# Oxidised aviary wire



## HamAndAndo (Oct 10, 2013)

Hi there 
I have just finished off an insulated shelter area in my new (second hand) aviary. 
I was going to put my birds out tomorrow but then I noticed the wire has oxidised and there is a white powdery substance on it. 
I googled if it was safe and I read several websites saying that you should encourage oxidisation (by painting with vinegar) but one saying it causes metal poisoning if the birds eat it.
Am I still meant to wash the white powder off with vinegar or is it safe to leave it? So confused!
Also there is some rust. Is this harmful?
Thank you in advance


----------



## Kate C (Oct 15, 2007)

It is the galvanizing and any loose weld that is the problem. When you get a new aviary or new wire you have to either let it age or scrub it with vinegar solution to remove the galvanizing. Seeing you have bought a second hand aviary I would just give it a scrub down with vinegar solution at 10% dilution rate, that is 1 part vinegar to 9 parts water and use a strong wire brush, making sure to remove any loose bits of weld. Scrub the rust and you could use a rust killer/converter to treat that. The rust is more dangerous than the oxidized wire. If you wanted to you could paint the wire using a water based paint. Either dark green (Colorbond Cottage Green) or black and let it sit for a couple of weeks for the paint to hard dry. Those two colours will highlight the birds better and blend in with the surroundings. Most painted aviarys are in the green.


----------

