new cage: should i stain & varnish?

[tiombe]

while i know fumes are deadly to greys, i have nonetheless just finished building a wooden cage which is lined with thick metal chicken wire. The outer wooden framing i was hoping to stain and then varnish. The plan was to put Tiombe in a second cage while and for a few days after doing the staining and varnishing. I am very concerned though as i don't know to what extent the fumes may have an effect on her. Is a few days drying and curing outside in hot sun sufficient to remove fumes? Is it more of a question of what based (oil vs. latex) the stain and varnish are? Even if i went for several days of drying outside (while he is inside), what about if he digs at the wood with his beak, effectively scraping splinters off (which he has been doing currently on the raw wood, but i am hoping only because he is new to our home, to us, and to this newly built cage).

[dblhelix]

I would be really careful and do a lot of investigating on the stain/varnish being used anywhere on the cage where the bird will have access to chew throughout the day when not supervised. The stain/varnish alone may be toxic if ingested even months/years after it has cured. Birds need and do chew/gnaw on wood throughout their lives. This is a normal and necessary exercise for their beaks. Anything in the house is fair game so they require supervision. I would stay away from anything like that on the cage where he could get at it. My vote is leave the wood natural. Also, what kind of wood is the frame made of? Some woods are toxic as well...<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/05/16 09:24

[Guest Monique]

dblhelix gives very good advice on this topic. I have no more to add .

[Talon]

YES! Be very careful. I personally would not use stain or varnish. there are alot of woods that can be toxic to birds. What are yuo using.

 

As far as the chicken wire is concerned, is it solid wiring, or twisted? The twisted type can have sharp edges where it is wound together. Any sharpness to it and I would not use it. Let us know. :huh:

[tiombe]

hi all, thanks for the replies. the wood is pine, typical of a lumber store (is this in itself ok? it is not, of course, "treated wood" per se, but is this type of lumber not also treated in some way?). i didn't know the term to use for the caging, it isn't actually chicken wire, it is proper heavy-duty stuff that has long rectangular shapes made by the crossing of the wiring.

 

So, has no one had any experience in painting, coloring, staining a wooden frame (albeit on the outside of the inner square metal caging) with materials that are safe?

[Talon]

Pine should be ok. I would check the size of the rectangles, you don't want your baby to get his head stuck in there. Also if he is banded, is it closed, if not, it could get caught on the wire. Can't be too careful, ya know! B)

 

I'd love to see a picture when it's all done!

[tiombe]

thanks. yes he is banded but it is closed. The rectangles should be ideal. I bought the material from a parrot breeder. the rectangles are about 3/4" wide by 2" high, so just big enough to get claws in, no heads.

 

I am quite anxious about another post i made about eating. Talon, if you have a moment (or others) could you give any suggestions, re: my bird over 3 days isn't really eating much.

[Talon]

I did.

[Guest Monique]

Do you mean you bought the metal from another breeder? If so I would think it would be okay. The other thing I just thought of was lead - do need to be careful of any lead in metals.

[judygram]

You must never use any kind of lead and you do have to keep an eye on the cage as he uses it to make sure he doesn't chew his way out.

[tiombe]

thanks all, again for many helpful tips. yes, the cage material is standard, came from a very reputable breeder on a nearby kibutz (btw, i first picked up a electus rarus (green) and brought it home but after one night of ear-tingling screeching and unpleasant looks from neighbors in the apartments above and beside mine the next morning, i proptly exchanged for a grey).

 

i am hoping someone might be able to weigh in on this: i was at the hardware store last night and discovered that the safest thing they have is a water (acrylic)-based stain, that effectively has no varnishes, no turpentine, etc., it is as acrylic as household paint. so, i am wondering about using that to paint the wood on the outside frame of the cage. my guess is that this should be fine, as he never seems to have access to that wood even if he wanted to chew/scratch at it. I am going to upload some photos this weekend of my homemade DIY cage to show the wood. I am also thinking of phoning the company that makes the stain as well as a local vet. If others have knowledge on the topic, though, i would love to hear.