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Conference 7.286::pet_birds

Title:Captive Breeding for Conservation--and FUN!
Notice:INTROS 6.X / FOR SALE 13.X / Buying a Bird 900.*
Moderator:VIDEO::PULSIFER
Created:Mon Oct 10 1988
Last Modified:Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:942
Total number of notes:6016

35.0. "Questions about Used Cages" by MILVAX::K_HAMILTON (Karen Hamilton - Activist!) Fri Oct 28 1988 13:25

    I saw a lovely old cage at an antique show a few weeks ago and thought
    about getting it for my daughter's parakeet.  Then I wondered about
    the state of health of whatever had been in it before, and passed
    it by.  What are the guidelines for buying, cleaning and disinfecting
    used cages?
    
    Thanks.
    
    Karen
    
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35.1BleachFREKE::HUTCHINSFeathered Obsessions AviaryFri Oct 28 1988 14:4417
    Antique cages are beautiful!  The safest way to clean and disinfect
    is to use clorine bleach 32 parts water 1 part bleach.  Bleach i
    this concentration kills bacteria and will not hurt the birds.
    
    Hook bill birds like parakeets need bars that go horizontally so
    they can cimb.  finches need vertical bars.  I have seen some parkeets
    try to climb on up and down bars and loose footing and end up with
    thier little heads caught between bars.  Finches fly and rarely
    climb and they fray thier tail feathers on horizontal bars.
    
    If you have an old cage you want to paint, us a lacquor base paint
    that will not chip and let it dry for a week to 10 days before placing
    any birds inside.
    
    Does this help?
    
    Jean
35.2enamal (sp?)NEXUS::M_ROBSONNews item from the Banzia InstituteFri Oct 28 1988 15:253
    I had thought that Bird Talk always recommended that if you paint
    get baked on enamal.
    
35.3Watch for LeadCSC32::K_WORKMANNo Dukes!Fri Oct 28 1988 15:4210
    Hi,
    
    I heard somewhere that you need to be sure the cage wasn't made
    out of lead or lead coated.  Cages coming from out of state, like
    mexico may contain leads in the materials used to make the cage.
    Might wanna make sure this antique cage has no lead either.  I believe
    this is very toxic to birds. 
    
    Karen
    
35.4FREKE::HUTCHINSFeathered Obsessions AviaryFri Oct 28 1988 16:0213
    I don't know for sure, but I am gonna hit the texts tonite, but,
    I should think that cages *made* with lead would be to soft for
    support.  Lead paint....by all means, and since lead was used so
    commonly before it was deemed toxic, check into paint and metal
    contents.
    
    Re:  baked enamel...,If you have a kiln or oven to bake the cage,
    then that is the way to go...we have used spray paint to redo some
    cages and then only used those cages for finches...birds that do
    not chew.
    
    jean
    
35.5Bird Talk p. 14 (NOV issue)CSC32::K_WORKMANNo Dukes!Fri Oct 28 1988 20:1424
    Its me again.  I found out where I read about that lead problem.
    It was under the CAUSES AND CURES section of the November issue
    of Bird Talk.  Here is an excerpt:
    
    	The use of lead-based paints has been outlawed in the United
        States for many years, mainly because of its potential health
    	hazard to infants and to people who work with the paints.  It
    	is highly probable, though, that lead-based paints can be found
    	in many other countries, particularly Mexico.  I've seen
    	numerous cases of lead poisoning in birds after they chewed
     	and/or lived in cages painted in Mexico.  Surprisingly, though
    	many times it is not the paint that contains the lead, but the
    	leaded gas used to dilute the paint to mass-produce and paint
    	many cages at one time.
    
    This article is on page 14.  You may want to read the rest of it
    as it has some hints on how to tell if its lead based paint or not.
    
    I hope I am not discouraging you from using your new cage, I just
    want your bird to be nice and healthy and happy in his new home!
    
    Thats all folks......
    
    Karen
35.6cage renovationFSTVAX::WIMMERWed Nov 30 1988 17:267
    
    I just picked up a used, large parakeet cage that I think is large
    enough for a cockatiel. The only thing I'm concerned about is the
    absence of a grate on the bottom to keep the bird off the paper.
     Any ideas on how to jury-rig something? Or should I not be concerned
    about it?  Most of the articles I've read in Bird talk seem to say
    there should be a grate.
35.7I suppose they're nice if you like to cleaning...VAXRT::RUZICHHow many in your quartet?Wed Nov 30 1988 19:538
    A grate is just one more thing to clean.  I always remove them.

    The only useful purpose for a grate is as an aquarium lid. 
    I use an aquarium as a hospital cage, to keep the heat in.  I just
    set a light in one of the cheap aluminum reflectors on top of the
    grate.
    
    -Steve