Location Set up

[zipzapzipperzoom]

Ok - I'm really loving my finches. My problem is space and having a spouse that doesn't share the love. Currently own Orange Cheeks and Societies. Planning to add Owls, Javas, Cordon Bleus and someday...my dream finches...Strawberries.

I'm thinking of creating my own little sanctuary in my partially finished basement. Temperature never falls below 60 even during winter.

I do have space heaters that take the chill off when spending time doing crafts.

Would the space be too cold? I do have heat lamps for the day and If needed I could set them up to stay on all night.

Thanks for input.
-Kristy

[debbie276]

I can only speak to owls, forbes and gouldians, they do fine to 50F. They even play outside in the snow during the winter but always had the birdhouse to warm up in with a temperature low of 50F. To get them into breeding mode you probably will have to up the temperatures though. My birds show no interest in breeding till it starts to get warmer.
good luck

[EyesofFreedom]

If it never falls below 60'F you should be fine...

Here is what I would do if I was you...

I would find the home (wild natural) location for each species... lets use Owl finches for an example...

You could google "range of wild owl finches"

When you do that you find that their home territory is northern and eastern coasts of Australia...

Then google something like "temperature ranges for northern Australia coast"

I got a Wikipedia response that tells me the normal range for highs and lows for summer and winter... it tells me summer highs can average between 86' and 104'F and some areas have shown lows as deep as 41'F

Now I would write that down... then I would do the same for each species I am interested in... if they have survived countless eons in the wild in these conditions then they should do just fine in a captive environment that does not include such extremes and more stable temperature ranges...

Also be sure to look at humidity as well... a lot of the birds are arid region birds and basements tend to be more humid... you may want to get a dehumidifier... but that is for you to research and decide on your own... only you know the humidity and other conditions of your basement...

One last note... with your planning be sure to give ample thought to lighting and airflow... there are a lot of good articles out about avian lighting and no one likes stale air

[finchmix22]

Even inside, I use a heater that is safe for finches to keep them warmer than 60 degrees. I try to keep the room temperature about 70-72 in winter.

[cindy]

These are domesticated birds not wild birds so basing how could you can keep the temperature does not depend on how cold wild birds of the same species can tolerate conditions. Wild birds, outdoors birds have the seasons to help them acclimate, here we can be in the 30's at night and back up to the 80's by noon....so since mine are indoors I try to keep a reasonable warmth for them in the house.

If they are use to be kept indoors at a certain temperature I would not let it get below 60 but try in the winter to keep it at about 68 to 70 degrees at least.

It also depends on your winter, if it is chilly, cold..... it is one thing but damp chilly can kill a bird, so a heater is a definite must.

I live in Florida, yes it gets cold, even bone chilling cold. I set my heat at 68 degrees, any higher because of the unit I have it is to hot. At 68 it gets toasty and the birds are active.

If your bird are huddled and puffed and very cold in the room during their most active time it means they need warmth.

Deborah mentioned a heater that is safe, check your space heaters and make sure they do not contain Teflon. Some breeder use oil filled others use ceramic coil heaters....here is an excellent article on heaters and how to keep your birds warm


http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-housing ... -heat.aspx

In the article it mentions Avi-Temp panels, one of the members just posted a topic on them http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26897

[Sally]

Many hobbyists keep their entire flock in basements. I would love to have one, but in the north Texas area, basements are very rare, houses are almost always built on concrete slabs. So I can't help you with advide on how to do it, but I know it can be done, and very successfully. I use those oil-filled heaters that look like radiators, they are wonderful for keeping an area at a comfortable temperature, and they are much safer than the usual space heater.

[Martie]

All of my birds are in my basement - and like yours, it does get down around 60 degrees. My birds do just fine in this environment, but some of the more delicate waxbill species might require some supplemental heat. I would just watch them and use your heater - or even a localized heat lamp - for them if you notice them fluffing during colder periods.

[Finnie]

Does your basement have any heating outlets? Is there a way you could section off a smaller area around a heat outlet, that would allow it to keep the smaller section warm?

My bird room is a corner of my basement that is sectioned off with king size duvet covers hung from the ceiling. (They were on clearance at Target for $20 each.) There are two heat vents in the ceiling, but now that I think about it, I closed those off so that they would not blow a draft on my cages. Yet it still maintains an even 69 degrees year round. Sometimes a little warmer in the summer. Maybe even closed hearting vents are enough to do the trick.