Finished Basement Safe?

[Acelin_Wolf]

Hello everyone!

I'm going to be moving soon, and alot of the potential houses have finished basements. I've been looking at these for my 'finch' room. I have 2 cats, so they can't be just in the main areas of the house, and the bedrooms are so small in these houses that my finches wont fit in there with my bed.

SO. Are finished basements safe for finches? The temperate in the one I'm thinking of is a little chilly, but I'll just raise the thermostat (it was set at 68). I'm more worried about the furnace, hot water tank, etc. I have no idea if they're harmful, gas-wise or otherwise. They're in a separate room in the basement, so the finches couldn't get there even if they get out of their cages.

Thoughts? Information? Experiences?

Thank you!

[Ginene]

Hey Amelia...a finished basement is a fine place for a bird room. The temperature in my bird room (spare bedroom) during winter is 72°. I think finches are fine at lower temperatures though...but I'm not sure exactly what that is. Just be sure that the new home you purchase doesn't have any issues...for example, Radon is a problem in New Jersey, so homes are checked for this during the buyers home inspection. Best of luck in your house hunt

[Acelin_Wolf]

Radon can be a problem in this area too, I know. I'll def mention that to my boyfriend, as we get closer to picking a place. Make sure it's tested. Wouldn't want anything happening to my little darlings~ OR to my family or other animals.

[Ginene]

I hear ya...in Staten Island (NY), the only problems we have in our basements is FLOODING!!! UGH!!! Thankfully, we went the extra mile waterproofing our basement. When we put our house on the market in 2 years, my bird room will be staged as a bedroom again and the birds will be moved into the basement

[inchofstar]

A heads up: we just had radon mitigation done last year. It was basically a giant plastic tube and a fan. And it was over 1k. Fall is the best time to test, winter's ok, spring/summer not so much, as I understand it anyway. Which would mean if you move then the levels are naturally low and you'd have a little time to deal with it. Just budget for it, or get it into your inspection.

Good luck house hunting!

[MiaCarter]

My worry would be 2-fold.

- A basement is more prone to mold problems. Birds are especially sensitive to mold. Even in a finished basement, the cool temps and lack of natural light make it more mold-friendly than other locations. So that's just something to be aware of.

- They'll also need supplementation because they'll get no natural daylight. So you'll need to replicate that. You'll also want to supplement with Vitamin D3, as they need sunlight exposure to synthesize D3 (and without it, they cannot absorb calcium, which leaves hens prone to eggbinding).

Overall, though, I think you should be good!