List hazardous toys HERE, please

[Quakerella]

Hi Kentuckienne, thank you for your input, very very helpful. I have one question for you. When I am making my bird toys, I test all materials for lead, and test my metals for zinc. Do you know how I can, or if I can, test for chlorobenzenes.

 

[Kentuckienne]

Hi Kentuckienne, thank you for your input, very very helpful. I have one question for you. When I am making my bird toys, I test all materials for lead, and test my metals for zinc. Do you know how I can, or if I can, test for chlorobenzenes.

Not without specialized equipment. Its used as a solvent in making herbicides and dyes,mostly. It should evaporate completely in a few days. It's also soluble in alcohol. You might be most likely to encounter it in dyes or dyed items, or herbicide treated materials, but the amounts would be extremely low, and most or all will dissipate by the time the materials reach you. Let your materials air out, soak fabrics in water for 48 hours, dry and then soak again briefly in alcohol if you like and it should all be gone. As for dyes, if you allow a dyed object to air dry door several days, any traces of chlorobenzenes that remain will evaporate. Lead and zinc are much more hazardous. Personally, I prefer to dye parrot toys with beet juice, onion skins, and other natural dyes - easy and cheap.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Disaster averted. *The Rb was playing with the pink toy shown here (one of several similar, purchased from the wonderful MySafeBirdStore... I don't recall the brand).
I got him to pose with them so that you can see the similarity of their radius to his neck's radius. *While spinning it around and around in his beak (a favorite thing to do with any ring or such) he flipped it up and over his head and suddenly it was around his neck. *I watched the whole thing. And leaped to him and tugged it up and off. *He was so stunned that he didn't even fight. *He just froze.
Something similar happened 20 - 30 years ago with one of those neck rings on plastic gallon milk jugs... the things left behind after you twist off the top. *I gave it to him and within seconds it was a very tight necklace.
I had completely forgotten about that incident. *Duh!!!
So this is just a reminder to be wary of any toys that could fit over your darling' s heads!
This could have been a horrible, horrible, horrible night.

(Moderators, please pardon double-post here and in Rb Scrapbook... I really wanted a wide audience.)

 

[Tetly]

Hi guys.

So ever since I got my Blu, I've been buying those wooden perches which come with those metal parts which keep it attached to the cage. Well, yesterday his finger got stuck between those two washers while I was in the room, both of us panicked but thankfully, while I was walking towards him to help him, he managed to get his finger out of it, unharmed. Now I removed one of the discs and the perch is still standing, although it does wobble a bit but nothing serious.
I just wanted to share my story with you and possibly prevent similar accidents.

 

[HeatherG]

I was wondering if silver is safe for parrots to chew on. My green cheek conure doesn't like anything better than chew on my silver chain on which I wear the cross. It's a very sturdy chain, and he doesn't attempt to break it (otherwise it would hurt me) but just slides his beak back and forth holding the chain. I dunno why he loves that so much, but that's his favorite toy.

I think real silver, like sterling silver or fine silver, would be safe. Although the bird could potentially break or ingest your expensive jewelry, silver is so interactive that I can wear it. I am very allergic to most jewelry but sterling silver is ok.

If it is not hallmarked as sterling or fine silver or you did not buy it or make it yourself, you can’t trust that an item is silver. It must be hallmarked “SS”, “sterling”, “92” or similar.

 

[StormyPica]

I think real silver, like sterling silver or fine silver, would be safe. Although the bird could potentially break or ingest your expensive jewelry, silver is so interactive that I can wear it. I am very allergic to most jewelry but sterling silver is ok.

If it is not hallmarked as sterling or fine silver or you did not buy it or make it yourself, you can’t trust that an item is silver. It must be hallmarked “SS”, “sterling”, “92” or similar.

Might not get a response, this is an old thread!

 

[miki]

great idea! I know a couple I can list. But first, please make sure your quick links are twisted shut completely! When I worked at petsmart two of the store conures got stuck on open quick links(a vet had to remove them). The link gets stuck in the little gap right behind the lower mandible.

Happy huts, these are deadly and so many parrots have been injured or killed because of them

This style of plastic toy can strangle parrots(the middle plastic part slides around making it dangerous). One member a while ago mentioned it happening to their bird while they played with a similar toy - luckily they were home and could save them.

I've read/heard about those Happy Huts, and I absolutely will not risk it for Aziza, my 14 year old pet captivity born and raised female Congo African Grey Parrot, whom I purchased at a very reputable pet store 45 minutes to an hour south of Boston, MA, when she was just a 2.5 month old baby.

Those things are too dangerous--and risky for parrots. I've found plenty of good toys that are less risky, and am glad of it.

 

[miki]

Might not get a response, this is an old thread!

Hi--this may be an older thread, but, out of concern, I feel compelled to respond, anyway. Sterling silver is way too risky for a parrot, at least in part because it contains 93% silver and 7% Copper, to harden and stabilize it. Sterling silver does tarnish, and it's too risky to give a bird any toys that are made out of silver.

 

[pebbles1553]

do not buy those little basketball toys!! (these) my little lovebird got her foot stuck inside of the ball!! i was not home, but luckly someone else was, and managed to save my frantic birdie!