Heating pad to keep conure warm?

[Petey Time]

Hi guys,

With Winter coming I am trying to find a way to keep our conure, Petey, warm. I would like to keep him away from windows but that really isn't possible. If we took him out of the main living room (where most of the action in the house is) he wouldn't see us that much. And the main living room is having windows everywhere in the room. There are not drafts or anything coming through the windows or anything. This is his first Winter in our new home. In our old place his spot was about 8 feet away from any windows.

So I have a heating pad and I am wondering where I should put it, or even IF I should use it at all. It has tons of warnings about things like not using it when you're asleep, not putting anything on top of it. So I don't know what use it is. Is there a special type of heating pad/device for birds that is better?

Also, would it be bad to have him get used to the heat and not adjust to the cold naturally?

[Reznik]

I have read that you can get a heated perch that will help keep them warm. That might be one option to explore, I don't know much about them myself but they are available.

[ThreeX]

If there's no draft and you can stand the temperature i wouldn't bother. Birds are not especially fragile or sensitive (except draft and of course extreme temperatures.
Someone once told me that birds can take the same temp and for the same amount of timme you can, dressed in jeans and t-shirt

[LovelySydney]

DO NOT get a heated perch!!! There has been evidence that they can burn a birds feet or even cause a fire. They are just not 100% safe - and I would hate for you to wake up in the morning and find a deceased bird. I also wouldn't use a heating pad. If the bird decides to chew this, you could be in trouble. Also, like you said, there really isnt a good way to use it in a bird cage. We use a 100% safe space heater that we have in the room with our birds. We live in a drafty old house so we have to make sure we retain some heat. When getting a space heater it is very important to make sure it can be used around birds - believe it or not, some cant be!! Also keep in mind that birds can stay warm in temperatures that seem cold to us. Im not saying throw them outdoors for the winter, but sometimes we think they should be freezing because we are, and its not really the case.

[Petey Time]

Thanks for the replies!

What are the things to look for in a space heater that is safe for birds?

[AceyDoubleYou]

Why don't you get your bird something like a happy hut or type another soft, warm hide-out (I know some people have had tragic accidents happen with the happy hut brand, but there are other types out there that seem safer)? During the winter, the temperature in my apartment drops to 60 or 61 F at night, and my GCC just sleeps inside his hideout. When it's much hotter in the summer, he sleeps out on one of his perches. I think birds can adjust to temperature variations fairly well, but if he is particuarly uncomfortable at any point he can retreat to his happy hut. If you notice he stays in the happy hut all day, then maybe he is so uncomfortable you need to pursue other options, but I would try this first.

[Petey Time]

He has a Happy Hut but he rarely likes to go in it. He's had it since we got him 3 years ago. I have caught him in there a few times lately though. But I don't think he sleeps in there that I know of. Petey likes to sleep nestled in between the hut and the bars of the birdhouse.

What do you mean about tragedies with happy huts??????

[Valo's Moirana]

lose strings can get wrapped around the bird... it's important to check on the hut regularly to make sure they're not disintegrating

how cold do you keep your house in the winter?

[AceyDoubleYou]

Originally Posted by Valo's Moirana

lose strings can get wrapped around the bird... it's important to check on the hut regularly to make sure they're not disintegrating

how cold do you keep your house in the winter?

That's what I was referring to. I've read on here that some people's birds have chewed on the happy hut and ingested too much of it and/or gotten caught in loose strings (I think I read sometime ago that one person's bird actually strangled itself that way when she was out). But I also have a Happy Hut, and my bird doesn't chew on it at all, and so far have had no problems. But I would just keep an eye on it... if he gets into the habit of chewing/shredding the Hut, you may want to remove it for his safety.

[sailorkelly]

I am a fan of the bird tents.