Copper Plated Aluminum Wire?

[nailsrglue]

I do Bonsai as a hobby, and have some large wire that I wanted to make into a hanging fruit holder. The wire is made out of Aluminum with a brown copper plating to make it less noticable on the trees. The wire is fairly bendable and soft metal.

I just wanted to make sure these metals are safe for the bird to chew on and for the food to touch.

I did notice in cutting the wire that the copper plating rubs off easily with alittle filing, I'm thinking I should file all of it off to keep my parrot from swallowing peices.

[habs71]

METALS such as lead, zinc, copper and iron can cause metal
toxicosis if ingested by birds. Some sources are galvanized cage and
aviary wire, house keys, (especially gold colored keys), lead-based
paints, metallic paints, paints containing zinc, linoleum, vinyl
mini-blinds, foil from champagne and wine bottles, lead weights,
bells with lead clappers, stained glass, some improperly-glazed
ceramics, costume jewelry, mirror backing, copper pennies, zinc
oxide, artist paints containing cadmium, cardboard or paper with high
gloss inks, and magnetic business cards.

More information:
| A Parrot Platform


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[nailsrglue]

so the aluminum wire with the copper plating completely removed would be ok?

[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.

[nailsrglue]

Well thanks for the info! I definately wont be letting my conure near my bonsai wire any time soon! But do you know what I can use to make a bird safe Kabob to hang in the cage for foraging? Or do you know of a place I can buy a cheap one?

[Gator]

You can get them right here in the Birdboardshop. They have small ones.

JT GARDEN KABOB SMALL

And large ones

JT GARDEN KABOB LARGE

[huntress]

I got mine in the rodent department of the pet store. Stainless Steel is safest.