Anyone ever used a small in-cage heater?

[Kiwibird]

Has anyone used one of these, and if so, what was your opinion on the safety of it? It would be nice not to have to run the heater so high at night because it drys out my nose/throat (and if it does that to me, I'm sure it does to Kiwi too)! I'm waking up every single morning with a sore throat for no other reason than the darn central heating (I'm used to radiators or furnaces). Humidifies in Oregon are apparently a no-no too due to mold potential. I thought this looked kind of nice and like it puts of the 'gentle' heat a radiator does more than the dry heat a central heater does (with the fan), and if we knew he was warm, we could turn down the heat at night and use thicker blankets ourselves:

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[Birdman666]

If there is a defect in it, or if it gets chewed on, it could be a burn hazard. I personally wouldn't. I don't trust those things.

I've seen people put those light bulb things too close, and caused burns... trying to make their babies more comfortable, and ended up maiming them!

 

[Kiwibird]

Would putting our portable radiator near his cage be better? Only problem we have about 10' ceilings here and I don't know how much electricity that thing would eat up! We used it in a small bedroom before... I just can't go another winter waking up with a raw throat and nose. I HATE this central heating so much!

 

[Anansi]

I agree with Mark. I wouldn't mess with an in cage heater, either. Too many things that could go catastrophically wrong.

When you talk about lowering the heat at night, how low are you thinking of going? I ask because, for years I ran a heater for my cockatiel. (My dearly departed Suzie.) I've since learned, with my ekkies, that the heater wasn't actually necessary. Not as long as the change is gradual and not too low. They adjust. At night, my house temp is set at 70. Parrots should easily be able to handle temps in even, say, the 60's. Again, as long as the change is gradual.

 

[Kiwibird]

I was going to turn it way down. It doesn't have the temperatures on the dial at all but I would assume low 60s... Too low for Kiwi I think.

 

[Birdman666]

60's should be fine. Read this:

Ideal Temperature Ranges For Parrots

 

[KimKim]

I have one of these Cage Heaters - AviTemp Infrared Heat Panels it works great!

 

[ZephyrFly]

Is a hot water bottle with a cover not a good idea?

 

[Birdman666]

Is a hot water bottle with a cover not a good idea?

There you go! Make a little birdie water bed for the happy hut! Talk about spoiled!

 

[Kiwibird]

I have one of these Cage Heaters - AviTemp Infrared Heat Panels it works great!

A little bigger than I was hoping, but I will look into them. Thanks I'm thinking I'm just going to pull out the oil-filled radiator and park it by his cage on especially cold nights and see how that works.

s a hot water bottle with a cover not a good idea?

Wouldn't it cool down in 20/30 minutes?

 

[Anansi]

Wouldn't it cool down in 20/30 minutes?

Pretty much, April. Probably an hour at the most. Not really a viable answer for your situation, given that you'd be sleeping when it was at its closest.

Think maybe you could give it a test run? Move him into a room for a night with your portable radiator heater and then let the temperature drop throughout the rest of the house. (Pick a night predicted to be particularly cold) Buy a thermometer for the occasion and note the coldest that it gets. If it never goes below the low 60's, and goes down reasonably slowly, you know that you don't actually need any heaters.

Now, that said, I know nothing about oil-filled portable heaters and their safety, or lack thereof, around birds. Especially given their delicate respiratory systems. I used to use an all ceramic heater with a thermostat near the cage. I can find out the brand for you a little later if you'd like.

 

[ParrotsAhoy]

Ive been using a small 5-fin oil heater almost every night since I got Tachyon 4 months ago; Its a 1000w heater and I set it at about half that, depending on how cold its predicted to be that night and that keeps my large room with 2.8m (9.1') ceilings above 17'c (62.6f) which is the minimum ive deemed safe for an Alexandrine parrot whos born and bred in New Zealand weather, in some other places, some parrots might not like going down that low.

Edited to add: I think one of the most important things ive tried to keep in mind is making sure temperatures drop and rise over a period of hours instead of instantly so as not to shock the bird.

Edited again to add: I keep a thermometer+hygrometer just above his cage and one on the other side of the room as well to keep an eye on the overall room temp (all day actually, as I work from home and my desk is beside his cage!) to make sure it stays comfortable for him.

 

[Kiwibird]

We used to set our thermostat to 70 and the old gas furnace didn't cause the dry throat issue. I never thought I would say I miss that hazardous POS furnace lol, but I do! My concern is we sublet (rent a converted basement) so our utilities are paid for by our landlords. In our last apartment, we just had really high gas bills so we could keep warm, but here, we also don't want to take advantage and suck up a bunch of energy, so that is of concern too. I'm not sure if the radiator takes up more energy to heat the room than the wall heater.

 

[weco]

get a room humidifier or vaporizer.....that will take care of your dry throat.....

 

[Kiwibird]

Apparently using humidifiers is discouraged because they cause mold to grow here in Oregon. Our humid is around 40%. We're actually *suppose* to be running a dehumidifier all the time, but I just unplugged it because it made things worse. I think one of the issues is a vent is directly over our bed.I'm just extremely sensitive to dryness and any kind of heater or air conditioner that blows. I'll figure something out.

 

[weco]

You might discuss your dryness with your Dr. because a 40% humidity level is normal.....acceptable humidity levels range between 20% & 60% relative humidity....

Here's a link to how the Smithsonian determins humidity levels: http://www.si.edu/mci/downloads/reports/Mecklenburg-Part1-RH.pdf

Good luck.....

 

[Kiwibird]

I won't get too much into it, but western medicine doctors almost killed me. I haven't been to one in over 8 years and have no intention of ever seeing one again. I've never been healthier than after I stopped seeing doctors!

As for the dryness, I think it mainly has to do with the hot air blowing down on me while I sleep (though I feel most comfortable around 60% humidity). I don't really get a sore throat/nose during the day nor did I have these problems in much lower humidity AZ when we had a furnace and radiator. I do have this problem every time we stay in a hotel because they always have the units that blow air. It's like an evaporation effect or something. That or possibly a sensitivity to the dust that invariable comes out of vents... If it were our house, I'd see if I could close the bedroom vents, but I can't do that because I have no idea how all the ductwork is set up and if doing so would cause problems.

Edit: Also, I think I'm just going to let the temp drop into the low 60s during the day. That way I can observe him and make sure he has the good sense to go puff up in his hut and isn't violently shivering or anything. Also may look into those panels Kim suggested since they can be mounted behind the cage instead of in it.

 

[weco]

Well, you could always get your sewing machine back in operation & create a sleep tent for you & hubby ! ! !

Actually, since your landlord has the only access to the heating controls, I seriously doubt your heating system is zoned and in any event, restricting airflow to one area is not going to upset any pressure load factors.....just close off the vent & sleep peacefully.....