Bird Lung

[winston]

Hi,
I have 7 cockatiels in a large cage in my kitchen where we spend most of our time.
There is quite a bit of down feathers flying around, lots of poop and they are let out of the cage very frequently.
I was doing some reading about bird lung and was wondering how much of a risk my family is in with this many cockatiels.
My wife and I have a 9 yr old, a 7 yr old and a 3 yr old.
Thanks

[Wolf]

First off the kitchen is no place for a bird under any circumstance.
Secondly I most definitely recommend getting an air purifier or two for the benefit of all, bird and human.
I really don't think you will catch anything from the birds, but that much dander could trigger allergies. Clean the cage on a daily basis so as to minimize bacteria growth from the waste.
Kitchens are a prime place for bacteria growth because of the food preparation and are also a major risk area for injury to occur to you and yours. Just imagine a bird landing on a hot stove or in a pot of boiling water. then imagine that your wife is holding the pot when the bird lands in it with your child nearby and you can see the recipe for disaster and its cumulative effects.
I think that you need to re-evaluate what and how you are doing things, just take the time to think things through and the proper way to do thing should become apparent. I am sure that there are many more here that will chime in to help you along.

[GreenWing]

Agree with Wolf, get a couple of air purifiers. 'tiels are considered "dusty" and the air purifier can help quite a bit. Place newspaper around for the poop. Can you start target trainings?

[cml]

Another reason not to keep the birds in your kitchen is fumes and other particles (such as fat). It will slowly kill your bird, over the time of many years though.
Also, if you use teflon, the birds will drop dead instantly if it overheats.

I really urge you, for the sake of your birds, to move them out of the kitchen.

As to the dust, both Wolf and Greenwing have suggested an air purifier, and I can only agree. I got one not very long ago and have it on 24/7 in the bird room, and I can tell a difference, especially when I am in the bird room (which they gratiously allow me to use as an office as well).

[Pajarita]

Ditto on keeping birds in the kitchen, a most emphatic NONO! And it won't actually take long years to kill them either! Do you know that nasty cruddy film that ends up on the cabinets of the kitchen, well, that same crud ends up lining the inside of your birds lungs and air sacs and kills them (their lungs are not flexible like ours, they are quite rigid and open ended so they cannot be cleanse through phlegm like ours do.

Don't worry about birds breeders lung disease. Unless you already have a problem and are allergic to dust, you won't get it. I have had asthma my entire adult life which has become a mild form of COPD, have over 40 birds and have no problem. But the air purifier is great for both birds and humans - but, of course, outside the kitchen.

[winston]

Thanks for the advise guys. We are always very carfull to not let the birds out when we are cooking but that doesn't mean there won't be a mistake someday.
I'm going to get some air purifiers.

[winston]

and move them out of the kitchen

[winston]

Is there an air purifier that you reconmend

[cml]

Is there an air purifier that you reconmend

Hepa-filter types are good.

Do not use ionizers of any kind.
Contrary to popular belief, they ALL emit ozone at various levels, and build up is potentially harmful to birds.
With some types they call it ozone free, but in the fine print you can find that this means less than 50ppm which is the established limit.

[winston]

thanks!!