Tips for parrots in cold climates

[Feu]

I'm moving up to Washington state during the summer from a much warmer climate and I want my caique to be as comfortable as possible when we get there. I'm not worried about the moving process as he's done car trips before, but what advice do you all have on making adjustments once we're there? I've gotten him an infrared heat panel for his cage (which he's already taken to) and have seen bird 'sweaters' online but I'm not sure if they'll help when he wants to go out. For those of you who live in the north, what do you do to keep your bird happy and warm in- and out-of-doors?

Huginn loves watching tennis and long walks through the neighborhood!

 

[kendrafitz]

Hi Feu - I am in NJ and have a GW. She has a thermal perch, which I actually keep plugged in all year. She stays indoors unless it is spring/summer/early fall. If I tried to put I sweater on her I would probably lose a hand, so I have no advice on that! I do blow dry her in the cooler months after her shower. If I don't, she shivers and her beak gets very cold. For the most part, she seems to adapt to the weather change without any concerns. I am sure Huginn will adjust perfectly. He is adorable by the way!

 

[Alex_3112]

I can not comment on going outdoors, but here are some tips for indoor comfort:

Make sure your thermostat is set warm enough for your bird. Some "smart" thermostats that significantly lower the temperature during workdays and nights may not be a good idea;

Make sure there are no cold drafts near the bird;

Make sure the humidity is good too - during the winter the air indoors tends to be dry;

Make sure your bird gets enough light despite short winter days - I'm using a lamp with a timer that turns it on when I'm not home.

 

[Feu]

If I tried to put I sweater on her I would probably lose a hand, so I have no advice on that! I do blow dry her in the cooler months after her shower.

Thanks Kendra! He's an absolute sweat heart and will let my husband and me do anything to him. As in the picture, we put a flight harness on him and take him out usually every couple days, and for our wedding we made him a mini tux in colours to match his dad! He's got no problem wearing things, so maybe I'll sew him a hoodie and see how he takes to it. If I can find a patch for the local sports team, he'll even blend in!

Is it safe to use a blow dryer? I've heard of people doing it, but I always thought it would be too hot. How far do you keep her from it?

 

[Feu]

Thanks Alex!
I was planning on getting a humidifier, but I didn't think of getting one for the bird - do you know of any good ones? I'll look into a light as well.

 

[mrgoogls]

i live in NY, and right now its i think like 3 degrees(F) outside. cooper is fine indoors, i only take him outside in spring/summer/fall. for the most part, he should be fine with your house temp unless he is all wet, then you may want some extra heat, or to dry him off yourself

 

[Blancaej]

I live in very cold Vermont!

I keep the bird room between 68-70 in the winter. My thermostat is set at 68.

We have fleece covering all the windows in the bird room in the winter. It keeps all the drafts out. With our thermostat set at 68, the bird room stays about 70 since we added the fleece. I pull it back on sunny days.

I also have a humidifier & hope to add lamps at some point.

Good luck!

 

[riddick07]

Definitely get a humidifier! My one conure plucked last year in the winter and we thought he did it because we left for a week. Then he did it again this year just after the feathers had all grown back in. The dry air was the only thing I could think of and went out to buy a humidifier and he stopped plucking within the day!

A blow dryer is a good idea but don't use it too often in the winter months since it will probably dry out the skin a lot. With our cockatoo we leave her in the bathroom after a bath because our dryer is in there and if we turn that on it gets nice and warm. We will occasionally blow dry her but blow drying my hair dries it out if I do it too often so I can only imagine what it does to her skin and feathers. We use it on low and warm and keep it a good distance from her body when we blow dry her.

Also if you have drafty windows seal them with plastic film thats what we do! We also roll our cockatoo away from our sliding glass door at night because no matter what you do there is a chill that comes off them during the night.

 

[kendrafitz]

That is awesome! If you do make him a hoodie you will have to post a pic. Do you have a pic of him in his tux?

Yes, it is safe. My vet was actually the one who told me to use it. Setting depends on your dryer. For a basic dryer low - med 16" or so away (or more) is good. My new dryer has cool/warm/hot and then the choice of low/med/high. I put it on warm and med or high if she is soaked. If I need my hands for other tasks, I have a stand for the dryer. She can walk away from it or turn around to get different parts of her body. Mind you, she is a GW and it takes FOREVER for her to dry. If I am holding the dryer I just keep moving it so the air doesn't stay in one spot very long. I am always nervous about the heat. Rosie loves it and when I ask if she wants me to blow dry her, she says uh huh and comes right over. Then says Oooohhhh while she gets dried off. Very cute.

Also, I agree with the humidifier and lights. Rosie is under her light for at least a few hours everyday. It helps since she isn't outside.

 

[Alex_3112]

My Too is completely scared of things like vacuum cleaners and blow dryers, so I just wrap him in paper towels, and he's happy to chew them all to pieces while drying up.

 

[KeroRocks]

I don't take my birds outside unless it's over 40 degrees out and then only to rush into a preheated car.

Generally we don't go outside unless it's over 60 degrees.

Indoors I keep my house at 68 it changes to 65 at night and during the day. My guys seem fine with those temps.

It was 3 degrees this morning... OUCH!

 

[Birdbrain91]

I live in Colorado and I have a heater fan in the bird room which is set at 71. I also have curtains to cover the windows at night. I do cover my conures but my Macaw isn't use to being covered but I will on very cold nights ( below 0).

They only go outside if it's close to 60 and even at that it's for a short period of time.

None of my birds like a towel or the blow dryer so on shower days I get the bathroom really hot and let them dry off in there.

I use to live in Washington state and Oregon so I know about the lack of sun so I would get a full-spectrum light for him.

 

[Tangie]

I don't have anything heated in Kiko's cage so I just make sure the thermostat is reasonably high in temperature, and then I cover him with a blanket during the night, when it becomes chillier. I've always been hesitant to use the heating supplies for birds, so I've never used them.

As for being outdoors in the winter, I never bring him out. I live in Maine so it's always below 20° degrees(even that's high temps for our winters), and he's really small. I think it's just too risky, even with a birdie sweater,or a blanket.

 

[bostjan]

I live in Northern Vermont. The birds all have heated perches and we cover the doorways into the living room with blankets to keep the heat in. The only drawback to the blankets is that it is possible to spook the birds when you enter the room quietly.

I would never consider taking the birds out of the house in the winter. If there was an emergency, I would use a hot water bottle or a heating pad with an inverter for use in the car and move the bird as quickly as possible to a warm place.

 

[MomtoPercy]

Interesting topic. I've been wondering about the same thing. My zon copes very we'll with our summer heat which regularly rises above 30 degrees celcius. In winter however it gets as low as 5 degrees celcius and I'm very worried about the coming cold season (from June).

 

[Sadie13]

I just keep mine indoors unless the weather permits. Keep my thermostat set at 70, i give them their heated perches once i turn my furnace on for the first time and take them out when its a/c time. We have a humidifier attached to the furnace so it doesn't get too dry, and i towel dry them most of the way before i open the bathroom door after a shower.
I think it was -3 here this morning. The birds didn't seem to notice