Bird Deaths from Cooking Use

[inkrose115]

Does anyone know how valid this sounds? The bird owners know that two huge killers of birds are non-stick coatings on pans (even when not over-heated, still dangerous) and the self-cleaning features on ovens. But cooking using a non-stick oven has been stated to be a danger. I found this on the MyToos birds and I'm not sure if this is true or not. Logically, this sounds like it could happen. Link at the Lily Sanctuary website.

IF YOU HAVE A SELF CLEANING OVEN BOARD THE
BIRDS..... Nothing that is non stick is safe and no
self cleaning oven is either. The gasses from these
monsters act like an acid on the birds insides and
kill them very quickly....We can only be thankful that
the other of our birds were spared.

[A Turtle Named Mack]

When I saw the title I thought 'Of course birds die when you cook them!'

The notice you received is at least partially silliness, since much of any living creature's insides are acidic, though most is only slightly so and carefully buffered.

I have heard these ULs about the toxicity of nonstick coatings (particularly when overheated) and self-cleaning ovens, but i don;t remember seeing the ideas tested.

[Wild Redhead]

I'm not sure how self-cleaning ovens are supposed to be toxic. I worked as a dispatcher for a major appliance repair service for 10 years and never heard this.

[inkrose115]

The Teflon site says that:

1. Always keep your pet bird out of the kitchen while cooking.
Many veterinarians urge pet owners to keep their birds in a room other than the kitchen. But if the kitchen is your bird?s favorite place, always move it to another room before cooking.

The site gives other tips on keeping your birds safe from the fumes, and has a movie with a vet giving a talk.
Enviro. Working Group
Info from 20/20
Q&A on the NY Times

"Birds have such a high metabolism and their respiratory rate is so rapid that even small amounts of a toxic gas can quickly be fatal," he explained. "It is the principle behind taking a canary into a coal mine to warn miners if there is natural gas present. The canary immediately becomes depressed and may even die."

When a bird inhales the gas from an overheated nonstick surface, veterinary textbooks say, the first sign is usually sudden death, often coming too rapidly for treatment even to be started.

Not just frying pans but appliances like irons or ironing board covers may contain the substance. The change that occurs on heating is called pyrolisis. It causes the surface to be degraded, releasing irritant particles and acidic gases.

[inkrose115]

Originally Posted by Wild Redhead

I'm not sure how self-cleaning ovens are supposed to be toxic. I worked as a dispatcher for a major appliance repair service for 10 years and never heard this.

Because they have non-stick in them. Keep in mind the cleaning function works by heating up the oven really hot and burning off the gunk inside. Even without the nonstick the stuff burning is deadly to birds.
From how stuff works

Self-cleaning ovens use an approximately 900 degrees Fahrenheit (482 degrees Celsius) temperature cycle to burn off spills leftover from baking, without the use of any chemicals.

That is above the temperature needed to create fumes that cause your bird to keel over and die before you can get them to the vet.

[Wild Redhead]

Majority of self cleaning ovens used to not be non-stick. There was no reason for them to be. I know about the temperatures though. Maybe just keeping the bird out of the kitchen would work. In fact, I can't imagine why anyone would allow a bird in a kitchen. They aren't the cleanest of pets. I used to have a African Grey Parrot.

[inkrose115]

Originally Posted by Wild Redhead

Majority of self cleaning ovens used to not be non-stick. There was no reason for them to be. I know about the temperatures though. Maybe just keeping the bird out of the kitchen would work. In fact, I can't imagine why anyone would allow a bird in a kitchen. They aren't the cleanest of pets. I used to have a African Grey Parrot.

I don't like keeping birds in the kitchen either. if you want to share food there are safer places to do it, and keeping them near all those fumes just can't be healthy. And it's not sanitary for the humans either. Sadly my apartment has only two rooms, so... :o

[tagurit]

My friend has a macaw and she has never used the self-cleaning feature on her oven. In fact she's very mindful of anything that might cause fumes, and she doesn't keep her macaw in the kitchen.

[Nick Theodorakis]

Originally Posted by A Turtle Named Mack

...
I have heard these ULs about the toxicity of nonstick coatings (particularly when overheated) and self-cleaning ovens, but i don;t remember seeing the ideas tested.

It's pretty well-documented. Here's another example.

A poultry research facility that housed 2400 Peterson x Hubbard cross broilers (48 pens of 50 chicks each) experienced 4% mortality within 24 hr of chick placement. Mortality started within 4 hr of placement, and within 72 hr, cumulative mortality had reached 52%. ... Further investigation revealed that the only change in management practice in this facility prior to the onset of the severe mortality problem was the replacement of 48 heat lamp bulbs (one for each pen). The new heat lamp bulbs were polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coated. PTFE gas intoxication has been reported in several exotic avian species, [emphasis mine] but this intoxication has not been previously reported in a poultry flock.

Nick

[rosa who else]

Is anybody else here having Allen Sherman echoing through their brains?

On the branch of a tree sat a little tom-tit
Singing willow, tit-willow, tit-willow ....
... the bird was delicious ...
... and as I fricaseed him, he gave out a moan,
Oy, willow, tit willow, tit willow ........

[PrairieBlueEyes]

I bought a new gas, self cleaning oven several years ago and have yet to use the self clean feature. The instructions that came with it recommend against doing so for the first time if there are pets in the house unless adequately ventilated. I assume the extreme heat would release toxins from some of the surfaces that had never been heated to those temperatures previously. Having 5 psittacines of various types and also finches and a dog, I still clean the oven the old fashioned way with elbow grease. Living in Saskatchewan where windows and doors are shut up tight at least 7 months of the year makes it hard to do the self clean thing. I could do it in the summer but I'd rather be outside gardening or otherwise enjoying the non-winter.

[AnglRdr]

I don't think Teflon would be used in a self-cleaning oven because of the toxicity of fumes when it is overheated.

But I don't know that the fumes from a self-cleaning oven burning off the crud is any worse than the fumes from oven cleaners.