How Cold is it?

[DonnaBudgie]

It's about -12F (-24C) here is Maine in the US! It's very unusual for us to get this cold. The temperature in my house where my budgies are is running from 64F to 70F (18 to 21C) and they're fine, but my heating bill isn't!

How cold is it where you live, and are your birds okay? What are you doing to keep them warn?

 

[texsize]

Right now 3:30 am it’s 24 degrees F.
Yesterday it took till 9:00 am for the outside temp to get above freezing.

The west coast isn’t affected so much by this polar vortex but it’s still colder than I like.

I keep the inside temp set around 65-68 degrees F.
I have tried to prepare for loss of electricity and have battery/solar backup but using electricity to heat doesn’t work. I can use the batteries to run my HVAC so long as we have natural gas.
If I loose both gas and electric I have a Mr buddy big buddy propane heater as a last resort.

Plus most of my birds have a bird heater in the cage and they don’t use much power.

 

[GivemeSeedsorgivemeFlesh]

It's -1 here with wind-chill of -11 and I am praying nothing goes wrong with heat. I don't know how I would transport a bird in these conditions...Water froze up a few days ago but I am always prepared for that. How cold can the inside temperature be? I had it on 63 yesterday and he wasn't puffed up or shivering...turned it up last night though for sleeping.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

This morning we fired up our back up heat supply (propane fireglace) for the first time since we built the house 8 years ago! Our little house is heated and ACed by one heat pump (aka mini-split). Fortunately the house is spray foam insulated so it retains heat quite well. We are building an addition this summer and will install a second heat pump. We have portable generators in event of a power failure but intend⁵èèß to install a whole house back up generator system.

My birds are comfortable and clueless about how lucky they are!

I hope all the birds living in homes across the country are warm and safe

 

[DonnaBudgie]

It's -1 here with wind-chill of -11 and I am praying nothing goes wrong with heat. I don't know how I would transport a bird in these conditions...Water froze up a few days ago but I am always prepared for that. How cold can the inside temperature be? I had it on 63 yesterday and he wasn't puffed up or shivering...turned it up last night though for sleeping.

As long as there's no draft a budgie can tolerate mid fifties without any problems. People say even lower is fine but it makes me nervous, plus I couldn't take it! I would put a blanket over his cage covering the back and sides to keep out any drafts. I have an oil filled space heater on my winterized porch because it needs a supplemental source. I run it constantly on LOW all winter. I hope you stay warm until this cold wave passes.

 

[TiredOldMan]

17F this morning. Power is still on. Got one of the trackloaders pulled up to the porch with a bucket load of wood in case I have to fire up the fireplace. About 74F inside now. Everybody comfortable

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Is it safe for birds to use a wood stove to heat your house? Is a pellet stove bird safe? I had a wood stove years ago and the sooty mess really turned me off the idea of putting one in my new house. I also didn't like the wood debris, leaves and dirt from the woodpile inside the house. I'm way too lazy to drag wood or bags of wood pellets inside every day to heat my home.

 

[TiredOldMan]

As long as the flue is drawing properly you don't get smoke in the house.
I only fire it up in emergency situations or when the HVAC can't keep up.

 

[JjEjFjF]

This morning we fired up our back up heat supply (propane fireglace)

Arent you worried about the propane fumes? My oven is propane and i never cook without the exhaust fan going.

When burned, propane primarily emits carbon dioxide and water vapor as the main byproducts, but can also produce small amounts of carbon monoxide, particularly if not completely combusted in a well-ventilated area; this carbon monoxide is the primary concern regarding propane fumes, as it is a toxic gas that can be dangerous when inhaled in enclosed spaces.

 

[Macawdamia Nut]

Brrrr! Stay warm, people and birds! It is 54 degrees now in South Florida. That is chilly for us! All of the windows in the house are fogged up. The temp inside is 72F. We have the heat set to turn on at 66F, but it is extremely rare for the temperature inside to drop below 70.

My bird begged to go outside yesterday. It was 60F and lightly raining. I kept checking to see if he wanted to come inside, but he was happy in the crummy weather.

Years ago he was in a house so cold we could see our breath inside when the heater broke in Boston. He much prefers Florida weather!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Arent you worried about the propane fumes? My oven is propane and i never cook without the exhaust fan going.

When burned, propane primarily emits carbon dioxide and water vapor as the main byproducts, but can also produce small amounts of carbon monoxide, particularly if not completely combusted in a well-ventilated area; this carbon monoxide is the primary concern regarding propane fumes, as it is a toxic gas that can be dangerous when inhaled in enclosed spaces.

It's a new high quality unit vented directly outside, and I can only assume it's safe. We have smoke and CO detectors.

I would worry a lot more about Texsize's Mr Buddy propane space heater. It is marketed as the only unvented indoor safe propane heater (we sell a lot of them at Lowes) and it's probably fine for people, dogs and cats, but I wouldn't use one around birds.

 

[JjEjFjF]

It's a new high quality unit vented directly outside, and I can only assume it's safe. We have smoke and CO detectors.

I would worry a lot more about Texsize's Mr Buddy propane space heater. It is marketed as the only unvented indoor safe propane heater (we sell a lot of them at Lowes) and it's probably fine for people, dogs and cats, but I wouldn't use one around birds.

I looked at those. Wasnt interested in buying one. Was curious because the box said “safe for indoor use”. Until you read the fine print. Crooked deceptive a holes.

 

[GivemeSeedsorgivemeFlesh]

As long as there's no draft a budgie can tolerate mid fifties without any problems. People say even lower is fine but it makes me nervous, plus I couldn't take it! I would put a blanket over his cage covering the back and sides to keep out any drafts. I have an oil filled space heater on my winterized porch because it needs a supplemental source. I run it constantly on LOW all winter. I hope you stay warm until this cold wave passes.

He has a place of prominence right in the middle of the floor as far away from the blowing heater as possible and seems to be doing okay... It does blow intensely down one side of the apartment but not on his cage directly. Unfortunately he can't be next to a wall as it's way too cold. He would hate it if I covered his cage during the day. He loves to watch everything and calls out when I disappear into the bathroom. I have to reassure him from the toilet.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

My budgies just follow us into the bathroom and watch.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

H

He has a place of prominence right in the middle of the floor as far away from the blowing heater as possible and seems to be doing okay... It does blow intensely down one side of the apartment but not on his cage directly. Unfortunately he can't be next to a wall as it's way too cold. He would hate it if I covered his cage during the day. He loves to watch everything and calls out when I disappear into the bathroom. I have to reassure him from the toilet.

How often does he come out of his cage?

 

[texsize]

One winter after changing the air filter I didn’t replace the cover properly.
This caused the interlock switch to stay open.
I went to bed after turning on the heater but woke up early morning at 58 degrees F inside.

None of my birds noticed anything.

 

[GivemeSeedsorgivemeFlesh]

H

How often does he come out of his cage?

Whenever the mood strikes him. It's normally open from breakfast to bedtime. He likes to hang out on the outside or ladder on top. He flies around but always lands back on cage (unless spooked). I would guess he's on the outside or top ladder 25% of the time? It really varies though depending on how frisky he's feeling. I want to encourage him to be more brave but at the same time it's much safer if he always lands on his cage.

 

[Jcas]

We’ve had three straight days of sub-zero temps in Illinois, but it’s 17 F now which actually feels pretty good after -10! Power stayed on, thank the good Lord, as I was running heat lamps in the chicken and quail coops and plugged in the heated water bucket for the goats. We have a wood burning furnace ( not a stove but an actual furnace) in the basement so that keeps things pretty cozy in the house. I do have a little stand up oil heater for the bird room if I feel they need it. Gas generator in the garage can power the fan for our natural gas and wood furnace if the power goes out, but I’m thankful it didn’t! Stay warm everybody!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Whenever the mood strikes him. It's normally open from breakfast to bedtime. He likes to hang out on the outside or ladder on top. He flies around but always lands back on cage (unless spooked). I would guess he's on the outside or top ladder 25% of the time? It really varies though depending on how frisky he's feeling. I want to encourage him to be more brave but at the same time it's much safer if he always lands on his cage.

As Ling as he's happy he's getting the right amount of time out if his cage.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

My budgies (the bravest most athletic ones) have several places in the room where they like to land and hang out, not all if which I am thrilled with. My great room is combo living, dining and kitchen. About half the time on top of cages but also the top of my kitchen cabinets, the wide windowsills 9 feet up, the top of the refrigerator, the kitchen counter and sink faucet. They are like housemates that don't do housework.