Great thread but in those first two pictures is that mega RUST I see that birdie standing on?

 

 

Edited February 19, 200718 yr by Bubbles

Yep. Mega rust. It is outside their cage.

I think the issue is that they are standing on it and in or out it is very dangerous?

I don't know. I have had it there for a whole year. It used to be inside the cage too and some of the budgies would sleep on it. And before that my mice used to live with it and I have never had any sicknesses or illness.

Edited February 17, 200718 yr by Sailorwolf

your lucky the fastest way to get metal poisening is a rusty cage it is just not safe.

your lucky the fastest way to get metal poisening is a rusty cage it is just not safe.

 

I would be very concerned about that amount of rust anywhere near a cage a budgie was in contact with too.

Might be worth doing some research on heavy metal poisoning. Its just not worth if for the sake of a newer rustfree cage.

Edited February 18, 200718 yr by Bubbles

That thingee isn't part of the cage. It is a little bridge that you can connect to and pull off the cage. As can be seen in this picture:

 

 

I have just been doing a bit of research on metal poisoning. Apparently the zinc in galvanized wire has white rust. This is poisonous.

Now I know that iron oxide (rust of iron) is red in colour. Iron oxide has varying levels of toxicity and according to this website ingestion is not dangerous: ...to humans http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:zC0SKZ...clnk&cd=1&gl=nz

However because it is galvanised it has other metals that are in the corrosion too.

 

I just did some research on heavy metal poisoning in birds. Apparently avairy wire mesh can be quite toxic.

That thingee isn't part of the cage. It is a little bridge that you can connect to and pull off the cage. As can be seen in this picture:

 

 

I have just been doing a bit of research on metal poisoning. Apparently the zinc in galvanized wire has white rust. This is poisonous.

Now I know that iron oxide (rust of iron) is red in colour. Iron oxide has varying levels of toxicity and according to this website ingestion is not dangerous: ...to humans http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:zC0SKZ...clnk&cd=1&gl=nz

However because it is galvanised it has other metals that are in the corrosion too.

 

I just did some research on heavy metal poisoning in birds. Apparently avairy wire mesh can be quite toxic.

 

It's quite interesting when you start to look at this kind of thing. It seems anything man made can be a hazard to our pets. Anything that isn't their good old natural tree branches and such in the wild, I guess

And then even tree branches can be poisonous too.

 

Random: I'm sure I've eaten rust before. ...

All rust is harmful/fatal to budgies. I would be scared to death using that bridge or anything that rusted.

 

Having lost a budgie from metal poisoning from the tiniest little spot on a toy bell this really alarms me.

 

Get RID of the bridge!

I have to agree with Boomberry. I wouldn't use anything with rust on it, no matter what.

Sailor we are not picking on you we promise but they are right sure we may have all ingested rust at one point but we are like what 200x bigger then a budgie.

 

Tephlon fumes don't kill us but they can budgies, scented candles are harmful to budgies not us (unless of course we have airway issues) the point taken just because it may be okay for us doesn't mean it is okay for the budgie.

 

Cherry branches, at pits and apple seeds are what you are taking about that is toxic because of the natural cianide (sp?) are not harmful too us .

 

I mean you will do what you want in the end but that little bridge is not worth loosing a baby or any budgie over. I guess my question is would you want to stand on daily with your bare feet or would you let your kids if you have any play on it? I always think this if it is not good enough for me it is not good enough for my pets but that is my thinking. Some share it some don't :-D.

Edited February 20, 200718 yr by lovey

Maybe you could use some type of scrubber like a steel wool pad that would remove the rust? Just a suggestion, because I'm sure small particles of rust stay on their feet, and when they groom them they would ingest them. Over time it will become a health issue for them.

I have removed the bridge.

 

I was thinking what sort of paints can you use to cover rust, that are safe for budgies? I have another cage that is starting to go a bit rust and I would like to fix it up as it is a very good cage.

 

Another point that I was thinking of (it's a bit controversial) some birds react very easily to rusts etc and others don't. Some, if exposed to small amounts over time (not recommending this) can develop and immunity to it.

Like the Roman emperor who drank a little bit of poison everyday to develop an immunity to it and then when he was finally poisoned he didn't die.

 

However not good to try with budgies or yourself. EVER

 

Curious what the toy bell was made of. While doing my research I discovered that even zinc is added to budgie toys.

I'd try to scrape the rust off the cage using a steel wool pad. I personally would go that route before painting it, as if you just paint over it without removing it first, you are really just applying a band-aid to the problem. Better to resolve it first, I think.

I believe there was a post started about paint just recently and bubbles put up a link. From what I read powder coated paint that says bird safe is best (baby safe is not always bird safe I also read). Primer can have lead and toxins so you have to be careful about that. Yes it is a topic about even the metal in the calcium perches that they have zinc in it.

 

The best you can do is to be aware and use common sense in different situations. As I said I wouldn't want to sit on a rusty cage I wouldn't give it to my birds toxic or not , but that is me.

Surface rust can be removed with steel wool scrubbers, but that rust is much deeper. Any paint applied to it ....the rust would eventually come through. Time for a project to make a cute wooden bridge I think.

I also have this other cage ((Laughing out loud), I have heaps of cages for some reason , probably due to my rats and canaries). Any way it is small and I'm using it to transport them to my new flat tomorrow. Problem is the roof has all this rust all over it. So yesterday I spent 4 hours scratching the rust off with sand paper. After I got as much as I could, I got the great idea, of covering any unreachable rust with olive oil. This way the olive oil seals the rust and prevents it from spreading. Which would be good if you wanted to paint over it later. Anyway I put the budgies in the cage today and what do they do? They start licking the olive oil off of the cage!!! Then I sprayed it with some sour grape. That sorta worked. Some funny budgies like sour grape Anyway they have stopped chewing and will be out of the cage tomorrow.

Sounds like you should bid those cages a fond farewell Sailorwolf, they have served you well.

I love my cages.

We all have to say goodbye to our things for BETTER things at one point, think of your guys!

I agree with Robin and those smaller transport cages are really cheap to replace here in the US they are like 15US. Anyways I know you will do what is best

Ya. But it is not a small transport cage. It is a normal sized cage for two budgies. They aren't housed in the cage. I'm a student and I can't really afford to buy new cages. I am just thinking that with all metal, no mater how new it is, you will always encounter rust, even with new powder coated cages.

I've had budgies for ten years and I have had that cage for ten years and I have never ever had a problem with metal poisoning.