Let me share my experience with you: back in Oct or Nov FB, Chris,me and a few others got into a discussion about mews floors with pea gravel coming out as the number one choice. My sponsor okayed that. So i put in about 6" worth in two 8X8 chambers. I visited a Gos man i knew, and his floors were made of treated 2X6 covered with astroturf, which is what i originally planned to put in. Zach got Volo. Volo learned to take the hood off. With light, she bated off the bow perch several times. Hitting the pea gravel repeatedly, her talons became very dull. I ended up putting astroturf over my pea gravel . I was advised that ground, sod, dirt held microorganisms that could be activated by scat and could possibly have an ill effect on the bird. Mike McDermott is my local expert. He said the wood floor with the astroturf would have been the best floor. You get so many opinions in this sport that sometimes you don't know which way to turn. I would say to stay away from concrete, even if covered by astroturf, because it is to hard. Wood chips can breed disease and molds, and can be ingested and choke the bird or cause other damage. Other than that, do what your sponsor says
My uprights are treated. but that's all. i was told that treated wood wouldn't hurt them. (Bob ducks as he anticipates a barrage of differing opinions being tossed around )
Post by USAvalanche on May 20, 2004 19:12:41 GMT -5
Bob,
I think it depends on when you built it. Up until a year or so ago the lumber using the "CCA" treatment had an arsenic component in it.
The new AC2 is "supposed" to be arsenic free, environmentally safe. Too many young kids chewing on their swing sets and forts I guess...
You should be able to get MSDS if you have more questions/concerns...
"But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world... You become responsible, Forever, for what you have tamed." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but as I recall from an episode of 20/20 or a similar news show the new form of pressure treated lumber DOES contain arsenic. AC2 stands for Arsenic Copper "not sure about the 2". Previously pt wood contained arsenic lead copper and chromium "last one could have been cobalt". EPA got too much pressure "no pun intended" from industry and they ended up giving wood processors 10 years to comply with standards as long as they took out the lead and chromium "and or cobalt". They also have to reprocess there shavings and sawdust "cant dump it anymore". I checked the net for more info but odly enough couldnt find much about new lumber versus old. So heres the conclusion I did find on the net. PT lumber wont kill you today if you eat it, inhale the sawdust, or come in contact with sweating pieces. It will however greatly increase you chances of getting cancer, developing chronic migraines, lower your sperm count, cause infertility, and a miriad of other nasty things.
A relatively easy solution but unatractive would be to use paneling to cover internal pt wood framing. Paneling is USUALLY not treated and has to comply with the same stndards as indoor paint for being non-toxic.
The mew design from falconry.com is pretty cool. I would fram out my door though and mount the ply-wood on it to keep the door from being flimsy though.
Avoid ANY cedar or similar smelling hardwood in building though. Cedar and others produce a poisonous vapor when it becomes wet and then drys.
In conclusion raptors have been around for a very long time. They survived DDT poisoning I think they can survive pressure treated lumber.
I will be useing treated wood to build my new mew this weekend ;D
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion................ and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."
It would be interesting to take the materials list from the Morrow mews design and see how different the price would be in 2004 dollars as opposed to 1985 dollars. I started with his basic floor plan and went from there. I like the idea of having a mews that would break down and be movable, but i decided to make mine a perminent structure. I'm in the process of investigating a design for a portable weathering yard. I can see some benefit in that, especially at early season meets. We'll see how it turns out (IF it turns out )
Follow along below and it becomes obvious why we have to use some suitable covering if we have a concrete foundation. The info is for parrot owners who don't like to be scratched by sharp claws. Falconers have to ensure our birds claws "Read Talon" are as sharp as possible. jim
Claws
The claws are hard, keratinized tissues overlying a core of softer tissue, blood vessels and nerves (like the beak). They grow constantly through the life of the bird. A variety of perch diameters and activity off the perch can aid in the wearing down of the nails. Cement perches are helpful in keeping the tips of the nails rounded. However, despite these measures, nail trims are frequently required with pet birds.
Yep... you're right Jim... two completely different set of criteria. I never had a parrot that developed bumblefoot.
The interior of my mews is covered with (and i don't know the proper name) that thin white stuff that they use for shower surrounds. It cost $9 for an 4x8 sheet. I hid the joints with a white plastic tape. That was for cosmetic reasons, but it assures that a hawk can't get a talon stuck in it. You can spray it down with a hose to clean off the slices, then get your hudson sprayer filled with the disinfectant of your choice and spray a coat on the walls and floor and... Ta Da! It takes ten minutes and you have a shiney, clean mews! I was going to use coroplast as Noel once suggested. It costs $16.50 a sheet to buy directly. Getting them for the politicians will be a problem over here because the elections won't be over until (primaries) august or (generals) november. Many of the politicians say they want to keep their signs in case they run again next term (a bunch of optimists, if you ask me!). But it sure is a lot easier to work with. That stuff aint as cheap as i thought it was!
I beleive the material your talking about is called FRP. It's use in bathrooms and kitchens as backsplashes etc. It has a raised texture to it and it cleans very easy. Very talon proof as well.
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion................ and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."
I was thinking about talking to my friends dad ( who owns the line-x truck bed liner dealer near me) and have him spray a piece of metal, 9ft x 9ft. the stuff is indestructable and you just hose it off. tell me if this is not a good idea or if you didnt understand what i meant properly. Colin