Heating panel

[gmermel]

Anyone have or know about this (searched the Board but no luck):
Avitech Exotic Birds - Supplies, Equipment and Nutritional Supplements for Birds!
Getting ready for the cold long MT winter. I have a south facing room for the bird so the days aren't a worry. But nights could get chilly. Zoey uses her hut but I want to add some reliable safe warmth. Ceramic infrared heat seems the best as far as safety and lack of adding light to the night. The bulbs aren't cheap ($25-30) and you need to purchase the right type of socket/reflector too.

This panel looks like the perfect solution: Self contained, not ugly. But costly. Don't want to spend for it if there are any drawbacks anyone can think of.

Comments?

[usamma]

What about just a regular heating pad? If you put it on top of of the cage with a plastic barrier between it and the cage it should be safe. Moki got cold little feet last winter and that's what I did for him. I put the pad in a small plastic storage container on top of the cage, on just one corner so he could move away from it if he needed to.

The newer heating pads are on a 2 hour auto shutoff, but if you rigged it with an automatic timer you can set it to turn on and off at regular intervals. Also, you can put a couple of flat river stones on top of the pad and they will hold the heat even when the pad is off.

[perchingbird]

How cold is "chilly"? They do adjust to temperature changes. Unless you're spoiling them rotten. :D

For my ill sun, I had a reptile lamp with the ceramic bulb on the side of his cage over his happy hut. He -basked- in it like he was a lizard. I almost bought one of those Avian wall heater things, but I kept hoping he'd get well enough to not need it.

[wyspurcreations]

I use a heating pad on the bottom of the cage and then I put a product called Dri-Dek on top of that followed by newspaper. Does the job for the little one, but I sure wouldn't recommend this for the heavy chewers.

[Jag]

I thought last winter about getting one for Rayne. I think I will be getting them this year. Four cages.. yeah, it could get expensive. However, our house is cool during the winter, and Rayne's feet were very cold every morning, and she'd shiver for a couple minutes after waking. So, this winter we're doing the panels. (I had plently of blankets over the cage, but when I'd move her to the 'day' cage, she was cold)

[some-budgie-loves-me]

I don't have any experience with those (never seen them before, actually), but I took a look at the link and now want one! Looks good to me!

[gmermel]

Originally Posted by perchingbird

How cold is "chilly"? They do adjust to temperature changes. Unless you're spoiling them rotten. :D

UUhhhh, welllllll, spoiling MY bird????!!! That would never happen. Not my bird, or any of the other birds owned by our little community here.

Or would it?

[Jag]

Mine aren't spoiled either. I'm simply trying to keep them comfy! Until I've spent more on the birds than my truck.. then we're good!