To Heat Lamp or not to Heat Lamp?

[Brette]

I've always poo-pooed the idea of heat lamps but lately some of my finches have become seniors so I'm thinking about elder care and comfort.

I don't like the idea of my finches becoming hot house flowers. I think it's a disservice to the birds, plus mine live indoors. But I wonder if my old waxbill would enjoy it on his old bones. He's well over 8 at this point... I seem to always have at least one geriatric finch in my little aviary!

How many of you have heat lamps on your indoor birds? What are the pros and cons? What time of heat lamps do you use, if any (wattage etc)

[wilkifam]

What about a heated perch?

[Brette]

a what?

[wilkifam]

A heated perch, instead of a heat lamp......

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywor ... bio5vqn4_b

[debbie276]

Lots of people use heat lamps. Be sure that the bird can get away from it if it gets too hot. Place it over a perch. I use ceramic heaters that can usually be found in the reptile section. Ceramic heaters do not give of light so it doesn't disturb their sleep pattern.
I heard that some heated perches can burn the feet of finch but have no personal experience with them.

[wilkifam]

I have some ceramic bulbs that I've used for sick birds, but not as a regular heat source. They work great, and don't give off light, and they don't burn out.

[Spreckles]

Brette

I have an 8 year old too. I hooked up a Wal-Mart crookneck lamp with a 40 watt bulb. It's just sitting there on top of the cage nothing fancy. My old Blue loves to warm his old bones. He scolds me at night when I turn it off. Such a cutie. All seniors of any species appreciate some comforts.
I nearly drove myself crazy with this lighting question. It doesn't have to be complicated.

Karen

[slwatson]

I use the same type of ceramic heaters that Debbie is referring to....particularly in the winter if I don't feel like my radiator heater is keeping the room warm enough. My birds are indoors as well, but we have temperature fluctuations throughout our house, and the "bird room" doesn't have central heat and air.

http://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore ... lamp-lamps

http://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore ... -100-watts

[finchandlovebird]

I've used the 60watt red bulbs. Be sure they aren't close enough to melt something. I melted a plastic feeder once.

[ac12]

I use a heat lamp for my community cage where I put my newly weaned juvs into. This gives them a warm place to go to. But interestingly, the juvs don't seem to use it much.

On the other hand, I turn on the heat lamp for my societies, when I give them a bath. They get SOAKED and look MISSERABLE and seem to be shivering, so the heat lamp helps them dry down with less shivering.

[Arcusii]

I use this type for my old Canary and he loves it much. He snuggles to it nightly.

It's call: Snuggle Up Bird Warmer.