Safe?

[LadyJ171]

Hi all,


I have large flight enclosures and have been gifted perfect wood to put in as perches. However, I can not find anything online as to if it is safe wood or not. And my vet is closed, I have to move the wood today.


The wood is from a purple orchid tree (bauhinia variegata) and it's a medium hard wood. The key is that the length is absolutely perfect-I need it to be just a touch over 7 1/2 feet to span the enclosure. Perch branching of that size is redonkulously expensive so I am always on the look out for free or low cost options to swap out and replace when the existing get yucky.



Any light you might be able to shed is welcome. However, please don't guess (it's like "a" so because "a" is safe, it must be too) since that has proven false on other things.


Thanks!
Julie

 

[MonicaMc]

Possibly not safe?

http://www.parrotforums.com/general...hid-trees-bauhinia-lunarioides-bird-safe.html

But the book "Parrots of South Florida" mentions birds eat it?

https://books.google.com/books?id=X...oECAsQAQ#v=onepage&q=bauhinia parrots&f=false

Apparently So Cal parrots eat it, too???

https://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/archive/V28/28(4) p0196-p0201.pdf



Can't find anything definite one way or the other.... perhaps asking the vet would be the best option and waiting for a response - hopefully they can find out for sure!

 

[Flboy]

Hey, move it while you wait for more information! What’s to loose? Weight from exercise!

 

[noodles123]

You also need to know where it was grown- chemicals etc can absorb into wood...same with pesticides and road run-off...Not that wild orchids are common, but just saying..

 

[SailBoat]

You also need to know where it was grown- chemicals etc can absorb into wood...same with pesticides and road run-off...Not that wild orchids are common, but just saying..

Excellent points regarding pesticides used in orchids. Well over 20 years ago California went to short life, water based pesticides with the remainder of North America follow three to five years later. Scrape the bark-off the branches and then Wash with Hot Fresh Drinking Water with Dawn Original dishwasher soap. Extensively raise with cold fresh drinking water and allow to dry in bright sunlight, turning every few hours.

Scraping the bark off the branches removes /exposes bugs and any deeply penetrating pesticides... Hot water opens the outer layer of wood and the Dawn breaks down any pesticides. Use only Dawn Original! The Drying Bright Sunlight closes the wood surface.