Painting Bird cages

[Paxobird]

Hi to all

 

I'm new here so bare with me if this question has been asked before.

 

I have just bought a cage which had some rust on it. I have used a wire brush to remove all the loose rust and have repainted with Hammerite. I intend to give the cage several days to dry. Does anyone know if the cage will be safe to house a young African Grey I intend to buy soon?

 

Many Thanks

 

Paxobird

[matt314159]

That is an excellent question, and one which I would be interested in getting some guidance on as well. We've got an old cage in the back yard that needs cleaning up, but we'd like to put it on the patio and give Ponti a place to go when we all go outside for BBQ's (after the cooking is done and the smoke clears of course)

 

I was thinking the best way would be to pay somebody to professionally strip it and then powder-coat it, which actually fuses the paint into the metal, but is there a non-toxic spray-paint that the birds can't chew off the bars, or, if (when?) they do, it will be non-toxic to them?

[spookyhurst]

As far as I know, powder coating is the only safe way to paint a cage.

 

When I was a kid, I painted a cage for my parakeet. He chewed on the bars all the time. He died when he was six (there was a puddle of blood on the cage floor next to him), and based on all of his symptoms, I believe I killed him with lead poisoning .

[Dave007]

Spooky's right but it's actually better that you buy a new cage that's powder coated cause it's more expensive to recoat it with powder coating, especially if it's had rust on it before.

[BMustee]

Yeah, I would not risk painting a cage and putting my grey in it. I would go ahead and get a new cage with powder coating on it. MrSpock pointed me to an ebay store with a great cage with an even better price.

[nevjoe]

It is not worth the risk.

 

Joe

[danmcq]

MrSpock and others are correct.

 

Powder coating is the only safe solution and the cost of having it done correctly would be more than a bew Cage.

[lovemyGreys]

As the others have said i personally wouldnt risk painting a cage with any paint. Powder coating is the safest way to go, Powder-coated finishes are easier to clean and resist corrosion. This is important because parrots are chewers and certain paints, rust or wrought iron can be very dangerous. A new cage would be the safest option.

[GeorgeC]

I had a similar concern with even new cages. New iron bar cages are still painted, and can still chip and flake over time and use. Back when I was getting a TAG, I spoke to the avian vet. She said it is a concern, but paints today used for cages are safer since they don't have toxic resins that can be absorbed. It's more like plastic that will just pass thru their system if a piece flakes off.

 

As for what I did when I took home my baby TAG at just a few months of age, I kept her in a typical CalCage for months and looked for what I thought would be the best cage for her many years that lay ahead. I ended up with a much higher quality and larger cage made of natural materials that don't need paint. A 4-foot wide x 3-foot deep aluminum frame cage that is 7-foot tall, stainless steel wire, glass doors, mananita branches, and sisal climbing ropes. Other than toys, all natural. And she has full spectrum 12-hour timed lighting, a HEPA air purifyier, and since she loves TV, her own flatscreen TV up against a glass panel. Perhaps overkill, it's more like a zoo habitat, but she means so much to me. Her cage door is always open when I am home. Sure she is excited when I get home to come out and fly, get a good frisking of feathers and play and such. However, she adores her cage. And often spends hours in there on weekends when I'm home all day.

[matt314159]

GeorgeC wrote:

I had a similar concern with even new cages. New iron bar cages are still painted, and can still chip and flake over time and use. Back when I was getting a TAG, I spoke to the avian vet. She said it is a concern, but paints today used for cages are safer since they don't have toxic resins that can be absorbed. It's more like plastic that will just pass thru their system if a piece flakes off.

 

As for what I did when I took home my baby TAG at just a few months of age, I kept her in a typical CalCage for months and looked for what I thought would be the best cage for her many years that lay ahead. I ended up with a much higher quality and larger cage made of natural materials that don't need paint. A 4-foot wide x 3-foot deep aluminum frame cage that is 7-foot tall, stainless steel wire, glass doors, mananita branches, and sisal climbing ropes. Other than toys, all natural. And she has full spectrum 12-hour timed lighting, a HEPA air purifyier, and since she loves TV, her own flatscreen TV up against a glass panel. Perhaps overkill, it's more like a zoo habitat, but she means so much to me. Her cage door is always open when I am home. Sure she is excited when I get home to come out and fly, get a good frisking of feathers and play and such. However, she adores her cage. And often spends hours in there on weekends when I'm home all day.

 

Wow! Can I come live in a cage at your house? :woohoo:

 

Looks like you take really good care of your baby!

 

I don't know if I want to buy a 2nd new cage just for the patio, the first one was $300. Until then we'll just keep doing what we're doing: Take her out on the patio in her small travel cage. At least she gets to experience the fresh air and the great outdoors! (without an extra $200-$300 out of my pocket!)

[Talon]

I agree, a new cage is the only way to go. You can find some cheap cages for an outside one on Ebay.<br><br>Post edited by: Talon, at: 2007/10/16 04:00

[loviechick]

When I repainted Zsa Zsa's old cage for Midori I used a non toxic spray paint by Rustoleum. From what I understand, as long as it is child AND animal safe, and it will say on the can, then it is ok. I would NOT take the risk if it didn't say child proof AND animal proof.

 

I left it outside to dry for 72 hours, and it was fine! I've had Midori in it since June with no problems!

[pmaholm]

Looks like I'm digging this one out of the graveyard. does anyone know of any bird safe paints out there? It looks like a cage we may be getting has some rust on it, we will be replacing the cage at some point but that may be up to a year off, we'd prefer to take care of the rust at least short term until we can buy a new cage. I think I could also get the guys here in maintenance to sandblast it so it would be extra clean and a good surface for paint.

[auntphibian]

FYI

Refinishing Cages / Removing Rust

 

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. (Rustoleum makes products for this job)

 

* 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.

 

o Avianweb Visitor Sara Fischer (6/2009) contacted a couple of manufacturers of commonly available paints (Krylon and RustOleum) and got the following responses:

 

o RustOleum: "Let me first assure you that our products are lead free and are completely non-toxic when fully dry. We do have a few zinc-rich products, but these are boldly stated on the can that they are a zinc compound. I’m certain that our products would be safe for use with birds, as people frequently will paint birdcages with our enamels.

 

Just two concerns with the application:

+ First, in order to ensure that the paint has fully cured, I would wait at least a 7-10 days, in good drying conditions, before exposing the animal(s) to the paint. Washing down the surface after a week is also a good idea, just to ensure that all the solvents are off the surface.

 

+ Second, I would recommend that you do not use the metallic products. While they will be non-toxic as well, many of them have a leafing pigment in them, which can result in a metallic ruboff, even after the paint is dry. Thank you again for taking the time to contact us. We appreciate your confidence in Rust-Oleum products. If you need further assistance, please feel free to contact our Product Support Department at 1-800-782-3369 or through our web site, www.rustoleum.com. "

o Krylon (DO NOT USE) responded as follows: " We do not recommend the application of our Krylon paint to anything but "decorative" birdcages that will not be occupied. After speaking with several veterinarians and other bird experts, we were advised that birds are extremely sensitive to low levels of materials for a very long time. Since we do not have any data to determine when the cage would be safe to occupy after off-gassing is complete, and we do not know which paint is considered "safe," we do not recommend our paints for application to birdcages after purchase." Eric, Krylon Product Support

 

o Also refer to this website for non-toxic, environmentally safe paints for use in bird rooms (not necessarily cages).

 

o To be on the safe side, it's best to contact the manufacturer of any paint you want to work with and ask for bird safety.

 

 

* 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:

 

o 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.

 

o 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.

 

o 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.

 

o Rusted Joints: If rust has developed in the cage joints, you may find it easier to disassemble the cage and work with smaller pieces.

 

o 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. (I would NOT use kerosene you plan to use for a bird, same with Lysol)

 

+ 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!)

 

o 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.

 

Thought I'd pass this along, as I saw it was a topic that comes up often.