How to Prepare Your Bird for Winter

[itslizze91]

Any suggestions? For Preparing Your Bird for Winter I live in NC in our weather, is bipolar sometimes it’s in The 40’s which is cold for me and then it’s in the 70s the next day

 

[SailBoat]

What temperature do you maintain your home during the Winter months?
If you are within reasonable 'hold' temperature, your Parrot will adjust by adding more under feathers (commonly gray to white) that will keep they comfortable.

That said, the rapid change from cold to comfortable to cold is a problem for them and you should adjust your hold temperature up.

If you have no control over your temperature, consider a cover for your Parrots cage and possible supplemental heat like a potable radiant heater, which is filled with oil and use an emergent heating element. They commonly have a temperature controller.

 

[itslizze91]

What temperature do you maintain your home during the Winter months?
If you are within reasonable 'hold' temperature, your Parrot will adjust by adding more under feathers (commonly gray to white) that will keep they comfortable.

That said, the rapid change from cold to comfortable to cold is a problem for them and you should adjust your hold temperature up.

If you have no control over your temperature, consider a cover for your Parrots cage and possible supplemental heat like a potable radiant heater, which is filled with oil and use an emergent heating element. They commonly have a temperature controller.

we usually keep it in the 70s thanks for replying!

 

[SailBoat]

we usually keep it in the 70s thanks for replying!

Thank you for that information. At that temperature, you Parrot with grow an appropriate layer of under-feathers. Monitor drafts from doors and windows near your parrots cage as they can make it difficult for your parrot to keep warm. A cover maybe needed.

Enjoy your parrot as they will add much to a cloudy winter's day!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Any suggestions? For Preparing Your Bird for Winter I live in NC in our weather, is bipolar sometimes it’s in The 40’s which is cold for me and then it’s in the 70s the next day

Rotate their landing gear and replace as needed, install new eye wipers, change the oil, add antifreeze, check their battery and wingnuts, and make sure their fluids are topped off and they should be good to go for another 20,000 zoomie laps around the room!

 

[wrench13]

Funny Donna, always a good bit of humor and I love the car simile
( don't forget to have the fender skirts hemmed!).

Seriously tho, Its OK if say he is in an A/C's appt and you need to take him to the vet and outside temp is like in the 90's. THat little bit of time from the house to the car is not going to hurt him. But an abrupt sustained change from cold to hot, like from an A/C'd home to an outside cage for the afternoon and then back into the cold house, thats when its not good. So my good pal 'Boats is 100% dead on ( as usual). And drafts - so don't place his cage or playstand directly in the air stream from the A/C unit, or place it where the cage is in direct sunlight where the heat will build up, even in an A/C'd room. Common sense should give you a better idea of this. The rule we follow -- if its comfortable for you, it should be OK for your parrot. to a certain extent

I always check the feathers between Salty's legs - if they are kind of shivering, he is cold. Like us, parrots are able to maintain body heat to a certain extent, within reason. Shivering, either of feathers , fur or skin, is how warm blooded animal bodies generate a bit of body heat, but doing that continuously, every day, all day long, uses up energy.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Funny Donna, always a good bit of humor and I love the car simile
( don't forget to have the fender skirts hemmed!).

Seriously tho, Its OK if say he is in an A/C's appt and you need to take him to the vet and outside temp is like in the 90's. THat little bit of time from the house to the car is not going to hurt him. But an abrupt sustained change from cold to hot, like from an A/C'd home to an outside cage for the afternoon and then back into the cold house, thats when its not good. So my good pal 'Boats is 100% dead on ( as usual). And drafts - so don't place his cage or playstand directly in the air stream from the A/C unit, or place it where the cage is in direct sunlight where the heat will build up, even in an A/C'd room. Common sense should give you a better idea of this. The rule we follow -- if its comfortable for you, it should be OK for your parrot. to a certain extent

I always check the feathers between Salty's legs - if they are kind of shivering, he is cold. Like us, parrots are able to maintain body heat to a certain extent, within reason. Shivering, either of feathers , fur or skin, is how warm blooded animal bodies generate a bit of body heat, but doing that continuously, every day, all day long, uses up energy.

How do you check the feathers between his legs? The belly feathers or the vent feathers farther back? Do you look up from below? What exactly are you looking for and why "down there" and not somewhere else?