Few questions about Non stick things

First off, for all those who have reccomended i get the parrots for dummies book...I got it lol

Now, I know that non stick things are VERY harmful to our feathered friends but what i dont quite understand is do they have to be heated to be harmful (ie, skillets, flat irons, etc) Also, how many rooms away should the bird be from, lets say the kitchen while cooking with those utensils?

Another question is, when we cook for our babies (i can only assume the answer is yes) but should we NOT cook with non stick things, or is it just the fumes they emmit that is harmful??

I don't have an answer, but I was wondering the exact same thing. I am getting a conure soon and that was one question that I have. I know they have delicate respiratory systems, but I haven't read anything about a safe distance from these fumes.

teflon non-stick items (some haidryers even have teflon in them. Another hidden source of teflon is laser-printers, which DO use teflon in heated parts of the fuser!) can (and often do, depending on the quality and method of application of the teflon) release fumes that are extreemely dangerous for all birds (not just Parrots) when heated. The temperature at which the fumes are produced varries. If you MUST use teflon cookware or products your bird should be as far away from the item as possible. You should also take steps to insure there is ventilation of any possible fumes. Although it MAY be possible to avoid fumes by not over-heating the item (ie: never pre-heat a teflon pan or allow it to cook dry, run irons and hair-dryers at the lowest effective heat setting, etc...) The fumes are rapidly fatal, often leading to death in minutes. Immedate removal to fresh air may prevent immediate death, but teflon fumes damage the lungs and air sacs of birds leading to eventual suffocation even if death isn't immediate. The fatal concentration of teflon fumes is quite low (smaller birds are more susceptible). I have chosen to avoid all teflon cookware in my house so that I don't have to worry. There are people who successfully continue to use teflon products in their homes through careful monitoring of their use and isolation of their birds from the products, but it just seems like asking for trouble if you ask me. We have atleast one member here who has lost a bird due to teflon fume poisoning and can vouch for the very real dangers of using teflon cooking products in a bird-home. Un-heated teflon products should be safe, and there is little evidence to support that ingestion of teflon is at all harmful.

We don't use teflon at all for that very reason. There's MANY chemicals out there that are harmful to birds. You have to be real careful what you use to clean around your birds. Even the paint fumes are very toxic to birds. We use low VOC paints and make sure birds are far away from it even though it's low VOC. Birds shouldn't be anywhere near the kitchen as far as I'm concerned. I moved my birds to the downstairs to keep them away from the kitchen.

There has been no research to determine how far away is "safe" - fortunately!

Human error has led to death of birds. Many people think it'll be fine but one accident is all that takes. We are just human, we can all make mistakes. Best course of action is to not have teflon at all, then there are no worries!

The fumes are odourless, you wouldn't know whether they were around or not and that's a scary thought to me!

Our birds are so special to us why even take a chance? I am so careful with whatever comes into my apartment because it is so small. I gave away all items that had teflon including a heater, hair dryer and my cookware.

I've read reports that in order for harmful fumes to be released from teflon, it must be over heated which when you think about it makes sense. There is actulay quite a bit of information about it in the net if you look -

While DuPont remains insistent that Teflon® is safe and inert with proper use, the chemical giant voluntarily pledged to substantially reduce environmental emissions and to phase PFOA out by 2015. DuPont also urges consumers to use Teflon® responsibly and considers overheating or burning food abusive use of the cookware. Teflon®, and all cookware that uses nonstick coatings, should not be preheated. Use low-to-medium heat and do not allow food or oil to burn. According to peer-reviewed studies as reported by the EWG, nonstick cookware, including Teflon®, begins outgassing particles at 396°F (202.2°C).

My first parrot a GCC was killed by teflon while I was on vacation and my ex boyfriend was watching him. I threw all my teflon pots and pans in the garbage.
Why risk it???

If you MUST use it, keep the bird as FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE. where it is well ventilated. Also I wouldn't chance cooking in it for your bird either.

Although I may be slightly paranoid from my bad experience.

Don't over look the self cleaning oven !!!

Unfortunately. we have other forum member who have lost their loved birds to teflon fumes. Like I said before why even take a chance?

I live at my moms, so I can't really throw out her cook ware, but fortunately my bird is in the biggest room in the house with three big windows. I make sure that he is in his cage (hes fully flighted) and open all the windows when ever someone is using anything with teflon.

Adz said:

I've read reports that in order for harmful fumes to be released from teflon, it must be over heated which when you think about it makes sense. There is actulay quite a bit of information about it in the net if you look -

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The problem is human error - we always make mistakes no matter how much we try to be perfect. All it takes is to put the oven on, put the pot on the plate - the phone rings / some one is at the gate / child falls and need help etc. etc. A human mistake can cost a life.

Kokihi said:

I live at my moms, so I can't really throw out her cook ware, but fortunately my bird is in the biggest room in the house with three big windows. I make sure that he is in his cage (hes fully flighted) and open all the windows when ever someone is using anything with teflon.

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But drafts are dangerous too, they can also kill a bird. I was talking to one of my favorite teachers today about the conure I was getting (lol!) and he said he lost a little budgie to a draft when he was little.

So is flying in a plane or driving a car for humans but we still do it, where do you stop? lol.

In my case it is not possible to move the bird away from my cooking area any more that it is as I live in a town house with a common meals/dinning area. I always have the range hood fan on and Loco is across the other side of the room which is a reasonable distance away. I do cook with Scanpan non-stick pans but I NEVER leave the pan unattended and I always use low heat, always.

I think a lot of people are over paranoid, a lot of you may disagree but that's just how I feel. Provided that the pans are used correctly and that all the possible precautions are taken there should be no issues.

Many people though, will say "why risk it" and I respect that.

More info here - http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=15+1829&aid=2874

Adz said:

So is flying in a plane or driving a car for humans but we still do it, where do you stop? lol.

In my case it is not possible to move the bird away from my cooking area any more that it is as I live in a town house with a common meals/dinning area. I always have the range hood fan on and Loco is across the other side of the room which is a reasonable distance away. I do cook with Scanpan non-stick pans but I NEVER leave the pan unattended and I always use low heat, always.

I think a lot of people are over paranoid, a lot of you may disagree but that's just how I feel. Provided that the pans are used correctly and that all the possible precautions are taken there should be no issues.

Many people though, will say "why risk it" and I respect that.

More info here - Teflon Toxicity (PTFE Toxicosis) in Birds: Signs and Prevention

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Well that's true . I did read on another forum that keeping it on low heat is okay, because the fumes don't start coming out until it's very hot. So I guess you're doing all you can. Maybe you could open your front door (do you have a screen?) because I feel like the open window would be bringing air in, but also pulling fumes out, and towards your bird. But I'm not really science-y like that so it's just my plain logic. If you could somehow divert the fumes ou of your house through a different opening, such as a door, I think that would be better.

Good question and good answers too I will be aware of cooking with teflon.

The use of teflon pans to cook should not even be debated when there is a bird in the home. The respiratory system of a bird is totally different from a human. Birds are much more fragile than us humans. Part of the responsibility of a bird guardian is to keep the environment as toxic free as possible. If one plays with fire (telfon fumes) one may get burned.

http://hubpages.com/hub/teflon-kills-parrots

I couldn't agree more SB, With my first parrot I figured it would be ok so long as I used it properly unfortunately I couldn't control the way other people cooked while I was on vacation. It took around 8 hours for My Little one to pass away from ONE TIME having teflon pan on the stove too long.

This really isn't a subject to be debated. If you choose to use teflon pans thats your perogative and no matter how careful you are, you are still putting your bird at risk.

For any future parrot owners or new parrot owners who have the option to THROW AWAY YOUR TEFLON PANS + APPLIANCES. I fully recommend it.

This is not even a debatable subject so I am closing the thread as a small tribute to Hiroshi and Gandolf. Both of these loved birds died from teflon fumes exposure. Enough Said!!