Griffin tries to eat quick link...

Literally.
I just hope he didn't get too much metal under the nickel plating. He demolished a new toy (that I thought for sure would last a while) in a couple days. Tonight I came home to see the toy gone, and the pear shaped link hanging there on the cage with a strange look to it. At first I had trouble twisting the part you twist to get it open. Then it just broke off in my hand . I took it over to look at it in the brighter light, and found this:





I couldn't believe it. He had the beak strength to do this. I always knew Griffin was a little Tasmanian Devil and needed Amazon size toys, but this shocked me. From now on he's going to have the more heavy duty type of quick link. No more pear links for him. Griffin is a Ruppell's Parrot. One of the smaller Poicephalus species.
The guilty one...

It's that face again, who me? Butter wouldn't! Hope he didn't get any of the metal under the nickel plating? It was well and truly 'Griffined'!

Yep Julie have banned those pear links in our house too. They have to be the heavy duty ones. Too big of beaks in this house. Hope Griffin did not get any of the metal. Hi to your other flock members as well.

Is that a plated link? Photo looks SS. FYI, awesome aluminum cage!

Julie, hard to believe that innocent face mangled that link! Looks like Griffin left most if not all of the fragments as a source of pride, not unlike the cat who leaves a dead mouse at the door!

I bought these stainless steel carabiners off Amazon, about $15 for eight of them. They are quite sturdy and not too large. The opening is wide enough to fit the cage bars through, and I don't think anybody is going to bit through that metal..

"uxcell 6mm Thickness Stainless Steel Quick Links Carabiners 8 Pcs"

Luckily, Poicephalus parrots are more resistant to the effects of heavy metal poisoning than many other species. How do I know? Robin had surgery a couple years ago to remove pieces containing lead from his gizzard that were there for years (I had no idea). The only symptoms were a little vomiting for no apparent reason, or diarrhea, every now and then (not often) but back to normal the next day. Finally when it was a few days on end I took him to the avian vet. I don't think Griffin ingested a piece, I think he only mangled it. I'll be sure to watch for symptoms though.

I think that was one of the nickel plated ones. I have some SS pear links too. Kentuckienne - I also have some of those SS ones like in the pic. That is the only kind he'll have from now on.

Thanks David about the aluminum cage... You know why I got that for Griffin? He tried to eat his other cage. He stripped the powder coat layer clean off in a pretty good area in no time. This guy is something else.

Kentuckienne said:

I bought these stainless steel carabiners off Amazon, about $15 for eight of them. They are quite sturdy and not too large. The opening is wide enough to fit the cage bars through, and I don't think anybody is going to bit through that metal..

"uxcell 6mm Thickness Stainless Steel Quick Links Carabiners 8 Pcs"

Click to expand...

Those are great! Lowes also carries a good assortment.
I also use the links from the heavy plastic chain.