Hi all,
My daughter has just purchased a Sun Conure (a type of small parrot) and is
wanting me to make some wooden pieces to put in the cage like ladders,
perches, etc. I'm all for it, but I don't know if some woods may be toxic
to parrots, so I just thought I would ask any experts that might be out
there. This bird is much too expensive to find out later that I shouldn't
have made a perch out of . . .(fill in the blank).
I have some Pine, Red Oak, Mahogany, Purpleheart, Poplar, and Jatoba right
at the moment. I could also get some cypress (from a Leyland cypress that
used to be in my back yard). I would like to use the red oak since it is a
hard wood and should be able to withstand some chewing, but I am a little
wary of that one. Think I might use the poplar. I can buy something else
if it is known to be safe.
In the meantime I will keep looking through the Internet to see if I can
find some info on this. I have seen a lot of info about the care and
feeding, but nothing about what "toys" should be made out of.
Thanks in advance for all advice,
Wayne
Here is one site with info on "safe" woods for perches and toys
http://www.exoticbird.com/gillian/perch.html
"NoOne N Particular" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>My daughter has just purchased a Sun Conure (a type of small parrot) and is
>wanting me to make some wooden pieces to put in the cage like ladders,
>perches, etc. I'm all for it, but I don't know if some woods may be toxic
>to parrots, so I just thought I would ask any experts that might be out
>there. This bird is much too expensive to find out later that I shouldn't
>have made a perch out of . . .(fill in the blank).
>
>I have some Pine, Red Oak, Mahogany, Purpleheart, Poplar, and Jatoba right
>at the moment. I could also get some cypress (from a Leyland cypress that
>used to be in my back yard). I would like to use the red oak since it is a
>hard wood and should be able to withstand some chewing, but I am a little
>wary of that one. Think I might use the poplar. I can buy something else
>if it is known to be safe.
>
>In the meantime I will keep looking through the Internet to see if I can
>find some info on this. I have seen a lot of info about the care and
>feeding, but nothing about what "toys" should be made out of.
>
>Thanks in advance for all advice,
>
>Wayne
>
Hi,
Parrot type birds love to chew and no wood is too hard for them. I'd stay
away from the exotics some of them are known to be toxic. The oaks
red/white, poplar and maple would be my choices. I'd also stay away from
the pine not that I think its toxic but the little bugger would destroy it
in no time. Both pine and cedar contain volatile oils hence the smell so
they would probably be good to avoid for that reason as well. Walnuts
contain a substance jugulon (sp?) which is toxic to other plant species and
maybe animals as well. Birds are so much more susceptible to toxins than
say mice who will also chew on everything.
Do search the web. There are several sites usually schools that list toxic
plants but not necessarily trees. I've used them in the past for the same
purpose only reptiles instead of birds.
Two last notes, you also have to watch your houseplants some are toxic and
if you do any finishing/painting in the house, make sure the bird is in a
room where the vapors can't reach it.
"NoOne N Particular" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi all,
>
> My daughter has just purchased a Sun Conure (a type of small parrot) and
is
> wanting me to make some wooden pieces to put in the cage like ladders,
> perches, etc. I'm all for it, but I don't know if some woods may be toxic
> to parrots, so I just thought I would ask any experts that might be out
> there. This bird is much too expensive to find out later that I shouldn't
> have made a perch out of . . .(fill in the blank).
>
> I have some Pine, Red Oak, Mahogany, Purpleheart, Poplar, and Jatoba right
> at the moment. I could also get some cypress (from a Leyland cypress that
> used to be in my back yard). I would like to use the red oak since it is
a
> hard wood and should be able to withstand some chewing, but I am a little
> wary of that one. Think I might use the poplar. I can buy something else
> if it is known to be safe.
>
> In the meantime I will keep looking through the Internet to see if I can
> find some info on this. I have seen a lot of info about the care and
> feeding, but nothing about what "toys" should be made out of.
>
> Thanks in advance for all advice,
>
> Wayne
>
>
http://www.birdsafe.com/woods.htm
"NoOne N Particular" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
: Hi all,
:
: My daughter has just purchased a Sun Conure (a type of small parrot) and is
: wanting me to make some wooden pieces to put in the cage like ladders,
: perches, etc. I'm all for it, but I don't know if some woods may be toxic
: to parrots, so I just thought I would ask any experts that might be out
: there. This bird is much too expensive to find out later that I shouldn't
: have made a perch out of . . .(fill in the blank).
:
: I have some Pine, Red Oak, Mahogany, Purpleheart, Poplar, and Jatoba right
: at the moment. I could also get some cypress (from a Leyland cypress that
: used to be in my back yard). I would like to use the red oak since it is a
: hard wood and should be able to withstand some chewing, but I am a little
: wary of that one. Think I might use the poplar. I can buy something else
: if it is known to be safe.
:
: In the meantime I will keep looking through the Internet to see if I can
: find some info on this. I have seen a lot of info about the care and
: feeding, but nothing about what "toys" should be made out of.
:
: Thanks in advance for all advice,
:
: Wayne
:
:
O
>I have some Pine, Red Oak, Mahogany, Purpleheart, Poplar, and Jatoba right
>at the moment. I could also get some cypress (from a Leyland cypress that
>used to be in my back yard).
fruit woods are good but for cherry (poisonous) oak would be fine. no sappy
woods either. purpleheart would be fine too and strong. maple, beech, poplar
would be good too.
--
Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes
Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices
See http://www.knight-toolworks.com For prices and ordering instructions.
On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 23:39:18 +0000, NoOne N Particular wrote:
> In the meantime I will keep looking through the Internet to see if I can
> find some info on this. I have seen a lot of info about the care and
> feeding, but nothing about what "toys" should be made out of.
I gave a conure owning friend some madrona(sp?) brances from blow down.
The little buggar loved these small "trees" in her large cage. She
nibbled off all the twiggy stuff, but never did get through anything
larger than 1/4" or so thick. Bingo was her name and she used those
branches for many years before her demise - while the owners were away for
a day, she turned her insides out trying to lay an egg :-(
-Doug
--
"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange apples
then you and I will still each have one apple.
But if you have an idea and I have one idea and we exchange these
ideas,then each of us will have two ideas" George B. Shaw
Stay away from black walnut...toxic to animals & plants.
I used to remove / prune tree and reduced them to mulch. People would come
by and ask for the mulch. If the mulch contained black walnut, we wouldn't
give it to them for that reason.
Joe
"NoOne N Particular" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi all,
>
> My daughter has just purchased a Sun Conure (a type of small parrot) and
is
> wanting me to make some wooden pieces to put in the cage like ladders,
> perches, etc. I'm all for it, but I don't know if some woods may be toxic
> to parrots, so I just thought I would ask any experts that might be out
> there. This bird is much too expensive to find out later that I shouldn't
> have made a perch out of . . .(fill in the blank).
>
> I have some Pine, Red Oak, Mahogany, Purpleheart, Poplar, and Jatoba right
> at the moment. I could also get some cypress (from a Leyland cypress that
> used to be in my back yard). I would like to use the red oak since it is
a
> hard wood and should be able to withstand some chewing, but I am a little
> wary of that one. Think I might use the poplar. I can buy something else
> if it is known to be safe.
>
> In the meantime I will keep looking through the Internet to see if I can
> find some info on this. I have seen a lot of info about the care and
> feeding, but nothing about what "toys" should be made out of.
>
> Thanks in advance for all advice,
>
> Wayne
>
>
Thanks to all who responded. The two links that I received were great and
just what I was looking for. The other advice is also appreciated. I have
since subscribed to rec.birds and rec.pets.birds, but just have not had the
time to look through them yet, or ask the questions there. I'll ask my bird
questions there from now on.
Thanks again,
Wayne
"NoOne N Particular" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi all,
>
> My daughter has just purchased a Sun Conure (a type of small parrot) and
is
> wanting me to make some wooden pieces to put in the cage like ladders,
> perches, etc. I'm all for it, but I don't know if some woods may be toxic
> to parrots, so I just thought I would ask any experts that might be out
> there. This bird is much too expensive to find out later that I shouldn't
> have made a perch out of . . .(fill in the blank).
>
> I have some Pine, Red Oak, Mahogany, Purpleheart, Poplar, and Jatoba right
> at the moment. I could also get some cypress (from a Leyland cypress that
> used to be in my back yard). I would like to use the red oak since it is
a
> hard wood and should be able to withstand some chewing, but I am a little
> wary of that one. Think I might use the poplar. I can buy something else
> if it is known to be safe.
>
> In the meantime I will keep looking through the Internet to see if I can
> find some info on this. I have seen a lot of info about the care and
> feeding, but nothing about what "toys" should be made out of.
>
> Thanks in advance for all advice,
>
> Wayne
>
>