Playing with coins a danger?

Flboy

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Dec 28, 2014
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Greater Orlando area, Florida
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JoJo, 'Special' GCC, Bongo, Cinnamon GCC(wife's)
Reason, heavy metal poisoning?
My JoJo loves to pick up coins from a metal bucket and drop them on the tile floor, he has done this only a couple times! Sitting here watching him about to jump on the bucket, I was thinking about the thread from last week where the baby birds had heavy metal poisioning from a non SS whisk used in food preparation, whoa wait a minute! Incredible filth and oxidation! Washing the coins will only increase the oxidation! After thinking this through, it seems like an obvious danger, but until 30 minutes ago , I was clueless to the risk!
 

Scott

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Aug 21, 2010
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Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Good points, David! Wonder if fake unpainted toy coins for kids would be a substitute?
 
OP
Flboy

Flboy

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Dec 28, 2014
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Greater Orlando area, Florida
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JoJo, 'Special' GCC, Bongo, Cinnamon GCC(wife's)
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Might be a good idea! I was also thinking I had a bucket of buttons that I bought at a craft store to make toys, and since I'm not very creative at making toys, I may now have a use for them!
Another thought, if it really needs to be metal for the noise, was to get a pile of stainless steel washers and just make sure they are squeaky clean to take off the solvent that is used in the processing.
 

plumsmum2005

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Fly free Plum, my gorgeous boy.
Just to say I would stay away from metal fullstop. Buttons are a hit with Plum and if JoJo likes the noise of it hitting the floor, buttons will still make a sound.
 

Kiwibird

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Jul 12, 2012
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1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
My concern with coins has always been more about the cleanliness than the metal itself. It is only in the beak a mere few seconds and certainly isn't ingested. I cannot imagine any meaningful/harmful amount of metal molecules could possibly transfer to the bird to cause metal poisoning. However, I've always heard virtually all US paper currency has traces of cocaine on it. What does that say about coins, which are often in circulation far longer than a paper bill and presumably never cleaned in any way? What kind of horrors do they have on them, having been handled by how many people with who knows what on their hands? I think buttons and stainless washers sound like a much safer option:)
 
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plumsmum2005

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janquito

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Aug 10, 2016
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Wisconsin
Parrots
Two green cheek conures, one sun conure, and two quakers.
My sun conure loves buttons. He's always trying to chew them off my clothes! Ugh! It's very frustrating at times.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk
 

SailBoat

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Jul 10, 2015
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Western, Michigan
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DYH Amazon
My experience with coins is limited to North America, the EU and the UK, so I will limit my comments to those coin sources and area of use.

Those coins are designed to be ingested by Humans and not breakdown, contribute or be a source of Heavy Metal transfer. Which in my mind, brings us to the real problem of handling, using coins, their total lack of being anything close to clean!

Now the closer you are to a Gambling Center, the greater the likelihood of having cleaner coins. Near all of those organizations 'wash' all coins that come into and are used in their facilities. It was common for large city Hotels to also 'wash' their coins, but with cost cutting that is less common!

Personally, I dislike using coins and will work to quickly pass them on. What little that comes home with me is placed on a table near the door and with time, they disappear someplace. And, I am happy with that!

We have always used stainless steel devises (stuff used in Sailing) and stainless steel washers for our Amazons to amuse themselves. As always, Dawn for cleaning prior to use!

Paper Money, whether North America, EU or UK paper currency has traces of cocaine on it is true!
 

Kiwibird

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Jul 12, 2012
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Welcome to Avian Stainless ~ Parrot Toys with Attitude

I almost forgot to add this link! These folks are a great source for safe (i.e. al surgical stainless) metal parrot toys. A bit pricey as all the toys are handmade, but the owners are parrot owners themselves and really put parrot safety first. I'd take a look around, a lot of their toys have round coin-like parts your bird might enjoy. I got Kiwi a "keychain" from them. It is one of his favorite foot toys and looks just like a real human keychain (metal key, metal keychain bauble thing) but is 100% safe for him.
 
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plumsmum2005

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Fly free Plum, my gorgeous boy.
@ Kiwibird - love those stainless steel toys, arm and leg job for me unfortunately. Perhaps I could ask Plum to fly over and fetch some ha ha?

Keys (as in house) are an unsafe metal also are they not?
 

ToMang07

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Jul 14, 2015
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Maine, USA
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Speaking of stainless.....why not get a bunch of larger, different size stainless steel (Not plated or chromed) washers?
 

Kiwibird

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Jul 12, 2012
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Parrots
1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
@ Kiwibird - love those stainless steel toys, arm and leg job for me unfortunately. Perhaps I could ask Plum to fly over and fetch some ha ha?

Keys (as in house) are an unsafe metal also are they not?

That is why we only own 1 of the smaller toys. And I think it still cost around $30:eek: I am planning to get him another one around Christmas this year:) Guess though when you have one of those ginormous macaws or cockatoos who can destroy $50 wood toys in seconds, it is worth investing in pricey, indestructible stainless toys. Kiwi is a gentle player and is happy enough with the baby toys I find him in thrift shops for pennies. Though wouldn't it be nice to be wealthy enough to afford top of the line toys:p?

Pretty sure real keys are not considered bird safe, though I know my parents birds have on occasion played with them over the years and never become ill from doing so. Still, I'd rather give Kiwi plastic baby toy keys or his stainless key toy than real keys just to be safe:)
 

plumsmum2005

New member
Nov 18, 2015
5,330
94
England, UK
Parrots
Lou, Ruby, and Sonu.
Fly free Plum, my gorgeous boy.
@ Kiwibird - love those stainless steel toys, arm and leg job for me unfortunately. Perhaps I could ask Plum to fly over and fetch some ha ha?

Keys (as in house) are an unsafe metal also are they not?

That is why we only own 1 of the smaller toys. And I think it still cost around $30:eek: I am planning to get him another one around Christmas this year:) Guess though when you have one of those ginormous macaws or cockatoos who can destroy $50 wood toys in seconds, it is worth investing in pricey, indestructible stainless toys. Kiwi is a gentle player and is happy enough with the baby toys I find him in thrift shops for pennies. Though wouldn't it be nice to be wealthy enough to afford top of the line toys:p?

Pretty sure real keys are not considered bird safe, though I know my parents birds have on occasion played with them over the years and never become ill from doing so. Still, I'd rather give Kiwi plastic baby toy keys or his stainless key toy than real keys just to be safe:)


We get stuck with freight to UK and also import tax/VAT :(
 

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