the only toxic metals are arsenic, beryllium, cadium, hexavalent chromium, lead, and mercury.
I think you only really need to worry about lead and mercury, those are the only ones that you'd come in contact with really.
**EDIT**
Oh i also forgot a few others, like antimony and manganese... Again, not common but you never know... If you do a google search for "heavy metals" it will all come up.
Zinc and Copper are very dangerous also. Zinc is present in old bird cages, obviously they are not used for raptors but many budgies and parrots died from zinc intoxication, only licking the zinc is enough to kill a bird. Copper is present in all electrical supply, including phones cords. Symptoms all look alike and may look like a wide range of diseases, in general the birds are weak and lethargic, some have neurological problems and most have diarrhea/vomiting.
If I understand this correctly, it is only toxic if overdosed on. Because copper is fat soluble, rather than water soluble.... With water soluble minerals you can injest as much as you want and you will urinate out the excess. With fat soluble minerals (such as copper, calcium, and sodium), the excess is stored in the body so you are actually able to overdose on things like calclum or copper.
Basically, copper is safe, but if your bird injests too much, it would be poisoned from overdose. Since it shouldn't have access to the bbs and even if it ate one, it shouldn't poison the bird, unless the bird eats mass quantities of bbs.
Does anyone know what the clappers in bells are made of? I have a feeling they are lead, and if so they probably deposit a lot of lead on our hawk's feet. I would like to think that at least someone is making bells without it.
Good Falconry is always a thin line between two mistakes.
Post by Master Yarak on Jan 9, 2007 15:19:05 GMT -5
Nickel. Yarak
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away
Post by HawkingRage on Jan 9, 2007 20:18:37 GMT -5
and dimes.. lol
I understand that some of these metals can be dangerous but how in the world are your birds getting exposed? i cant understand the worry other than knoledge as if to case the joint to poison the neighbors dog for barking too much..
All these metals are toxic if ingested by the hawk, so either they ingest it by themselves or via contaminated food (shot game). I reckon that copper and zinc are more a problem with parrot birds, but if your bird plays with toys just be sure they have no metallic part.
The soil around old buildings that have been painted with lead paint are usually contaminated. The soil next to my house was tested at 1% lead, (no kidding). I had it removed. If you tether your hawk in soil like that, or even a lot less than that, it can be poisoned.
Good Falconry is always a thin line between two mistakes.
Lead doesn't affect animals the way it affects humans. Human's are affected by just being near lead contamination... For birds, it is a digestive poison, they could have lead shards embedded in their wings, healed over and it won't cause problems, but the second they eat it, they are poisoned.
Post by Master Yarak on Jan 10, 2007 8:17:38 GMT -5
You are wrong. If it leeches into the blood stream they will get poisoned. Yarak
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away