Ideal humidity in the home?

[wrench13]

Something in another thread got me wondering about the humidity in the home. We keep our home pretty warm once the weather outside turns colder, with both hot water baseboard heating and a few strategically placed , bird safe space heaters. So it is dry for sure.

Questions:

• What is the ideal humidity for parrots in these conditions?
• Is adding a humidifier appropriate?
• Are there the same Teflon, PTFE etc considerations needed as when choosing a heater?

 

[chris-md]

Hey buddy

Most parrots are adaptable toa a range for humidity, though some may have dry skin issues, as some humans do.

The real humidity limit is 60% relative humidity, above which you risk growing mold.

You really don’t have the toxic fume issue with humidifiers. You’re more gonna have to worry about whether you have hard water or soft waters which will dictate what kind of humidifier you probably want to get.

 

[mica21493]

I prefer to use humidifiers. If I can get our humidity up to 30-35% when it's really cold, I'm lucky. And that is with running several. I've tried cool mist, evaporative and hot humidifiers. Never had a problem with the birds with any of them. I like the cool mist ones without a filter the best. I tend to be sensitive to the dry air and thought the birds would benefit too. My grey seemed to keep better feather and was just less itchy, never noticed a difference in the others. I usually give the humidifiers a good cleaning once a week, mine call for a vinegar solution. I use filtered water to run them, just my preference.

 

[SailBoat]

Humidity is a difficult discussion without straying into Nerd World.

Goal Number One! Get a quality Temperature /Humidity device, digital!!! I recommend at least two units, that require being plugged in or batteries, as most Homes vary wildly.

I have seen a number of documents and writings that state this or that as the best relative humidity (RH) for Parrots. IMHO, they are two high for the average home to first maintain and second, not have serious problems with window sweat and/or mold. Having lived in a huge home that used hot water heat and was 100+ years old and exchanged air like a barn, maintaining a consistent RH was impossible. Now with a newly built home, consistent RH is not a problem, but quickly obtaining window sweat can be an issue.

Since the membership live in both half's of the World and a wide variations in temperature zones, there is likely no perfect system, but below is a good starting point.

The Humidifier: Use a cool water system that uses a fan, filter and water tank. Look for one that has a RH setting on it and adjustable fan level -- because it is just easier to use and takes the guessing out of the equation.

RH and Your Home or Apartment: Whatever setting you start at, watch for window sweating (steamy or droplets along the glass base as it contacts the window's frame). That is your room or home's highest setting.

What I found that works for us: First we are located near the 45th parallel, which means that we commonly start heating in mid-late September and end sometime in late April or early May. Each year varies widely as does the Weather! We target an RH around 45% based on our Home, Parrot and People. The 'perfect' number for your home will vary depending on the quality of the measuring device (remember digital unit) and its location in the home.

 

[ParrotGenie]

A large wick based type what I recommend as only one that brings humidity levels to a decent amount during cold weather as most if you are lucky you can get barely 10% above current level and ultrasonic based humidifiers will tend to over humidify a area leaving wet spots. A wick based humidifier will evenly humidify whole area and can do over 15% over current humidity level. Plus ultrasonic based humidifiers put everything in water back in air including calcium and minerals, plus bacteria. Wick based one don’t have that issue. Just have to keep water treated and change wick filter every so often. I change mines twice a season and never had one grow mold. Just hard water buildup over time, is reason I change them. But water treatment does solve that issue, or using distill water, but I rather just use tap and treat water.

As far as humidity levels, it depends on outside temperature. If it above 35 degree then will keep Humidity level at about 40% to 45% and if lower temperature then 30% to 35%. You don’t want to go to high as you over humidify the area and have water and ice built up on windows. Never go above 55% otherwise you will have mold growing on walls and etc. You need a humidity meter. A good humidifier will have a humidistat built in to cut off fan.