trying to cook breakfast with Ziggy...

[skibum]

and dwarfed by his new cage!

[skibum]

right, dwarfed by new cage...!

[greeny]

This is adorable - mine love scrambled eggs too, even though I do joke with them about being cannibals.

One thing - is that frying pan a non stick? Hard to tell from the photo, but if it is never use it near your birds cause they can die from the fumes.

Ziggy looks very happy. The new cage is a mansion!!

[skibum]

yeah is a non-stick wok
Apparently is supposed to be bird-friendly, however I usually don't have him anywhere near just in case (usually - couldn't get him off me this morning, plus I forgot )
I have a pretty grunty rangehood and windows open all the time - but yeah, I definitely will bear it in mind
As for cage - one spoilt bird!
He loves Ostrich meat too speaking of cannibals
Cheers
Stu

[jenznz]

YUM YUM - wow thats one helluva cage!! :) Jen

[skibum]

Heh heh yeah. Max's one was a bit smaller but then he was out all day so it sat on the dining room table - he never went anywhere to chew anything fortunately - which meant I had no dining room table to use.
Ziggy loads more curious etc and wants to chew absolutely everything so got a cage on a trolley with loads of room to keep him active when I'm not here.
Well...that's the plan. Will prob take him to work sometimes if not too hot.

[Lene]

It's only TEFLON coated cook ware that is harmful to birds, and only then if it gets overheated.

It's a lovely big cage... I thought mine were big... lol

[Melika]

^_^ He's so cute. And lovely cage.

And, I believe, Teflon is a brand name non-stick cookware, belonging to DuPont. Other non-stick cookware also releases fumes.

After more searching....

This is interesting, as it isn't just about birds, but non-stick cookware in general.
http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/teflon4.htm

[Sunneva]

Great cage there !

[greeny]

Thanks for this article Melika. This is why I have never used the self clean feature of my oven! I don't use any non stick stuff anymore. I figure if it could kill my birds it probably isn't doing me much good either.

[skibum]

Firstly - bloody hell!!
from now on everything gets cooked outside on bbq!!
Is proximity a factor do you know?

As for self-clean feature - mine is when mum comes for a visit....

[Lene]

A lot of research has gone into this problem, since that article was written, and non-stick cookware has improved a lot, using different ways to surface the cookware.

I've heard Scan-Pans are OK.

I myself have no nonstick cookware - I use stainless steel.

I don't know, if my oven has got a self cleaning feature. I clean it the old fashioned way... Shows my age..

[skibum]

i've just got jamie oliver wok - sorry this left hanf cs ziggy on othr eating fone - right gone now..

whole kitch/dining/lounge is pretty big area and loads ventilated so from now on nowhere remotely near pan

never affected max in 3 yrs but you never know.

some people say alcohol will kill, but I'm sure in very small doses i(a sip of beer rather than glass of gin ) isn't harmful. Goes the same for us people...

Actually a Kea was found dead after eating too much choc recently. Had eaten something like 2 family blocks tho!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lene]

I agree, Stu... Life in itself is dangerous, and there's a dignity in risks.

I suppose birds love alcohol, because it's so readily available in the wild, like fermented fruit. I had 2 cats come home drunk - they couldn't even walk, and their eyes - never seen anything like it. I took one to the vet and left the other one at home. They both came good at the same time with no intervention from the vet... Although it cost me $50 for the nights observation/board for the one cat. They had been eating fermented fruit.

The same with weed, which I so rudely commented about (just didn't think). It's grown all over Australia, and I'm sure the wild birds are having a field day (no pun intended)

[Briony]

speaking of weed, whne i bought my birds the lady at the shop told me she had a 'friend ' that had viscious (sp) ringnecks.... untill they had a session with the birds...............


sounds a bit wrong to me

[skibum]

ha ha ha - you can just picture a couple of IRNs on a branch sparking up a joint and chilling... ..."dude, check out those gum trees, duuuuude..."!

...or the old alcoholic ones getting together, checking out the young ringneck females and reminiscing about their wild, exuberant, drunken youth (most of which is imagined!!) whilst foraging away on some fermented berries....

I know of people who have deliberately got their pets drunk for a laugh - and stoned. Not a particularly funny trick and most of them grow out of that side of things (well, you hope) - that's why whenever I have a bit of a booze-up I usually take Max (RIP - now Ziggy) to Ma & Pa's.
That way no drunken idiots can hurt my birdie!

[Lauren]

Cute pics!! Yum Yum!!

I thought scan pan was good, but NOOO! Dont get scan pan.. I know I said otherwise.. we had 2 people come into the shop complaining that the pans have peeled already! I was told there is a fault in their pans.. Just dont. Now that I am better educated on cooking pans, hehe, I'd suggest.. the Swiss Diamond range if you can. Just a matter of reading up on the different brands. Or ask someone experienced who sells cookware.
I believe Lene is right there, they are unsafe when over heated and there has been alot of research done into the harmful affects of teflon. *EDITED*

Now, I just think 'having a session' with the birds is just WRONG! But I am sure they love fermented fruit! I once came home and smelt alcohol, I found out, Yoda had mushed up his grapes and put them in his water, after just a few hours of me being out, he had made his water into alcohol, well it sure smelt like it! Its not really hygienic. I wouldnt risk it though, and alcohol, just not an option, not even a sip, not much is known about the affects on our lil ones, so why risk it.
Now, Koalas love gum trees, and they always look stoned, and dont really do much but eat gum leaves and sleep, those gum leaves must be some strong stuff man!

[skibum]

Lauren,
I don't mean to trivialise what Jibby & Co have done, but, haven't they just invented alcohol....???
If only they had a marketing department..
What about prohibition?

See..... you go off to work and abandon your birds..

...and they develop commerce......

How could you ever feel more successful...??

BTW - NEVER take anything I say seriously!!
Life is tough enough already

[Lauren]

Pretty soon they will have their own fine wine and selling it out the cellar door to the native birds! I just didnt think fruit can ferment that fast! I change their water like 3 times a day, unless theyve been stashing their supply somewhere.

*Just wanted to make it known we do not condone the use of alcohol and drugs on birds even if they want it.*

[Melika]

As for self-clean feature - mine is when mum comes for a visit....

We do use the self clean, but only with all doors closed and the birds upstairs. And kitchen windows open. The two floors are on separate a/c units, so no mixing there. I don't think I've ever seen my mother clean an oven, lol!

We just use stainless stell and cast iron. Easy and I don't have to worry. We never used non-stick before we got birds anyway, lol.

And those companies are doing whatever they can to make their product seem safe. That's what their in business for, right? It took them a long time even to admit it could be dangerous, and even longer for them to admit there's non-stick components when you use the self-cleaning feature that could be dangerous. I just don't trust them, that's all. When 'teflon' was first being studied for use, my grandfather was an inventor/machinist at a lab company- I don't want to mention which, lol). He said that the machinists working with the teflon became sick, some got cancer. So the labs had new procedures. The room was sealed, negative pressure, men were in positive pressure suits and all fumes were vented from the building. The machinists were making the metals very hot while they worked which released the fumes, but the companies put out this potentially dangerous product anyway for our cookware.

I was so proud of my mom, lol. We got rid of our microwave and she searched for a toaster oven for the longest time, trying to find one without a non-stick interior. We did find one, but it was tricky! Most of the ovens wouldn't say non-stick but we would open the box and sure enough, they were. So we just began opening boxes in the store, lol! Took a few stores.

------

Entrepeneurs! They'll make you a fortune while you're gone!

[Amazonite]

Wow thats cute, Amazon loves cooking too, if nothing is cooking he will make his way to the beach to the fruit bowl and help himself or over to the mircowave to dance to himself, when stove is on he isnt aloud on the beach at all.

[kyria]

Lauren, I am sure Jordan and Pickle will fill out an order form... lol

Its always a worry with the birds and their delicate respiratory system, burning anything (toast, scented candles, oil burners, perfumes, sprays) anything really that might affect their sensitive system is a worry. Glues on paper they may get a hold of and chew, paints on wood, stains on furniture around the house, foods that are no no's, We could go on worrying (underneath we do) but all we can do is our best, to know and be aware. Read and know, but use common sense really. Usually if its not natural its not good. This includes foods with added salt sugar and preservatives.

Sheesh starting to get myself all worried again now, Out comes Over protective mumma ..

Back to the post , I just love those pictures, Jordan and pickle are the same, I dont let them out when I am cooking, but preparing and serving, or when I am doing the dishes they love to come into the kitchen and they are all over me, hanging off me like bad smells. lol .. little vultures.

My little cannabals adore chicken especially the bones, they chew them open for the marrow and love the soft cartlidge.