:/ I little bit fustrated...

[Mira]

Grrr...

Last night, while on a walk with my dogs by the lake, I spotted some beautiful branches on the shore. They had the perfect length and width (for my prospective Grey or Macaw) and were so smooth! There are 4 huge pieces; 1 weeping willow, 2 pine, 1 spruce. Anyways, I took them home- gave them a good stripping, scrubbed them down, soaked them and are now laying out in the sun- while I warm up the oven.
My hands are in absolute pain! I stayed up until 1 am stripping the wood with my kitchen knife.
I was talking to my hubby earlier this morning and he said it would be much safer to buy lumber from a shop... Considering the risks (Lake Ontario, isn't the cleanest water around nor is it pollution-free).

Should I just throw out the pieces? After all that work!! :52:

 

[xreinx]

you can try and soak them in a tub with bleach and water for 10 minuets, then wash them with vary hot water until you cant smell the bleach anymore, but If you really love your birds, why take a chance? where I work, we toss anything wood, out with the old cages that arnt worth scrubbing out for another set of birds.

 

[Mira]

you can try and soak them in a tub with bleach and water for 10 minuets, then wash them with vary hot water until you cant smell the bleach anymore, but If you really love your birds, why take a chance? where I work, we toss anything wood, out with the old cages that arnt worth scrubbing out for another set of birds.

I soaked them in the tub for 15 minutes with bleach (with boiling water), scrubbed them with soap + water and then rinsed them (with boiling water) like a paranoid person!

I'm going to see how they turn out after I put them in the oven. I might decide to give them an extra scrub or two, just to make sure... If I'm still a doubtful, I'll just throw them out.

 

[Spiritbird]

GSE is a very good way to soak the branches. In your tub put the branches under water and put in about 10-15 gtts. of GSE. (grapefruit seed extract). It is worth the effort. I did not remove bark, just scrubbed the bark with a wire brush to get off any that was ready to come off. The bleach soak and oven are good too if you can fit the brances in the oven.

 

[Mira]

GSE is a very good way to soak the branches. In your tub put the branches under water and put in about 10-15 gtts. of GSE. (grapefruit seed extract). It is worth the effort. I did not remove bark, just scrubbed the bark with a wire brush to get off any that was ready to come off. The bleach soak and oven are good too if you can fit the brances in the oven.

What would I do without this forum! Thank you very much Spiritbird!
I have an XL oven and was able fit all the pieces (after some sawing). I will be soaking them in GSE ASAP.

 

[Garnet]

I love GSE and use it to clean bird cages as well as anything I put in their cages, even brandnew toys I've purchased.

I have used branches from trees for a long time and have never had a problem, but I've never gathered them near a water source. I've always been paranoid about air pollution and wash them throughly before giving to my birds. I don't strip the bark off as the birds love to chew the bark to pieces. Anything loose or dirty looking is tossed aside, then washed in a solution of GSE and boiled water. Only thing I've ever put in the oven was pinecones.

 

[Mira]

My old GCCs loved to chew the bark as well... But actually, there wasn't any bark on any of the branches by the lake. I stripped the top layer of the wood because it was stained a nasty color.