dust

[harleybaby]

Since someone brought this up on another board it really has me thinking.

Just how dangerous for our health is it to keep birds? On another board a man was hospitalized in the ICU for a lung infection they beleive was caused by his birds droppings. I forget the name, some sort of bacteria. Now on the other forum birdkeepers lung was brought up. Having 7 really dusty birds here and 1 on the way. I'm beginning to ask myself just what exactly I am exposing my kids to. Not trying to alarm anyone or anything I'm just curious what you guys think about this. Can anyone make me feel better:(

[Shirley]

I talked to my vet about that when I was coughing all winter...

She and my reg. doc both said I was fine. (cough is gone now, btw)

Mist your cage papers before you change them to keep the dust from the droppings down as you change them. (It's droppings dust, not 'too dust) and the organism has to be there that's dangerous, too. I forget the name of it... she said it and now I forget. Change them frequently -- that's a relative term... use your judgement.

Avoid downright filth in cages...I'm sure you do.

[Jean]

Leah, I believe the answer to your question lies in the cleanliness of the bird and the cleanliness of the cage and home it is being kept in. It also helps to have a bird safe air purifier and in dry conditions a humidifier.

[Jean]

Hey Shirley. a misting on the paper is a sharp idea...

[harleybaby]

Thanks Jean and Shirley.


I already clean the papers every day sometimes every other day if I'm busy and spray it with a mixture of vinegar and water. I started doing that after Harley was sick. I was more worried about the dust circulating in the air and causing birdkeepers lung. Thanks Shirley I feel much better now. :)


Jean I am looking into getting air filters(purifiers) but I would need 3 of them and it seems the filters are pretty expensive to replace all the time. I was reading that some people use a box fan and attach an ac filter to it and they feel it works better but I'm kinda skeptical about having them around the house. they are so bulky and all.:foot-tap: Trust me no problem with humidity down here.:funny: Such decisions LOL

[Junkzoo]

Since i have a 'Too, and deal with the powder dilemma, my birds are in a room to them selves, and i run a air cleaner 24/7,,,it helps, but not 100%, can only imagine what it would be like if i did not have a cleaner..if you go with a air cleaner/purifier,,,avoid the HEPA type filters, they will clog up real fast, and those filters are not cheap! i have a Bionaire (not sure the model)but has 4 large square filters, arranged in a "W" fashion.i vaccum them clean to get more mileage out of them. it does remove a lot of powder from the room.
I've heard of the DYI type of filter like you mentioned,a box, a fan, and a filter,,
Home workshop type filters might be the way to go, they suspend from the ceiling, and use fairly common filters that can be cleaned and re-used.

I agree with what others had posted, other than cleanliness, the problem is in the droppings,,,I too forget the name of the disease.when i clean my cages, i wet the bottom also, but i do so by giving the birds a bath/mist,,two,,,ummm, birds , one stone you might say,,,

I thought my air cleaner had finally met it's maker, when it would not start up/ fan was way slow, after a cleaning,,,(I think Shirley remembers me asking her if she knew of any good cleaners out there, a while back) took my old one all apart, gave it a good cleaning , fredd up and lubed the fan motor, and i've been good to go for 2-3 more years,,,,knock on wood,,,

[Shirley]

I don't know anything por or con about the air cleaners.... we don't have one.
Our vacuum cleaner has a Hepa filter as part of it...

[harleybaby]

Jeff it sounds like yours has an ionizer in it


This is from mytoos, there is an article by Consumer Report on ionizers in the thread. It's definitely worth reading.

Thanks for the reply.. That's the problem I'm having, I don't know what to make of these and the hepa filters are expensive for replacement filters and you never know when they will discontinue them.:D

http://www.mytoos.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=6;t=000247;p=1

[Shirley]

Just fyi... Jerry of mytoos has no birds in his home and is um, rather opinionated --- and that's the opinion of most, not just me. I'm not sure of his facts vs his opinions.

[Joe]

IMHO: when it comes to birds like a Too that has a lot of big dander, none of these devices are going to work. We have a heppa filter that does nothing for the dander/dust issue. Its expensive to operate (replacing the filters) and its LOUD.

[harleybaby]

Well I'm definitely not gonna disagree with you about Jerry;)


This is the original report from Consumer Report:

http://www.consumerreports.org/main/content/display_report.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=579503&bmUID=1115336908789

[harleybaby]

Thanks Joe, that sure would save me from going out and buying 3 of them.:)

[Joe]

3 of them would equal a nervous breakdown from the noise factor alone! I am sure that some are quieter than others.

[Shirley]

Well, I did a search for "bird" and "pet" in the consumer report article and found neither... so I didn't read it... (out of time)

If anything else makes noise in our house I'm pitching a tent in the backyard! :roflmao2: You should hear two large saltwater tanks both with sumps underneath!!! Niagara Falls! I'd rather add three more parrots than one more Tank!! (yes, we have the durso/stockman whatever it's called, but we still have the sump in the F/O (fish only tank) making a waterfall and and the returns and sump in the reef... oh well, I just try to imagine what they are saying when we watch CSI and such... sorry, I got distracted... but I'm not getting a filter. I'll die of lung problems first.

[Joe]

Shirley,

You can have my filter!

[harleybaby]

Well, I figure that if they think it may be harmful for people thats good enough for me.;)

[Shirley]

Shirley,

You can have my filter!

:roflmao2:

[Junkzoo]

[QUOTE=harleybaby]Jeff it sounds like yours has an ionizer in it [QUOTE]

Yup, i do,,,,and ditto on the never knowing when they will discontinue,,,(mine is, but filters are still available,,)
THe problem with a HEPA on either a bird area filter or a vaccum, it will clog right away(or real darn close) because it filters so well, the same thing it said for those carpet powders vs.and HEPA vaccum cleaner(had to buy a new vaccum for the bird room,would you believe it was tough to find a Sears canister one that still had non HEPA type(non"microfiltration") bags?)but i did,,,,came with mcro-filt bags, but i did my homework , and found "normal " bags that fit...;)
One of the guys on TRT has one of those Sharper Image no fan, no filter,no big power bill, no noise,wipe the collector plates with a damp rag, upright jobbie air cleaners, yup, its quiet, yup, no filters,and yes it does pick up stuff out of the air, but in a bird room? don't think it work work, prob coat the plates very fast,,,
As a Industrial Electrician, i am well aware of precipitator baghouse systems, a larger scale of the Sharp IMG. deal, but the big ones do have bags, the stuff that gets collected on the negative side of the line,gets shaken and drops into the cone shaped bags below.Yes, a ionizer does , and will work, but not in a bird area, and not in the form of those Sharper Image cleaners, for very long to be considered functioning,without probably hourly cleaning,,,,
I would if i could, but i can't so i won't,,,;)

[harleybaby]

heck, well then I say don't! LOL



Those boxfans are looking better and better.:D

[Shirley]

I would if i could, but i can't so i won't,,
heck, well then I say don't! LOL

Now there's a good quote! :D

[Junkzoo]

:roflmao2: :rofl: :roflmao2: :rofl: