TheTameParrot.com - Say “BYE” To Your Parrot Problems

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Recently I was asked an interesting question by a parrot owner. For many years she was making her own bird toys, and recently began using scrap leather and leather shoe laces. The bird loved them! They wouldn’t destroy them as fast as the wood blocks she used before.

But she heard that leather was dangerous for birds. Was that true? If so, why were all of the bird toy manufacturers using them?

Well…yes and no. Most leather is made by a tanning process that uses some very toxic chemicals. There are dozens of different methods, each one used to produce different colors and texture effects. The two most common methods are Chrome tanning and vegetable tanning.

Chrome tanning is most commonly used in the manufacture of leather for shoe uppers, garments, leather bags and upholstery. It involves placing the leather in rotating drums filled with trivalent chrome, and “washed” for about eight hours. After a thorough washing, it goes into another bath of an alkaline chemical. The type depends on the purpose of the leather, but most common are bicarbonate or sodium carbonate.

During the manufacturing process there are usually bits and pieces of leather left over, and these make their way into many bird or animal toys.

These are definitely not something you want your bird to be eating and playing with!

With vegetable tanning, the leather does not use any toxic chemicals. This leather is commonly used in belt leathers, luggage, shoe soles and saddlery. Instead of strong toxic tanning chemicals, it involves the use of tannic acid. This chemical is extracted from the barks of trees. The disadvantage of this form of tanning is it takes several times longer to treat the leather.

Most vegetable tanned leather manufactured in the United States is safe to use with birds. However many companies outside of the US will use formaldehyde to further preserve the leather for export. This is obviously dangerous for animals (and humans). So it is recommended that you verify the source of where you get your leather.

Vegetable tanned leather can easily be located with a quick search on the Internet. I was able to locate several sources in the US and Europe. Many are included in do-it-yourself bird toy kits at a very reasonable price. It makes great toys, and is much safer then using rope, as it does not shred and produce threads that can become tangled around tiny toes.

>>Want more great ideas bird toys? My ebook “The Easy Parrot System” shares some ideas buying and making your own bird toys. Find out why rope toys can injure your bird! I also give you my secret source for super-cheap toys that are certified safe by the government! The Easy Parrot System - Toys