Why Is Brass Dangerous to Use in Birdcages?

Birdcages are made of many different materials, and marketed regardless of their impact on bird health. With some background information, you can choose a birdcage that will be safe and appropriate for your new pet.

Bird Behavior

Birds tend to use their beaks to "chew" on birdcage bars, and can ingest small amounts of improperly sealed cage bar material. Brass contains zinc, and can lead to zinc toxicity in birds.

Zinc Toxicity

The level of toxicity in a bird will depend on how much zinc the bird has ingested and in what form (i.e., entire screws or bolts or flakes from chewing behavior). Zinc toxicity can result in organ damage, particularly to the pancreas, kidneys and liver.

Other Dangerous Materials

Other dangerous metals for birdcages include chrome, lead, copper and pure zinc. Never use chicken wire to create a cage.

Better Choices

Stainless steel is a good choice for bird cages, as are some--but not all--types of wood.

Other Considerations

Be on the lookout for other dangers in birdcages such as bar spacing, sharp edges, convergent bars (all should be parallel) and the ability for a bird to escape.

References

• Treatment of a Hyacinth Macaw with Zinc Toxicity
• BirdSafe
• AvianWeb