[huntress]

Ok, I plate now for a living. The stuff we use to plate is NASTY TOXIC STUFF and its electrically CHARGED as it is bonded to the metal. It may rub off but there is no way I could even put any of that in for them to chew off. Actually its ironic I make DENTAL tools but you not ment to ingest any of it (please rinse and spit,lol) We use Nickle solution and Sulferic Acid and hydrocloric acid YUUUUKKKKK!!! The process involves "Etching" the base metal so the plating (outside metal) is bonded to the surface. You may see it rub off but its never really all off. I would not.
Not to mention any metal can sit in the digestive system by weight and become toxic just for being there. Soft metal like aluminum is easily shaved off by a beak. and even soft wire can be bit into pieces. They feed magnets (called boluses) to cows to collect the metal they may have in the stomach and then the theory is the magnet keeps the metals in a "safer" place in the system.