Safe Wood

[JennyB]

I went in to sticker shock yesterday when I went to the store to buy branches and perches for a playstand I'd like to build. Ended up leaving empty handed!

Anyway, my dad is a wood turner and I'm wondering what types of sticks and branches I could ask him to start stockpiling for me... he is meticulous (type A personality) and labels every piece of wood that comes into his shop with the type of wood, when it was cut, where it was cut, etc. etc.!

I know apple is poisonous for the birds, black walnut is poisonous for the horses, anything pressure treated... anything else I should be especially careful/leery of??? Thank You!

 

[critterman]

JennyB good question. Sorry I have no knowledge but now you got my mind wondering also. Lets hope some others will come along who are more experienced with suggestions. Thanks.

 

[Macawlover12]

Check out Safe and Dangerous Woods for a list of safe and unsafe woods.

 

[jenphilly]

We just purchased birch from a seller off etsy who is up in Wisconsin. My biggest concern was to get wood that was truly from the woods, where they would not be treated with fertilizer or pesticides. I did not want something out of someone's yard or grounds they treat or maintain. This guy was really wonderful, he goes out in the wilds of WI and collects down branches and does cut some as needed to meet requests.

Here is a list of everything we purchased.... and the total was $75 with shipping. He also sent extra of about everything except the center post obviously!

1) The long center piece will need to be fairly straight (it will be bolted to a platform to create the vertical main post). That piece will need to be 3.5" diameter (or slightly thicker if you have a piece available). It just needs to be fairly thick as we will bolt piece to create the play perches. That is the piece that will need to be in the 40" range.

(10) The pieces for perches would need to have one end that is at least 1" thick (we will need to put a screw into the center of each perch to attach to the main pole). The perch pieces can taper from the 1" to 1/2" thick, but no thinner, we have two medium cockatoos, so branches need to be fairly strong and thick. We can use lengths for perches that are 7" to 16", they do not need to be perfectly straight (I attached a photo so you can get a visual idea of an example of what we are trying to create). We are guessing 8 - 10 of those types.

(1) We would want a long branch for across the top, can be straight or have an arch or curve, should be at least 1" diameter in the center so its strong to have a bolt through or screw into the top of the post. That piece can be 20 - 24" length

(3) A couple thicker forked type branches for perches, those would probably need a base for attaching to the center post of at least 1.5". Length should be 12 - 16" ballpark.

We baked everything in the oven except the center piece (too big), but treated that with grapefruit seed extract. We are stripping most of the small perches of the wood. Birch is generally safe, but the bark in high volumes can be a concern, but is just the outer bark and if you know birch, it literally peels off, so not a problem. And its such a pretty wood

 

[JennyB]

Thank you! I copied the info from both of you and plan to send it to my dad... He needs little projects to keep him busy, so I'll probably be swimming in wood before I know it!

 

[henpecked]

Hey jenny, i use lots of dragonwood. (grows local down here). maybe i could send you some. Lots of post about dragonwood on the forum (do the search thing).

 

[JennyB]

Henpecked, I have to admit I'd never heard of dragon wood and had to do google as well as forum searches! After seeing some pictures, I believe one of the perches I already have is made of the stuff...

Anyway, I'm hoping my dad can help me out with the wood... I was serious when I said he needs little projects to keep him busy! He tends to get underfoot & drive my mom crazy now that he's retired, so it's a win-win-win! (He has a purpose to get away from the house for a while, my mom gets a break, and I get help with my project, even if it is long distance!) But don't tell them that!!!

 

[henpecked]

Well maybe i can send him some "project" pieces to play with.

 

[MikeyTN]

I'm a fan of dragon wood!!!!! That's what I use for my birds as well.

 

[JennyB]

I got a really good laugh when I read somewhere that they think the name originally came from "draggin," - as in the way they got it out of the woods, and not from "dragon" - as in the mythical creature! Have to say, growing up in West Virginia, I spent plenty of time draggin wood out of the hollers and up the riverbanks! I'm a fan now just because of the name!!!

 

[Terry57]

Have to say, growing up in West Virginia, I spent plenty of time draggin wood out of the hollers and up the riverbanks! I'm a fan now just because of the name!!!

Hello fellow West Virginian! I am originally from Hurricane

 

[mrgoogls]

hm, as far as i know apple is not toxic. where did you hear that? i have used apple wood(and crabapple) for cooper since i got him and have had no bad effects at all.

 

[JennyB]

Terry57, we were practically neighbors... I'm from St. Albans!

Mrgoogls, I guess apple wood is debatable, depending on who you talk to and what you read. I've read/heard a lot of conflicting info, with some saying it's fine, as long as you disinfect it and bake it before use. Others say it's toxic only part of the year, (maybe due to the use of pesticides), and still others say never to use it (including my breeder & the bird store I use). So, I am definitely no expert, just going on the advice of others more experienced and knowledgeable than me! If memory serves me, I read that apple trees are related to rose, and there is a compound in the seeds/woody parts that is converted to cyanide??? when broken down and ingested? Don't quote me on that, of course I can't find the article now, but it worried me enough to decide, personally, just to avoid the apple wood, stems, and seeds!

 

[Terry57]

Very cool, JennyB! My great Aunt used to live in St. Albans on McKinley Ave., and I lived there for awhile about a couple of blocks from the Wendy's Such a small world!

 

[mrgoogls]

i know the seeds from an actual apple are toxic, but i have never heard anything about the wood. oh well. i havent had any problems with it. maybe it is just pesticides like you said, the branches i use are 100% pesticide free(and disinfected).

 

[getwozzy]

Apple wood is safe to use. just make sure they've never been sprayed with pesticides!

Apples are also safe for parrots to eat- it is the SEEDS that are toxic.

 

[mrgoogls]

getwozzy- thanks, thats what i thought

 

[JennyB]

GetWozzy, thank you for the clarification! That's one less thing I have to worry about now (chronic worrier here... my husband says I'll worry when I don't have anything left to worry about!)

Again, I AM NOT AN EXPERT!!! That's just what I have been told/read in different places regarding the wood/branches, often with conflicting answers. I'm a full-time teacher (25 7 yo's), I have kids (one of whom just got his drivers license, we have birds, dogs, and horses... so I worry about ALL of my kids ALL-THE-TIME! What I'm trying to say is... it's just easier for me to completely avoid anything that might be toxic...

Like many others, I joined the forum so that I could benefit from the knowledge of people who are actually knowledgeable about birds! I should add a disclaimer to my signature that anything I say should be regarded as gossip unless & until it is corroborated by someone else who actually knows what they're talking about! My birds LOVE apples and that is how I finally conned them into eating other fruits/veggies! (It's just the woody parts I was told to avoid).

Again, thank you for setting me straight... the last thing I want to do is spread misinformation & certainly didn't mean to imply apples are toxic?!!!! It was just other safe wood I'm curious about. I truly enjoy talking all things "birds" and am so thankful there is a place like this where I can learn so much! I realize some of the things I say are probably pretty stupid, but I really am trying to learn!