The cool weather is coming in Ontario

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 11:51 am

Are family are new to the gouldian finch and we love them.....

The question we have is this...... the cage is in our living room against a wall that is not cool, there are no floor vents close by or drafts but we have been told that it is a good idea to have a lamp or some sort to keep close or above the cage so that if the birds are cool they will sit under it or stay to one side where the heat is not on. Is this correct information and if so what sort of light blub and how far away or above should the heat of the lamp be?

thanks

rottielover · Post by **rottielover** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 3:34 pm

Most of the people I talk to in my area use those ceramic heat bulbs.

They don't give off any light, and you can't tell they are "on" unless you put your hand up close to it (I wouldn't touch it though).

Most people that I see using them, just hang them outside the cage, situated so that the "light" aims at a corner perch. That way the bird has a "warm spot" to go too if it's feeling chilled.

HTH!

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:16 pm

what watage is best?

Are there any other finch lovers in the Ontario area that has experienced a cool winter with their birds that has any informatin that might be helpful to us.

thanks
B

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 11:08 pm

I wouldn't worry too much about a heat lamp. Have had gouldians in the past that did well in the house without a heat lamp and I'm living in Ontario also. House temperature is usually around 20 in the winter and if it does get cooler by 1-2 degrees it's not a big deel. The birds will adjust. The only thing is not to have too great a variation in the temperature. ie. Don't turn your house heat off and turn it back on when you get home when it's -10 celcius outside.

Chris

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:04 pm

we keep the house at about the same temperature as you do so I guess they should be fine it is hard to think of them in the cool nights and when we put on a sweater they can't.

thanks for the help

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:11 pm

No problem

EmilyHurd · Post by **EmilyHurd** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:33 am

In my big flight, I keep a heat lamp on 24/7 just in case. For any bird that is a little chilly. Most of the time the ones sitting under it at night are my gouldians and waxbills.

I guess it's just personal preference though. I'm sure they really don't "need" it, but I like for them to have it.

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:01 pm

thanks for the information as well Emily, what size of blub and how far away from the cage do you usually keep the heat? I have a table lamp right beside the cage but the cage is a hanging cage so I thought if I place a different light blub in that light (if I can) that will give off a little more heat if that might do as well. I find that right now with the weather here in Ontari there is no need for extra heat but come Jan, Feb, and March they might need a little more heat.

I will wait for more information before buying any sort of blub for my table lamp.

thanks

Post by **Sally** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 2:56 pm

I use the ceramic heat lamps that are usually sold in the reptile section of the petstore. These are the ones that don't emit any light at all, and you can only tell they are on by placing your hand in front of them. They are expensive, but supposed to last a long time. My birds aren't in my house, so I just use an ugly clamp-on reflector on the side of the cage, aimed at a perch. I have used 60, 100, and 150 watt heat lamps, but for inside the house, probably 60 watt would be fine, just enough to warm them a touch.

EmilyHurd · Post by **EmilyHurd** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 5:27 pm

I use the same thing as Sally, with the clamp lamp and I place it about 12 inches from one of the corner perches.

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:54 pm

I have heard that Gouldians are ok to 15 Celcius provided they reach this temperature at a slow rate.

trevorama · Post by **trevorama** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 7:32 pm

I have used an electric radiator (oil filled) which has a timer on it. It works quite well and heats up the space quickly and is cosy. The only thing I would highly recommend is to turn it on and leave it for a while (away from the birds) to burn off any chemicals that have been applied to parts of the heater. This will ensure the fumes don't hurt them. You can set the timer to the nearest 15 minutes. I've used it for sick birds and to keep the chill off in the quarantine room.