Winter comming

coolestcat_99 · Post by **coolestcat_99** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:02 pm

I have had my birds outside since spring. They did great and really seemed to like it better. I was wondering how they would do outside through the winter. To what temp. is it safe to leave them out there. Last night my hen died and it did get down to 40. Should I move them in?

jamezyboo21 · Post by **jamezyboo21** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:13 pm

That is too cold for them. I would bring them in. I have brought mine in now. Its getting down to the 30's now and only in the high 50's. If you do keep them outside make sure they have a really good source of warmth and protection from drafts. I kept mine outside laast winter for a few months and had lost a few finches until i bought heat lamps and then they did better, eventually i had moved to Virginia for a short time and kept them indoors. Now im back in Florida and right now i am keeping them in my garage with heat lamps. and they are doing fine and actually breeding.

jocky · Post by **jocky** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:03 pm

sorry to take over the thread coolestcat, but jamezyboo how much did it cost you to run those heat lamps and how many did you have?

Has anyone used heaters for their birdrooms outside before? If you have, how much does it cost to get one and run it? I would appreciate your inputs. Thank you.

jamezyboo21 · Post by **jamezyboo21** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:14 pm

I dont knoiw how much it cost to run them, but i only had them outside for about 2 months and then moved up to Virginia for 3 months where they stayed indoors I bought 2 reptilian heat lamps at walmart for like $12 each and I used the night heat lamps that cost like $5 each and they also have day time bulbs as well for the same price. The bulbs i think are 60 watts. I have my finches in our garage now and it get pretty cold in there too so i have the heat lamps out agian and it i leave them on 24/7 and its been a month and my electricity bills has not gone up at all.

mickp · Post by **mickp** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 4:01 am

it gets down to 4 or 5 degrees c here during winter at night. my birds cope well with it. no heat lamps use and I dont cover any extra parts of the aviary either. have not lost any birds to the cold at all.

poohbear · Post by **poohbear** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 4:35 am

This was just before dawn this morning...the first sprinkling of snow this winter.My birds have minimum heating via tubular heaters set to come on at 11c.It was minus 4c outside last night.
Our power bills in the UK have doubled in the UK in the last two years ...God knows how much the next bill will be.They hugely increased the bills when oil was 140 a barrel...now it's around 50 but there's no sign of a decrease....typical of this country.The big boys do what the hell they like.