Perch heater ?

427HISS

427HISS

New member
Jan 23, 2012
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Nebraska
We keep our home fairly cool, but not cold enough to make our Cockatoo Shelby, in danger or anything, but we notice her feet are a little cold sometimes. I have some questions.

How well do the perch heaters work ?
I assume,....safe ? (ya never know)
Can birds bite through the perch heater element ?
Apx. what are the temps and do manufactures have different temps ?
What brand has the best quality ?
Where is the best price ?

We may want two, one for her big cage and play stand in the living room, but I think her cage is the most important.

We really like Kathie, owner of My Safe Bird Store and here's some information on her site. These from a company called K & H Manufacturing seem expensive, but I know she only has high quality and safe products.
http://www.mysafebirdstore.com/cart.cgi?group=1790&child=4836

THERMO PERCHESThe K&H Manufacturing Co. patented Thermo-Perch helps protect your exotic birds from the harmful effects of air conditioning and cold drafts. Cold is a major contributor to health problems for exotic birds, and providing warmth is the first step that avian experts and veterinarians turn to. Thermostatically controlled, Thermo-Perch provides a safe, consistent source of warmth, stabilizing the bird's environment. Made of sturdy scratch and bite resistant plastic, Thermo-Perch attaches easily to wire cages. Its irregular shape reduces foot cramps and pressure sores, providing orthopedic benefits.

Thanks,
Kev
 
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I bought my budgies a thermo perch and it's great ! They are hard,layers of plastic that cover the wire and my budgies have never been injured with it. Thermo perches are once temperature of a birds body temperature and they arnt too hot or too cold . You can leave them on forever and they will never over heat ( I mean thermo perxhes ) The only brand I trust is Thermo Perches at Dr.fosterandsmith.com. They sell it at the cheapest you can ever find and trust me I have researched. I have the same one in the picture and if you are worried about your bird pulling the connection wire to the outlet from the cage bars they have protective wiring around it.
 
I've been told never to buy them as birds often burn their feet on them. I would personally just look at the pros and cons of the heated perches and make your decision based on different articles. I have never taken the chance to try them, so I have no experience but I have heard horror stories, but it'd be great if there was one without that problem,
 
The one that I have has a the temperature of a birds body temperature , they don't overheat they have keep it in a specific range that is comfortable for the birds feet and the bird itself
 
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They won't burn your birds feet. The have a built in thermostat that maintains a barely warm to the touch temperature! My birds enjoy them on a chilly night.
 
I guess I should also add that the perch is very, very solid. I could not see a parrot biting through one of these heated perches unless it was like a Macaw biting into a small size perch. Even then it would be a challenge.
 
No offense, but that is the silliest thing I've ever heard of. It sounds like a complete waste of money to me. If you stood on a heated floor in an otherwise chilly house, would you be warm? Just because it'll warm up her feet (possibly burn them if it malfunctions) doesn't mean it's going to keep her cage a comfortable temperature. Since our wall furnace happens to be in the living room (which is where our parrot is too), we keep it at 70 degrees, and close off the rest of our house to conserve energy (we use a small portable radiator in our bedroom at night, but we wont pay to keep the rest of the house warm 24/7). Even if he wasn't lucky enough to be near the furnace, we would still make sure he kept warm in a safe manner. If I were you, I would keep a small portable radiator (they're super warm and don't suck up energy) near her cage, and keep the rest of the house at whatever temperature you want (and close off rooms to heat that you aren't regularly in). Parrots cannot be in the cold (below 70), they are tropical creatures, and as a parrot owner, it is your responsibility to make sure her needs are met (including warmth in the winter). In addition to proceeding a safe means of warmth outside the cage, you can also give her a little "hut" to snuggle up in. I'm good at sewing, and made our guy a very nice quilted "tent" that attaches to the sides of his cage with cord, that is placed directly over his sleeping perch. I find him in there every morning in the winter (soooo cute!). If you can't sew, you can buy them (about $20) at most pet stores (I believe their called birdie buddies) which are fluffy little tents that tie onto the cage. Most parrots love them, and being machine washable, and like a warm comforter for your bird, it's a good investment.
 
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I agree and disagree with a few points.

For all creatures, warmth comes from our heads, neck, hands, back of the knee's and feet. As long as we keep those areas warm, the body will stay warmer. Same goes for keeping cool in the summer. With these areas unprotected the bodies have a harder time regulating tempter. Medical school and journals proves this point, as well as living in Nebraska with it's harsh weather. lol

I do agree with the ambient temps are by far, more regulate than just a heater for their feet to keep warm, we mean the heated perch as more of comfort zone, as the rest of the birds feathers will regulate temps more evenly. We can't expect the perch heater to keep our birds warm with room temps being cold, it just does not work that way, and would say most people know this already. It's used to supplement, not as a main source of keeping warm.

Like a engine block heater in the winter, expect the engine and water/antifreeze to be warm in the morning, but not the entire car. ;)
 
Kiwibird said:
No offense, but that is the silliest thing I've ever heard of. It sounds like a complete waste of money to me. If you stood on a heated floor in an otherwise chilly house, would you be warm? Just because it'll warm up her feet (possibly burn them if it malfunctions) doesn't mean it's going to keep her cage a comfortable temperature. Since our wall furnace happens to be in the living room (which is where our parrot is too), we keep it at 70 degrees, and close off the rest of our house to conserve energy (we use a small portable radiator in our bedroom at night, but we wont pay to keep the rest of the house warm 24/7). Even if he wasn't lucky enough to be near the furnace, we would still make sure he kept warm in a safe manner. If I were you, I would keep a small portable radiator (they're super warm and don't suck up energy) near her cage, and keep the rest of the house at whatever temperature you want (and close off rooms to heat that you aren't regularly in). Parrots cannot be in the cold (below 70), they are tropical creatures, and as a parrot owner, it is your responsibility to make sure her needs are met (including warmth in the winter). In addition to proceeding a safe means of warmth outside the cage, you can also give her a little "hut" to snuggle up in. I'm good at sewing, and made our guy a very nice quilted "tent" that attaches to the sides of his cage with cord, that is placed directly over his sleeping perch. I find him in there every morning in the winter (soooo cute!). If you can't sew, you can buy them (about $20) at most pet stores (I believe their called birdie buddies) which are fluffy little tents that tie onto the cage. Most parrots love them, and being machine washable, and like a warm comforter for your bird, it's a good investment.
Click to expand...

If you do a little reading you'll find the birds lose most of their body heat from their "feet". Same theory applies to us humans wearing hats on cold days to prevent body heat from escaping. If you still think it sounds silly take into consideration some people wear gloves when it's not even cold to others just because it feels good to them. Maybe a warm perch just feels good to the birds.
 
I bought the medium Thermo perch from Drs. Foster and Smith and my grey LOVES it. As others have said, it is only slightly warm so there's no danger of burning. I have a total of TEN different types of perches in his cage and he picks this one over his previously favored rope perch all the time. So it if doesn't feel good, why would he pick this one? We keep our house at 70 degrees, BTW.
 
If its anything like electic rocks used for reptiles I have seen first hand how badly they can malfunction and I would be scared to use such a device.

Also how cold is your home? I know Nebraska can be very cold but I imagine inside your home is much warmer than a Nebraska winter.

People picture Australia as a hot place but they haven't been inland at night in winter. It gets cold. I have seen -5degrees Celsius (23 Fahrenheit) in Queensland the warmest state of a night. Sulpher crested toos are found along the entire east side (and a little on the west) of Australia including down in Tasmania where -10 degree nights (14 Fahrenheit) are not unheard of. Sure it is mild compared to Nebraska but I am guessing it is a bit colder than your house.
 
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Klaery said:
If its anything like electic rocks used for reptiles I have seen first hand how badly they can malfunction and I would be scared to use such a device.

Also how cold is your home? I know Nebraska can be very cold but I imagine inside your home is much warmer than a Nebraska winter.

People picture Australia as a hot place but they haven't been inland at night in winter. It gets cold. I have seen -5degrees Celsius (23 Fahrenheit) in Queensland the warmest state of a night. Sulpher crested toos are found along the entire east side (and a little on the west) of Australia including down in Tasmania where -10 degree nights (14 Fahrenheit) are not unheard of. Sure it is mild compared to Nebraska but I am guessing it is a bit colder than your house.
Click to expand...

I've not yet read one negative review pertaining to any thermo perch malfunctions. The heating rod/thermostat runs directly through the center length of the perch allowing a very consistent temperature. A thermo rock like mentioned above has uneven surfaces that could result in hot and cold surfaces. I'm getting the feeling that some people simply want to prove the thermo perch a defective product without ever having tried it or reading any other customer reviews.
 
my neighbor uses it for her lovebird. she says the lb likes it very much as her sleeping roost perch.
 
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Klaery-I don't want to alter this thread, but when you said, If its anything like electic rocks used for reptiles I have seen first hand how badly they can malfunction and I would be scared to use such a device. How did that happen ?

I assume, the heated rock wasn't the only one in the tank, so why couldn't he escape away from it ?

I don't understand the comment about us here in Nebraska, other than it gets cold, but it's not like we have her outside. We keep the house around 68-70 degrees, and Shelby is just fine, other than her feet are a LITTLE, chilly, so that's the reason for the heated perch.

Do we put in heated floors in the bathroom to help keep us warn,...?
No, it just feels good on our feet.

It's meant as a comfort tool, not.....to keep her entire body warm. Lets not get crazy here people, as no one here is saying that they keep their house cold,....so the birds need a perch to warm them up as the main source of heat for the house.

Like I said,..... it's a comfort tool.
 
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spiritedcharm said:
I bought the medium Thermo perch from Drs. Foster and Smith and my grey LOVES it. As others have said, it is only slightly warm so there's no danger of burning. I have a total of TEN different types of perches in his cage and he picks this one over his previously favored rope perch all the time. So it if doesn't feel good, why would he pick this one? We keep our house at 70 degrees, BTW.
Click to expand...

That's cool ! lol (sorry, just had to)

We should get Shelbys Thermo in the next few days. :D
We bought it on Amazon. The one we wanted was sold out on My Safe Bird Store.
 
It happens with the reptile rocks because the thermo fails. Many lizards and snakes are pretty bad at feeling when they are 'too hot' underneath and so burns result when the rocks cook. I have seen it personally in monitors and bearded dragons. I have also seen a cracked tank caused by this (and have heard of a burnt down enclosure). It seems as if these thermo perches work in the same way and so I can't see how they wouldn't be prone to the same problem.

I'm not saying that they are a bad idea :) I am just nervous about heating that relies on a single thermostat and in my position knowing the parrot doesn't need it I would be too scared to use it. You are comfortable with it and that is fine :) Please don't take this as a 'DONT DO IT' kind of response. I was just stating my position on them.

Here are a few links if you want to read about the reptile rocks, just the first ones in google.
Heat Rocks - Hidden Dangers
Reptile Heating, Lighting and UVB FAQ
 
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I also assume that the "thermo falls" is a water fall, so if it's set up like I'm thinking, electricity and water always has a danger, just like with ponds with water pumps. With my research and other members here, the heated perch sounds very safe, but accidents always happen. The amount of heat produced and the very low amps they put out, should not be an issue.

I do want to thank you for your input and for discussing a possible problem with these units. That's what is great about this and other sites that have forums !

I hope you did not encounter a reptile's death because of a heater !
If so, I'm very sorry for your loss !

The monitors and bearded dragons are awesome creatures.

Kevin
 
No worries :) Always good to have a chat and it clears my conscious a little just to make sure the info is out there. Like I said I have absolutely no experience with heated perches.

I never had any losses with the reptiles because I was always aware of the dangers. The burned animals where while I was volunteering at a vet when younger and one of my animals I had that had been burnt with a previous owner. Thermo fail just means a thermostat fail. It is not uncommon for them to just fail even when being used normally. As you no doubt know the thermostat is what turns on and off the power to the heating element so that a reasonable temperature is maintained. When it fails there is nothing to turn off the heating element when it starts to get too hot and so a hot rock basically becomes a fry pan.

I myself only ever had one fail and it was only a few months old. No water involved. As it was hooked up to overhead spotlights on monitors I had no serious problems because of it. When I used heat cords (for the hatchling snakes) I used to put two thermostats inline just in case. The cracked tank belonged to a friend of mine who had a thermo fail on a heat pad. It did get ridiculously hot but we didn't realise it had actually gotten hot enough to crack the tank until I was helping her move house a few months later. Her snake was fine luckily.

Like you said there is no doubt a lot less power going through the perches then there is reptile stuff so even if the thermostat failed the results would not be as bad. Just scares me is all!
 
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Well, after about a month, she loves it !!!
She actually used it right away.

We put it in her large cage that is in the office. She does not use it exclusively, and the heat seems to vary along it's length which that's great also, that way she can regulate what she needs.

Now we want to buy one for her play stand in the living room. These perch's are made to clamp on the cage bars and since her stand does not have bars, I would have to make something like a clamp to fixate on the square tubing and cover the electrical cord with some pvc pipe.

Question, does any company make a clamp on style for play stands square tubing ?
 
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