Keeping birds warm

[frenchstyle712]

Hi! I'm new to keeping finches and I'd like to know how others keep their birds warm. We like to turn the heat down at night (65 degrees) and keep the main parts of the house about 68 degrees during the day. My birds are in my office, which is a smallish room in the house.
I travel frequently, so I'd love additional suggestions on automatic heaters, etc.
Thanks!
A

Peaceful flight:
spice finch, Atticus
society finch, Lord Parliament

Disruptive flight:
cutthroat, Ace
gray singer, Glide Path

One dog, Fenway.

[Sally]

If your house is not getting colder than 65, I don't really see a need for supplemental heat, since you are not breeding. I have birds in my dining room, and I keep my house at 70 during the day and 65 at night. In my bird room (spare bedroom), where I have birds set up for breeding, I keep one of those oil-filled radiator type heaters, as I like to keep that room a bit warmer.

And welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at the Finch Information Center, linked at left, and the members are always ready to help.

[debbie276]

Totally agree with Sally, 65 degrees is not too cold. I also use an oil-filled radiator to supplement heat in my outdoor aviary, they work great.

Welcome to the forum

[frenchstyle712]

Thanks! Your answers help a lot.
What are your thoughts on covering v. not covering the cages at night?

[debbie276]

I have never covered my cages. I can't imagine the birds not totally freaking out when the sheet goes over the top and again when it comes off.

[30 Seconds to Bob]

I'm the exact opposite. I've covered every canary and finch cage every night since I've been keeping canaries and finches, and use exceptionally heavy "blackout" material to do so. I firmly believe that birds (especially canaries) need strict daylight/nightime schedules to facilitate their natural seasonal processes. As their eyes are so much more light sensitive than ours, even tiny amounts of ambient room light can throw things off severely. Since doing so, I never have a problem with birds moulting or laying eggs out of season.
I give them a brief "twilight period" by turning out most of the lights in the house prior to sunset, and cover them completely about 15 to 20 minutes later. Every bird eventually gets used to cage covering in a few weeks and don't even flinch when I put the covers on. Just the way I do things - the way my mentors taught me. Bob

[Madcat]

Hi and welcome! I have a space heater / blower. I keep it on 70. I don't cover the birds. Funny.... They always seem to know when bedtime is. I suppose it's due to the natural light. Sun up, sun down....they know when to wake up and when to go to bed...

[ac12]

In the winter the family room will drop into the mid/low 50s.
The only heat is during the day when the lights turn on, 2 of the cages have heat lamps. These are primarily for the juvs that are molting. The other cages have no heat.

I will also put a heat lamp on the quarantine cage, as I aclimate new birds in. I think the heat also counters some of the stress of traveling from the bird show to home.

[mayble]

I was using a oil-filled radiator in the birdroom, but recently abandoned it in favor of small heat lamps for the waxbills. The other species I have are more tolerant, I think.
My birdroom is in the house, but I keep the vent closed in there to avoid heat or a/c blasting directly on the cages, so it's not horribly cold in there but still chillier than the rest of the house.
I'm still in search of a deflector that the dog won't step on (or chew on) and break.

[ac12]

In the winter the family room will drop into the mid/low 50s.
The only heat is during the day when the lights turn on, 2 of the cages have heat lamps. These are primarily for the juvs that are molting. The other cages have no heat.

What I meant to says was the night time temp will sometimes drop into the 50s.
During the day, the setback thermostat kicks in to bring the temp up to the mid 60s. So the temp is not in the 50s all day long.