Chewing coating off cage bars, HELP!

[k9nurse]

Hi all,

 

Wasn't sure where to ask this, so please forgive me if this isn't the place. My macaw is chewing the powdercoating off the bars of his cage. What can I do? He is out as often as he wants, I am at home all the time and his cage is open. He's new to my home and this cage which is much larger than his previous cage. I have tons of toys and stuff to chew on in with him, plus he has a 8 foot by 7 foot double tree stand that he plays on as well.

 

Is bitter apple spray safe for birds? What other ideas can all my bird brain friends here come up with?

 

Thanks in advance,

Amanda

[Dave007]

With a macaw, there really isn't much you can do concerning the coating. Yes, bitter apple is safe but I should tell you that many birds aren't bothered by it especially after it dries. Bitter apple is more useful on items that can absorb it such as wood. If you aren't thinking about replacing the cage (another powder coated) then you'll need to watch the areas very carefully and don't let rust develop. Concerning replacing a cage--especially for a macaw---you can purchase a stainless steel cage but they cost a fortune. Stainless steel is rustproof and has no coating on it. It's chew proof. They're made to last forever.

[Shelly Yokum]

My Ruby does the same thing, so maybe its just a macaw thing, I tell him to stop it because over and over again, gets on my nerves, and he laughs and does it more.

[hammco]

I wouldnt worry too much, because he knows it aint food so he probably aint eating it, just chewing it off because he can and its fun to do!

[Zoom]

What is powder coating, anyway?

[birdhouse]

What is powder coating, anyway?

 

All kinds of things that you don't necessarily want to know. It's supposed to be bird safe after it cures, but they all have some amount of zinc, among other things.

 

Also, it's a myth that stainless steel is rustproof & parrot cages aren't made from that high a quality stainless, anyway. And part of what makes stainless steel resist rusting is surface treatment. They do tend to rust a lot more slowly than normal wrought iron cages & many of them tend to be more heavy duty, in general.

 

Sadly, this isn't a problem that's limited to macaws. My Quaker drives me nuts chewing on the bars of her cage. I think she likes the sound & it somehow mega satisfies her need to chew. The only thing that works for her is to put a new, intimidating toy in the area she's currently intent on chewing. Eventually, she works up the nerve to approach the toy & forgets the bars for a while.

 

It would be really great if someone has a better solution.