style, not aerosol) will also remove rust. Spray - let soak for a moment, wipe off. Repeat if necessary. Do remove any birds from the cage and, in fact, the room while spraying and wash off any traces of hairspray before placing your bird back into the cage. Wire Brillo Pad: Scrubbing the rust lightly with a wire brush or a wire brillo pad. Scrub hard enough to remove any rust flakes, but be careful not to scratch the paint (unless the rust is so bad that you'll have to repaint the cage). (Please use non-toxic paint!) Dipping the pad or brush in white vinegar might make this process easier. Rusted Joints: If rust has developed in the cage joints, you may find it easier to disassemble the cage and work with smaller pieces. Toxic Method that Work: The following tips work well, but care should be taken around birds! This is toxic stuff. It should be applied away from any pets or even family members and cleaned off carefully afterwards, before allowing yours pets anywhere near it: Lysol toilet bowl cleaner removes rust oftentimes on contact. All you need to do is wipe it off with a wet rag. Kerosene: If you see rust stains but no flakes, dip a very fine steel-wool pad into kerosene, and brush out the stains. Wear safety glasses and rubber gloves when handling kerosene, and work well away from open flames. Severe rust problems can be treated with naval jelly, which dissolves rust. Some products convert the rust into a primer so the metal can be painted later. (Please use non-toxic paint!) To remove rust from carpets or other like material, use rubbing alcohol and a clean paper towel. Mix 1 part alcohol with 3 parts water. Put in a spray bottle. Spray the area and blot with paper towels. Repeat until the rust is gone. If no rubbing alcohol is available, you can saturate the spot with lemon juice, using a spray bottle, allow to remain for 5 minutes. To remove the lemon juice, mix one-third cup of white household vinegar with two-thirds cup of water and apply to stain. Blot with white towels. If this does not work, and it may not, call a professional. Most rust removers contain a very strong acid and are, therefore, not recommended for use by homeowners.

Thanks very much!!! I will check into powdercoating!

I just got a free cage from a friend and my husband is going to sandblast it for me at work due to the rust. I am hoping someone on here can point me in the right direction on where I can find paint that would be safe. I know from reading that it needs to be lead and zinc free and child safe. Any help is greatly appreciated!!! ~Candy

Thanks! just wanted to make sure that it was nothing to be worried about! Thanks for all your help.

My grey has a new habbit that I am not sure what is. He will hang with one foot on the side of the cage and then almost kick with the other foot for sometimes 20 minutes at time. Anyone have any ideas? I have never seen him do this before today but he just keeps doing it unless he sees that I am looking at him or start talking to him then he quits. Thanks, Candy

Anybody have any suggestions for websites (price/quality) to order toys, food ect. from??? I am sure someone has already posted this before....sorry if so! Thanks, Candy & Sterling

<br><br>Post edited by: jayandcandy0402, at: 2008/10/29 04:12

He finally has a name... Sterling it is!!! Thanks everyone's help!!!

Congrats, Jen!!! That is wonderful news!!!

My wonderful baby boy has recently decided that it is a great idea fly off of his playarea on top of the cage every time he need to use the bathroom. He just started this this past week. Anybody got any ideas? I am afriad he is going to end up hurting himself. Thanks, Candy

Acctually, no! I am online searching now. Everything we come up with just doesn't seem to fit. He is going to end up thinking his name is baby boy or pretty boy. We have thought about Levi, Eli, Avery and still Echo and Sterling. I'm pretty sure that he will not end up with Echo due to the fact that it seems to be a very popular name with Grey's and I want something not as common.

I agree with your reason for saying Echo but I have 2 sons and the other one came up with Fluffy, which isn't even in the running. Thank you so much for your help though!

I have had my baby for about a week now and he still has no name. My son came up with the name Echo. I have came up with Sterling. But can't seem to decide on anything so any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!