Posted by Buk on March 22, 2003 at 19:28:17:
We're considering buying new cages for our budgies and tiel. One we found that's really nice is by "HQ" The following website: http://www.avianplains.com/avianplains/hqcages.htm claims the cages are tested as safe but I notice they say the finish coat is what they tested, they don't really say anything about the metal. The cages are made in China. A pet shop we feel is reputable sells them in their bird supply store and uses them for their own birds. But I'm leary. Anyone know any good or bad info on these cages? The text below is from the website:
"HQ applies the polyester finish to the cages using a powder-coat paint system at 450 degrees temperature. The HQ paint process yields unparalleled adherence of the finish eliminating the paint stripping problems common with other cages. HQ paints contain only ultra-safe levels of toxic elements. In general, the white color paint is most prone to contain heavy metals such as zinc. The HQ white paint has been tested at Louisiana Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory and the zinc content is reported at 80 ppm, a more than safe level (270 ppm is considered the maximum safe content)."
