Parrotlets Forum : TalkParrotlets banner

Lead in cage paint

19K views 18 replies 14 participants last post by  lineola 
#1 ·
Hello wonderful bird people. I am bran new here today. My name is Larry and I am the owner of another talk forum. The reason for my visit today I saw a thread here about a very sick bird that is suspected to have heavy metal poisoning. It is thought that the cage might be the source of that poisoning.

http://www.talkparrotlets.com/showthread.php?t=1940

My website was mentioned in your thread as a source of information on this vital subject. I am the person who wrote that article. Thank you all for referencing that important imformation.

I am just a regular guy that wanted to find out if my Umbie was safe in her China made cage. I sent paint scrapings off to the lab and they came back with 3,200 parts per million in lead - highly toxic. Since then I have contacted hundreds of people across the country in order for me to gain correct information about lead and zinc in cages. Sorry to say - the retailers and ones who sell cages have not been forth-right. Dr. Peter Jowette the chief toxicologist at LADDL and several other heads of labortories around the country have been most helpful in this undertaking.

Please do not believe anything that a cage seller tells you about the safety of their cages. They only want to sell cages - they do not care about our birds. And yes - I do name names and I do expose the bad guys.

I am not here to promote my talk forum at all... I am here to open up any discussions and answer any questions you might have about toxins in cages.

My email address is larry@vikinghost.net if any one of you might need help in this matter. My purpose is to warn every bird owner about these dangers.

Respectfully,

Larry Houston
Central Florida, USA
I post as Larry, Baby and Me
 
See less See more
#3 ·
Here is an email I received from Larry Houston, after I emailed him asking about cage toxicity:

Hi Maddie,

I am so glad you took the time to contact me.

I am not familiar with that particular cage that you provided a link
to. I will tell you what I do know...

There have been bird owners across the country just like you and me
who have had their cages tested. Just about all of the China made
cages have tested toxic in lead or zinc. The main offender is a
factory in China called Rui Qiang Hardware Products Factory Co., Ltd.
They export to the US as well as around the world. They claim to be
the largest animal cage and enclosure manufacturer in China - I don't
have any reason to dispute them on that. Their cages that are exported
to Europe go by the brand name of Montana cages. Here in the States
they go by a wide variety of brand names including A&E and Banyan. But
it depends on who the US importer is as well as who the retailer is as
to what brand name they tag onto those cages. There are many
different brand names applied to the same cage company. So you never
can go by a brand name or retailer. I have learned to identify most
of the larger cages by their design.

Early on, I was given test results from the HQ cage importer out of
Miami. Those test results showed HQ cages were well within the safe
level. So for a long time I thought HQ cages were good based on their
test results until a bird owner had hers tested and the results were
off the charts for zinc at 13,200 parts per million - the safe level
for zinc is below 250 parts per million. Now HQ is on my black-list.

I checked out the Guangdong Import company that you stated here and
they are not a cage manufacturer - they do not make anything at all
--- they are a very large exporter/importer in China. They get their
products from a wide variety of companies throughout China. So - it is
any one's guess as to who makes your cage.
http://www.for-your-dream-career.com/Guangdong-Import-Export.html

If you asked me to guess as to the toxins in your cage -- you get what
you pay for. Most likely your cage will test toxic for lead or zinc
and probably both.

The reason lead is put into paint - it makes paint more flexible and
more durable at a very low cost. That is what happened to Mattel - the
Chinese switched certified paint that Mattel specs called for to a
cheaper lead based paint. The scum-bags in China pocketed the difference.

You can do one of two things --- cancel your order and buy a high
quality Stainless Steel cage. Or receive your cage and have it tested
as
I laid out on www.happybirdy.com Do not rely on any one else's test
results - get your own testing done.

You can tell if a SS cage is of good quality by holding up a magnet to
it. A magnet will not stick at all to high quality SS but will stick
somewhat to low quality SS. Again - you get what you pay for. You might
want to encourage other bird owners to do the magent test on the SS food
and water dishes they have - you will be surprised at the junk we are
sold.

I have no affiliation to any cage company, importer, or retailer of any
bird related products at all. I am just a bird owner like you.

I hope this helped. You have my permission to share this email with
whomever you desire. In fact I do encourage you and others to pass this
email around as well as the link to www.happybirdy.com where you will find
information on this subject. Scroll down to the bottom - there you will
find a link to a FAQ page that you will find very interesting.

If there is any thing else I can help you or your friends with in the
lead in cage paint mess - please do not hesitate to contact me.

Oh - I almost forgot - the home lead test kits do not work and are a
scam. Carefully read and click the links on www.happybirdy.com An eye
opener.

Kind regards and have fun with your new birdies.

Larry Houston

Central Florida, USA

larry@vikinghost.net


----- Original Message -----
Sent: April 10, 2008 5:03 PM
Subject: bird caga toxicity


Hi Larry,

I am a member of the talkparrotlets.com forum, and I saw your post. I
am getting two new birds (lineolated parakeets), and I just bought a
new cage for them from BirdCages4Less:

http://birdcages4less.com/page/B/PROD/Space_Saver_Bird_Cages/PA5719

BirdCages4Less faxed me a toxicology report saying the cage is safe,
but the report is from the "Guangdong Import and Export Toys
Insspection Centre of China," so I'm not sure I trust it.

How would I go about getting a toxicology report for lead and zinc
from an independent lab here in the U.S.??

Thanks for your assistance,

Maddie
 
#5 · (Edited)
THANK YOU for the link and the responses, including that link!!

I just ordered one for Piers and Piri.

My current cage is a 21x25x30" cage from Petco ("store brand"). They claim to use Prevue, and Prevue claims "no lead", but I don't feel reassured, and the extra space (for such a great price) is a win-win situation. Piri and Piers will LOVE it.
 
#6 ·
THANK YOU for the link and the responses, including that link!! I just ordered one for Piers and Piri.
What did you order? A paint toxicity test, or the cage I gave a link to? That cage has not been tested yet. I am planning to test mine, but haven't done it yet. The certificate I mentioned getting from the seller is from a Chinese Import/Export company, and I don't trust it.

Sorry about the confusion, but I hope you didn't order the cage... you may have time to cancel it.

Maddie
 
#9 ·
BEWARE! I've been to Guangdong, China and other remote parts of china as well as Shanghai for an extended time to study for school. I was invited into an exclusive business to business class while earning my Masters degree.

Primary Goal for me : Learn and understand how American businesses operated in China. We studies different businesses while there, as well as, the environment. Relationships of government officials, financial systems in China and etc...

Relationships: You must understand, and what Americans don't see or know. This is nothing like our goverment customs system in the US.

Anything can get through customs regardless of the quality or the make up of any product. Depending on who you are and what relationship you or your importer have with customs, determines if your products get through.

If a Guangdong importer provides extra money and pays off a Guangdong importer and exporter Customs employee regardless (if it's shipped through a container or by air) Containers are easiest to get things through, what ever you want to get out of China regardless of the quality will go get shipped out with no questions asked. They will falsify reports to get whatever out.

Hope this helps in some way.

BEWARE of what you are getting.

If you care about your little one / birds/ children . You will have your cages tested with a lab in the USA. I think the cost for testing a cage is around 30.00 or so.
 
#10 ·
I work for a safety company and we carry lead tests.(which we sell a lot of) I'm going to buy a box. I talked to our instrument specialist about the test swabs and he informed me these are easy to use, will tell if there is any lead traces on what your testing...how great to take to the store and "TEST" whatever you want to buy..before you buy it. I will let you all know how it works and if anyone wants info let me know.
 
#11 ·
Remember too that Parrotlets and other small birds don't have the beak strength of the larger parrots to bite off and ingest powder coating particles that may contain heavy metals. With the larger parrots or any parrot who likes to chew the cage bars, it is a concern.
 
#13 ·
Parrotlets can get sick from just being in an infected cage. They don't have to eat the paint at all. Just have contact with it over a period of time.

www.kingscages.com contain paint on cages that is lead free. They do have an cheaper / econ. line as well. There are inexpensive quality lead free cages located on there website.

All of my babies have cages purchased from kings cages. They're excellent.

Beware of what you're getting and how it may affect the health of the parrotlet in the future.
 
#14 ·
The possibility of lead being present in foreign-made cages is certainly alarming. I recently ordered a King's cage, now I'm doubly happy that I did my research on possible toxicity beforehand.

I just hope the claims King's makes about their products being lead-free are true!
 
#16 ·
I had a sampling of components from my 2 new Value Crate PCFT32 black flight cages tested for lead using X-ray Flouroscopy down to the level of ppm, I believe with a sensitivity to 19 ppm. I tested a stand piece, a front panel, back panel, side panel, and bottom grate. All tested negative for me. These also sell under the brand name of Everila.

It's good to know that this seller was being honest with me. The testing was only $50. Will be posting a thorough unboxing and review in the housing forum in the next few days.
 
#18 ·
You may very well have saved another heartache in our home. I was going to purchase a cage from China this week, on the less expensive end I will admit. Thank you for sharing this. I'll be looking into a Kings Cage now, aluminum as the SS is out of my league right now. Hopefully they are fine...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top