Cooking Turkey in a Home With Cockatoos. Non-Stick Roasting Pan Question

Mindy D · ‎05-23-2010

I might be cooking a turkey in my niece's home. I have a good roasting pan that has a non-stick interior coating. I will be cooking at 325 F, which is below the temperature deemed dangerous for HUMANS. I know that birds are very sensitive to the fumes given off from these pans. My question is about whether this cooking temperature is harmful to cockatoos. Does anyone know if their sensitivity is affected by how hot the pan gets?

ladyroxanne · ‎03-09-2010

i have an amazon gray and you have to be careful not to burn anything in non stick pans. you can use them, just use them safely. it's the fumes from the burnt pans that will kill them. @Mindy D

CamilleP · ‎03-09-2010

Do you have *any* other pans you could put the bird in? If so, even if it's a beat up old cast iron or enamel pan, put the turkey in one of those roasting bags sold in grocery stores and follow the directions for cooking it. Not only will that eliminate the risk to the cockatoos from any of the non-stick off-gassing, it will keep the turkey much more moist and it will actually get done a little faster, too, plus you won't have to wash the pan afterwards, just discard the bag. For that matter, you could also buy one of those big aluminum disposable roasting pans to cook the turkey in. I'd say better safe than sorry if I were you.

As an aside, I wonder sometimes what such intelligent animals think when they see us roasting and eating their bird cousins? "Whoa, I wonder what HE did, I'd better mind my manners if I don't want to be dinner next time!" Do parrots and other psitticines think we are cannibals when we eat chicken or turkey or duck or goose, or do they view such birds as non-relatives, since they are nowhere near as intelligent?

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

I don't have a cockatoo, but I do have a parrot and 325F is plenty safe. There are no noxious emissions at that temperature. When you get around 400F and above, that is problematic.

jaxs mom · ‎04-18-2012

You can get those heavy foil pans that will fit a turkey, for cheap at the grocery store and then just put it on a traditional finish sheet pan for extra support.

Don't Change Your Authenticity for Approval

CrazyDaisy · ‎03-20-2010

At a low heat you should be fine.

And as far as wat the birds think, I can only speak for mine but they want to know "what time is diner". They love a little turkey or chicken for a treat.

Someday, when scientists discover the center of the Universe....some people will be disappointed it is not them.

conlt · ‎03-16-2010

I have had Parrots since 1989, so I have a little experience Non stick anything is not allowed in my home. I have always cooked in Stainless/aluminum pans. I would suggest you get maybe 2 of those foil pans from the grocery store and cook your Turkey in that. Your Niece and her lovely bird will love you for it. Even non stick ceramic is not safe because we don't know what type of fumes they emit.