This was posted on FB. I didn't know this.

[Debra]

Thought everyone should know about this...

Safety Warnings:-

A customer of ours had a tragic accident 2 weeks ago that took the lives of their pet birds. (2, a half moon Conure and an Indian Ringneck) They were preparing dinner, they were making salmon and they put it on a cedar board and into the oven. Apparently this is how some people prepare salmon, and this cedar board is available anywhere (We didn't know that.) Anyhow, shortly after placing the board in the oven to bake, the one bird, who was on the husbands shoulder, starting to have respiratory problems and started to wobble and fell right off his shoulder. They had no idea of what was happening, it was very sudden, and they rushed the bird to the vet, but it died on the way there. Upon returning, they found the other bird dead in his cage.

In doing some research, the husband found out that cedar is very toxic to birds. We HAD NO CLUE about that! In all our years in birds, we have never heard of such a thing. Now, we did hear that you should not use cedar chips in a birds cage on the bottom, but I didn't realize that was why. If we don't know it, chance are most other people don't either, and we would hate to see this happen to anyone else. This couple is devastated, to say the least. They asked and we offered to post a note of warning about it for other people to read.

[Honesty]

Thank you for posting this Debra. I too was unaware that cedar is toxic to birds!

[Blancaej]

Wow Debra! Thank you so much for posting this. I had no idea. I feel for the people who lost there 2 birds. So sad. :(

[Mare]

I watch some of the cooking channels and have contemplated cooking my salmon that way! Thank you so much for the heads up! I, also, am so sorry for these folks, it is very sad.

[coltfire]

very sad way to find out, like every one else i too had know idea, will not use cedar ever again.

[Turquoise]

I did know Cedar is very toxic to birds as well as to some humans. There is a lot of allergies to be blamed for cedar pollen and Texas has its fare share of it. These are the scrub brush type of Cedars (not sure the real names of them) that are used for fence posts mostly. There is a line of them that followed the cattle trails from Old Mexico up through the panhandle as the cattle moved to the stockyards in Kansas to be loaded on rail cars for slaughterhouses in the eastern part of the US. At certain times of the year the news will tell about the Cedar pollen count & why everyone's allergies are acting up.

I am so sorry to hear about the parrots having to lose their lives due to the Cedar. It is a good thing to spread the word around about it being very toxic.

My hubby used to make his jewelry boxes with Cedar wood. He would cut & sand it in the house. I made him quit as it was choking me up too much. Once we got the birds I told him to only do this outside or else! He now uses Mesquite wood, but i still won't let him cut & sand in the house any longer.

[jules]

i'm sure i'd heard something before about cedar wood. don't some use the trees for Christmas as well as pine? poor birds, what a tragic thing to happen :(