Black residue on my hands from Baxter's new cage?!

I just finished putting Baxter's new stainless steel cage together - it was a monumental task to say the least.

My hands were covered in black residue after handling the cage parts.

I've done some research on this residue via Google. I can't find anything definitive on this residue being toxic for birds or humans for that matter.

Does anyone know if this is normal for stainless steel cages? Is it toxic? I'm afraid to let Baxter near it!

Is it a King's Cage by any chance? I've heard of this 'residue', but have never heard of it having any ill effects on birds. But to be safe, I'd wipe everything down with a damp cloth and then dry with a clean cloth to make sure it's all been removed.

I don't want to panic you unnecessarily, BUT some of the MADE IN CHINA ripoff cages are carbon steel with a stainless finish.

One way to check the cage that you have is to test it with a magnet. Most cages are made of 300 series stainless. If the magnet sticks or you feel any magnetic attraction at all, then it is made of carbon steel or of some other type of stainless. Stainless can corrode, even 300 series, however it should just wipe off and should never have anything flaking off of it.

The shame of it all is that there are thousands of consumers in the US that are being misled because they are not informed that there are definitely big differences in the quality of stainless steel today. The leading supplier of Stainless Steel is in Germany. They use 304 Medical grade stainless steel.

All of the stainless steel coming from China and the middle east is mixed with other elements such as chrome which is a lot less expensive and gives a very shiny look. This misleads consumers to think that it is true stainless, when it is not. If you leave these cages outside they will rust and corrode immediately. Many pet stores know this and don't care what they sell to the consumer. They only sell it to make fast big profits.

BUYER BEWARE, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, ESPECIALLY COMING OUT OF CHINA OR PAKISTAN.

What's the brand? And where was it manufactured?

Funny you say that Mark. King's Cages SS is actually quite dull, and they used to advertise as 304 surgical SS. A friend of mine had her Umbrella Cockatoo in one, and he would consistently turn 'greyish' in color after rubbing up against the cage. Now he never got sick or anything, but she ended up taking him out of there and putting him into a powder coated cage. No more 'discoloration' thereafter. And yes, she paid one super hefty price for that cage. :54:

I bought the cage from a company in California called Animal Environments. According to the owner, the stainless steel is medical grade and does not come from China. Of course, there is no way to know if she is telling the truth.

I cleaned the entire cage with a steamer and it is still producing the residue. The Internet talks about using Bar Keepers Friend (which I have for my stainless cookware and sink), but I worry about that being toxic to Baxter if some trace amount of the cleaner is left behind.

Kind of at my wits end with this. i should have just purchased a quality powder coated cage and saved myself all this time, aggravation and MONEY!

I hate it when I make bad decisions!

No, if it's 304 medical grade, then you bought the best cage material out there.

Do the magnet test.

Sometimes they pack these things in stuff to preserve the look/shine of them.

Okay. I just checked out their site. Those are TOP OF THE LINE...

I'd call them and ask what's up with the black residue.

The only stainless steel cages I've ever actually played with are those giant Hyacinth macaw aviary cages... My friend upgraded to those years ago. Made by the same company, and THEY ARE OUTSTANDING!!!

http://www.animalenvironments.com/luxor.html WHOOO! MACAW CAGE LUST!!! Yeah, those fit two hys comfortably, with room to spare. (Buy a big house!)

I am honestly pondering the idea of getting rid of all my cages, and building a parrot play center in their place.

Cage doors at my place never close anyway, and they spend more time out on their playstands than they ever do inside their cages. I'm thinking that as these reach the end of their useful life, I'll build my own playstands... instead of cages.

Sounds like residue from the polishing compound they use to polish the steel to me. Probably best to give the cage a thorough washing, but should be fine

Okay it passed the magnet test (no magnetic attraction whatsoever).

Had to make an adjustment just now and there wasn't quite as much residue as before, but I also didn't handle the parts for as long.

I sent a text to her asking about the residue - haven't heard back but I will keep bothering her until she responds. She has been very responsive up to this point.

Mark - Speaking of the Luxor... during the time I was deciding what type of parrot to get, my son and I started joking about going for broke... just turning the living room into a bird room, buying the Luxor and getting a Hy! Haha!

Wendy - I could see how a Cockatoo would turn grey after spending time in a cage with this residue. I honestly don't know if you could ever wipe the cage enough to remove it completely.

Thanks to you both for responding

Kiwibird said:

Sounds like residue from the polishing compound they use to polish the steel to me. Probably best to give the cage a thorough washing, but should be fine

Click to expand...

Yes was thinking that as well. A lot of the information on the web mentioned the polishing compound, too. I used my heavy duty steamer and wiped it down, but I'm going to wash it down tomorrow and see what happens.

At least I'm not seeing any residue coming off of the food dishes!

GreatBlue320 said:

Okay it passed the magnet test (no magnetic attraction whatsoever).

Had to make an adjustment just now and there wasn't quite as much residue as before, but I also didn't handle the parts for as long.

I sent a text to her asking about the residue - haven't heard back but I will keep bothering her until she responds. She has been very responsive up to this point.

Mark - Speaking of the Luxor... during the time I was deciding what type of parrot to get, my son and I started joking about going for broke... just turning the living room into a bird room, buying the Luxor and getting a Hy! Haha!

Wendy - I could see how a Cockatoo would turn grey after spending time in a cage with this residue. I honestly don't know if you could ever wipe the cage enough to remove it completely.

Thanks to you both for responding

Click to expand...

A close friend of mine has eight breeding pairs, and they each have one of those cages. Yeah, that's not a hard math problem. 25K each cage, including feathered contents... so, that's a 200K breeding setup.

Yeah, Poverty sucks!

Those cages are the real deal though. Those are not cheap knockoffs. They're among the very best cages on the market.

GreatBlue320 said:

Kiwibird said:

Sounds like residue from the polishing compound they use to polish the steel to me. Probably best to give the cage a thorough washing, but should be fine

Click to expand...

Yes was thinking that as well. A lot of the information on the web mentioned the polishing compound, too. I used my heavy duty steamer and wiped it down, but I'm going to wash it down tomorrow and see what happens.

At least I'm not seeing any residue coming off of the food dishes!

Click to expand...

I worked in a jewelry store for a long time, and even on small items like rings and earrings, no matter how careful you were sometimes a bit of polishing compound was missed in a crevice somewhere. I can imagine on something as large as a cage there being quite a few places a spot of compound was left behind and trust me, and infinitesimally small spot (when rubbed) makes a huge black streak! I've also found a little compound left behind on brand new pots and pans. I think when you are mass producing large cages and have 10 cages to polish and clean that day, it's a lot 'easier' to miss a few spots. Dishes have a lot more surface area and a lot less places for spots to be missed than cages with bars and latches and holes ect... I bet a thorough cleaning with a steamer took care of any remaining residue If you notice any spots that didn't come off with the steam cleaner, use an old toothbrush.

Thanks everyone! Spoke to the owner of the company - she said it is polishing compound and not to worry. She has several birds herself and keeps them in her company's cages so that should give me some comfort, right?

Going to wash the cage again today. Too bad I already hauled it upstairs piece by piece and put it together. It would be easier to give it a good washing using the hose and pressure sprayer!

I'm still in shock over your friend's breeding set up costs, Mark! That and the fact that they have room for 8 Luxor cages!

GreatBlue320 said:

Thanks everyone! Spoke to the owner of the company - she said it is polishing compound and not to worry. She has several birds herself and keeps them in her company's cages so that should give me some comfort, right?

Going to wash the cage again today. Too bad I already hauled it upstairs piece by piece and put it together. It would be easier to give it a good washing using the hose and pressure sprayer!

I'm still in shock over your friend's breeding set up costs, Mark! That and the fact that they have room for 8 Luxor cages!

Click to expand...

Like I said, Poverty Sucks!

It's a 3+ million dollar house in the California hills... (Which in Silicon Valley these days, usually only means it's a tear down in a prime location...) but no, it's a nice place.

Hy breeding is just a part time hobby, she has a "real" business. (She's a 2%er...) The macaws have their own entire level. Hy-Hys are just her passion in life. (And I got to play with them, and "help socialize" the babies, without spending $200K. They're a passion of mine as well, but I am "not quite" in that 39% tax bracket! Nor do I ever expect to be in my lifetime.)

I'm quite happy with the birds in my living room, and my set up did not cost more than my house.

Like I said, I'm contemplating a "cages optional" arrangement.

GreatBlue320 said:

Mark - Speaking of the Luxor... during the time I was deciding what type of parrot to get, my son and I started joking about going for broke... just turning the living room into a bird room, buying the Luxor and getting a Hy! Haha!

Click to expand...

YOU'D NEED A BIGGER BASKETBALL HOOP!

But you could probably attach it to the side of that cage, and teach him to fly up there, and slam dunk it... (NOW THERE'S A TRICK TRAINING CHALLENGE FOR YA! )

A quick lesson on SST, Stainless is made from steel mixed with nickel. The number represents the amount of nickel in the mix. Stainless does corrode and rust, just not near as fast as steel. Stainless also will naturally give off a black film. This comes from oxidation of the alloy. In normal use it is usually not noticed, especially if the cage is outdoors. Rain and handling keep it to a minimum. It is not harmful.

The best way to keep it at bay on a new cage is take it outside and give it a good scrubbing. The bird will do the rest by rubbing against it and slightly oiling it. Handling the cage also coats it with just enough oils from your hands.

You never see this on medical stuff due to the way it is cleaned and stored. It takes quite some time for it to build up, so in normal use, once you get rid of it it should stay away.

As for a too turning grey, I can see that, its a powder bird ( no oils to keep it coated)

Also, Notice that this black stuff on your hands is the same black stuff you get from handling lots of change.