Is this product safe for birds? (1 Viewer)

[MobiusX]

It's a silicone mat for dogs I plan to use to place outside under my porch to feed birds. On top of the silicone mat which is nontoxic and waterproof, I will place a nontoxic pet tray on top of that tray there will be 2 small nontoxic bowls of food. The whole point of the mat is when the bird feeds get out of the tray. This easily happens when birds are eating. It's 0.6 high so it should keep the birds seeds inside and also the point of the mat is so birds won't take a crap around that area. They will take a crap on the mat instead of the cement. It won't protect the whole cement but the area of the cement where the food is. Is silicone safe for birds to eat from? The only concern I have is when the bird seeds go on the mat itself and the birds are eating from the silicone. That should be safe since it's nontoxic but what if the birds bite the silicone and eat that by mistake. Is that possible? What the hell. I been searching for a mat for days now and can't find anything better than this. I already have a bird feeder but it doesn't protect the bowl on the bottom from getting wet. A dome doesn't fit there.

https://www.amazon.com/EIOKIT-Silic...words=non+toxic+dog+mat&qid=1583165410&sr=8-8

 

[KC Foggin]

My question to google was "is silicone poisonous to birds"

The very first answer to pop up was

It is very common in households, and unfortunately, is an acute and fatal toxin to birds when overheated. ... The best way to avoid PTFE toxicity in birds is to use PTFE alternatives, such as silicone or ceramics, as often affected birds die in minutes, well before they reach their closest veterinarian.Feb 1, 2018

 

[jmepler]

My question to google was "is silicone poisonous to birds"

The very first answer to pop up was

Quote:
It is very common in households, and unfortunately, is an acute and fatal toxin to birds when overheated. ... The best way to avoid PTFE toxicity in birds is to use PTFE alternatives, such as silicone or ceramics, as often affected birds die in minutes, well before they reach their closest veterinarian.Feb 1, 2018

Your response is a bit confusing. The answer that you got was to a different question. That being, "is Teflon (PTFE) toxic to birds?", which it is when heated (think non-stick cookware). They then went on to suggest that silicone or ceramics are a good alternative.

Food-grade silicone is BPA free, and non-toxic even at very high temperatures. I would think that this would be an excellent choice, provided that what you are buying is actually food-grade silicone.

 

[dantheman]

I imagine that the birds wouldn't swallow any silicone they accidently pecked off, but not sure. Do they reject any non-food items by texture/taste normally (eg paper around food?)

Blockage may be a hazard, but would think unlikely - birds regurgitate?

The silicone should be tough enough to withstand breaking? Advantage of silicone should be easy to sterilise/wash regularly to keep diseases down?

Silicone itself would be non-toxic as jmepler says.

 

[Julie50]

Polymers and plasticisers (the chemicals which keep them supple) can be a mine-field!

Have you thought about using a couple of large ceramic tiles (end of line floor tiles would be cheap) and using the silicone mat to stop them moving?!

 

[jmepler]

Polymers and plasticisers (the chemicals which keep them supple) can be a mine-field!

Have you thought about using a couple of large ceramic tiles (end of line floor tiles would be cheap) and using the silicone mat to stop them moving?!

The silicone mat is listed as food safe. I would be more worried about what the tiles are glazed with, and what is leaching out of them than I would be about silicone. I don't believe that even "food safe" rated tiles are meant to be eaten off of, just that they are acceptable for use in the food industry.

 

[MobiusX]

Now I am thinking about just using a wooden tray instead?

 

[dantheman]

I can't think that a glazed tile would be likely to leach any chemicals in any perceivable amount - glazing is akin to glass in it's effectiveness and bonded - floors don't dissipate when wet after all.

Any hard substrate should be fine - birds eat off the ground after all.

Only issue with a wooden surface would be growing mould when wet - it would need disinfectng if it did. (As shpuld any feeding containers regularly etc)

 

[jmepler]

I can't think that a glazed tile would be likely to leach any chemicals in any perceivable amount - glazing is akin to glass in it's effectiveness and bonded - floors don't dissipate when wet after all.

This article is about lead in ceramic kitchenware, stuff made to eat off of. I wouldn't eat off of anything ceramic coming from china, and definitely not off anything that wasn't made specifically for eating off of.

Bird droppings are highly acidic, and certainly could leach chemicals from the glaze on tiles.

The suggestion to use something not made for food rather than something made for specifically for food use does not make any sense to me.

Wood would be fine, but will need to be sterilized periodically.

Have you considered stainless steel? These pans are just slightly more expensive than the silicone mats.

 

[MobiusX]

This article is about lead in ceramic kitchenware, stuff made to eat off of. I wouldn't eat off of anything ceramic coming from china, and definitely not off anything that wasn't made specifically for eating off of.

Bird droppings are highly acidic, and certainly could leach chemicals from the glaze on tiles.

The suggestion to use something not made for food rather than something made for specifically for food use does not make any sense to me.

Wood would be fine, but will need to be sterilized periodically.

Have you considered stainless steel? These pans are just slightly more expensive than the silicone mats.

They make ground bird feeders out of wood. I am only interested in buying the tray itself and putting it on the ground. I don't want it with legs since there is a chance if the wind is too strong it will fall.