FINCHforum

What are the acceptable room tempature ranges for Gouldians? What is the very minimum?

I was told 50 or 60 F but would like a more informative answer.

I keep my gouldians in a garage and when the outside temperature drops to the teens, a heater warms the temperature inside to around 50 -60 without any detrimental effects on the entire flock.

I keep my birds in my sunroom/enclosed porch in the front of the house. It can be the coldest or hottest room depending on the seasons. I'm wondering what I'm going to do in the winter time. I have a young Gouldian male who didn't finish his adult molt yet and we've had drastic drops in temps lately, especially in the evenings. I found him fluffed and sleeping a lot so I immediately put a heat lamp on the flight so he could warm up when he wants. He's doing much better now.

I need to find a way to warm up that room in the winter without killing my pocket book. My Electric bill goes through the roof in the winter

Renee

When I had my birds in an unheated, uninsulated shed, I used ceramic heat lamps on each cage. It seemed to work pretty well, birds appeared healthy, and though it raised my electric bill some, wasn't too bad. The small space heaters really use the electricity.

I think especially with babies and young birds still molting the heat is important, especially with the Goulds. I noticed my breeding pair both sleeping in the nest at night with the chicks when we had some cold nights. I think the adults could probably handle it better and get used to it if they are acclimated properly but it's the babies I worry about.

I'll have to look into the ceramic lamps Sally, Thanks. Right now we are back in the 80's, but it's been so crazy lately.

Renee

Gouldians will tolerate 50f but they are happier at 60f plus especially if breeding...lower than 60f is risking egg binding in the hens.

I use infra red heat lamps in the winter for my birds on my porch. But I am not sure of the cost of burning these bulbs. I also have heating bills that go through the roof.
My aviaries are heated with electric floor heaters sitting on cement blocks & enclosed in hardware cloth cages.

I try to not let the temp fall below 65 in my aviary. In the coldest months I use an electric fan heater with a thermostat.

gouldians in the wild at night time the temp can get down to as low as 3-4 degreec celsius then in the same day can reach upto 45 celsius. i think its best to give as close a there wild status in wheather.
thanks chris

I keep mine at 65 degrees minimum. It does get a lot warmer in the summer in that room. I think the important thing about the temperature is that they are acclimated to it. Breeding and molting times do require a warmer temperature to avoid problems.

fincher wrote:gouldians in the wild at night time the temp can get down to as low as 3-4 degreec celsius then in the same day can reach upto 45 celsius. i think its best to give as close a there wild status in wheather.
thanks chris

Conditions in the wild are a bit different...obviously only the fit will survive,that's natures way.In captivity we don't have the advantage of birds to replace the loss of weaker members of the flock.Having said that I appreciate that numbers of gouldians in the wild are greatly reduced nowadays.I should hate to think how many birds I would lose if they were allowed to live at those overnight temperatures in a British winter.

I have a ceramic heat lamp over my Gouldian's cage switched on all year. I even made a "shelter" of aluminum foil around the corner of the cage where the lamp is, so there is always a "warm corner". Even in summer, they sleep under the lamp, which tells me they like heat when they can get it.



My gouldians are in my sunroom, which gets into the 50s and 60s in winter but I have a portable electric radiator next to their cage switched on when it gets below 65'F (in addition to the ceramic heat lamp). Maybe all this isn't necessary but my birds seem better for it and never get sick with this arrangement - and air sac mights seem to be less of an issue or they can combat them more easily, with the extra heat (just my opinion).