An Introduction

[Quakerella]

I agree with Alice, a half an hour is too short to know if there will be an issue.

Birds can trigger asthma attacks. Cockatiels produce a lot of feather dust, as well as many other birds. This dust is so fine it travels through the air easily. If you suffer from asthma you will need to make sure the cage is cleaned daily as well as the area around it and never have the cage in your sleeping area. Bathing your bird will help quite a bit. It is manageable, but you do need to be very careful and diligent in your cleaning ritual. An air purifier will help, but do not get an ionizer it can be very dangerous for your bird.

[rivx]

I'd thought it might be - glad I double checked! My asthma is mostly triggered by exercise and cold rather than dust and things - but there's definitely still importance in being diligent and making sure this won't be a problem.
Can I ask how long I'd have to be around a bird to see if it arouses any issues? Any rescue & breeder near me would likely allow a 14 day trial, if it may be needed, but if that situation is avoidable (for the birds sake) that'd be lovely!
Sorry for so many questions.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Excellent questions, no worries. We are more than happy to help. We have a seven stage air purifier, it is very sensitive and sometimes winds itself up when I am having a whisky. It does need cleaning more often when we have the log fire burning. I can't answer your question about how long you need to be exposed, I suspect everyone is different and it depends how active the bird is.

[rivx]

Woops. I keep accidentally deleting this message in an attempt to edit it.

Anyways. I believe I have an air purifier on hand - I'll make sure its safe.

Final question (I think): what's the recommended cage size for a cockatiel or small conure? Most sources seem to think 18" x 18" is okay, but that seems a tad small, and I'm uncertain. Most sources also don't seem to list a height. Thoughts?

EDIT: And, as a side note, is there anything else to look out for in a cage?

[Dragonlady2]

I think "18 by "18 is too small for a conure or cockatiel. Probably minimum would be "24 by "20, but this is just my opinion, and I think even that might be a little small. Biggest is best seeing as that is their space for a number of hours per day. It can depend on the bird you get.

[rivx]

I agree. I saw this on a lot of sources and it definitely seemed way to small - I keep my mice in a cage only vaguely smaller than that -- I couldn't imagine a bird in the same conditions.
For birds, is there such a thing as a cage too large? I'm aware that in some animals, too much is scary, but I'm not sure if the same rule goes for birds.

[Dragonlady2]

Yes, some cages can be too large. The larger the cage, usually the bar spacing is wider. It's important to make sure that the bird can't get his head through/between the bars. I have a conure who will not accept a larger cage and will pluck himself if the cage is too large.

[rivx]

Thank you!

I've heard a lot about nonstick pans being bad for birds - I'm curious about the extent of this. I'm willing to replace pans and all, but I'm merely curious. Does this bother birds housed in other room, or is there no way around such a thing?

[Quakerella]

Teflon pans will cause respiratory distress in birds. Personally it is something I don't use in my house at all due to the gas that may be emitted. Remember though that teflon is not only on pans, but ovens and heat lamps as well

Here is just one link regarding the use of teflon. http://www.ewg.org/research/canaries...on-kills-birds It is an older one, but the results are still the same. There are many pots and pans available that are not coated with teflon and are wonderful to cook with. If possible stick to stainless.

[luckyandjenn]

Id like to add about you asthama question i have a blue and gold mac and i muself am a cronic asthamitic and as long as i keep the living room where his cage resides and i keep his cage clean im fine....i too wounderd about the pan thing .... i went and got a bunch of cheap stainless steal pans