# Birdie blanket?



## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

I've been thinking of getting Kiwi a Birdie Blanket from My Safe Bird Store. It gets very cold in Minnesota during the winter, especially at night in our house. I was thinking of using this as an alternative to a lamp or thermoperch. I currently use a blanket to cover her cage and this looked interesting. Would this encourage nesting or hormonal habits though? 

http://www.mysafebirdstore.com/product.cgi?product=1956&group=1885


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

It resembles a harness. A bird could easily mistake it for a toy, I doubt a product like that will be very effective. I personally place lava lamps just outside my flight cages as a source of heat and light. And cover the cage everywhere except where the lava lamps are placed on a side that faces the wall. They stay nice and warm inside


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

i use fleecy type toys, i have curtains in my cage that i made for my tiels to go behind when they want some privacy, and for warmth when they feel chilly. my tiels dont snuggle with such things, but they do use the curtains.




i have a nesty lovebird though, but the blanket does not trigger hormonal behaviours in her


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

Oh great idea! I'll have to find my lava lamp.

I've been reluctant to do any avi lamps because my little brothers love to play with and leave everything on. They play with the hermit crab lamp light all the time so I'm afraid they would play with those and overheat/burn Kiwi.

The lava lamp should be ok because they wont have anything to mess with if it's on, they would just think it's fun to look at. It shouldn't be too hot and wouldn't be directly on Kiwi either even if it was left on. Nice! 


And it's great to know that the blankets wont trigger any hormonal behaviors in Kiwi. Don't want that to happen!! The curtains are a really cool idea! 

Edit: I think using both would be a good a idea. It can get to be -30 F in the winter here. With all the windows in my room I'm preparing for the worst!


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## hysteriauk (Jun 24, 2012)

@ Meanneyfids, I love your curtain idea and will set that up in the colder months for zippy also I noticed your teils perch is that cloth covered ?


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

That's a cool idea about that birdie blanket but I'm also doubtful if it would work. I like Darkel777's idea about the lava lamps. Lava lamps look extra pretty too! 

MeanneyFids, that's too cute!


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

I agree, I'm thinking that Kiwi would be more irritated at my birdie blanket than interested. I think I'm going to do the curtains and the lava lamp! Lava lamps are very pretty!!


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## xomgitsmellyx (Jul 23, 2013)

MeanneyFids said:


> i use fleecy type toys, i have curtains in my cage that i made for my tiels to go behind when they want some privacy, and for warmth when they feel chilly. my tiels dont snuggle with such things, but they do use the curtains.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That curtain idea is cool! I think my birdies would like something like that. How exactly did you make it? Did you just tie fleece to the cage by cutting it into strips and then put a perch behind it?


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

i took 2 rectangular strips of fleece and cut one side into 1" thick strips, going nearly all the way up the strip, leaving 1" uncut. then put two clips on the ends and hung them up. 

the perch in the back is a bamboo perch wrapped in a tea-towel. they sleep and nap back there most of the time, and they go back there when they want privacy from everything. i keep that corner covered with a blanket as well so it keeps out drafts and keeps their privacy. 


the perch is diagonally across the corner, and the curtains are placed the same way


you can see the full cage photo on how it is set up


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## xomgitsmellyx (Jul 23, 2013)

wow your cage looks amazing! I'm definitely going to make those curtains for my birdies. Its a great idea  what kind of cage is that by the way?


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

it's a ferret nation, but i'd recommend the critter nation over the ferret nation, due to bar spacing.


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## Amz (Apr 10, 2013)

Hey Casey, do you keep that green fabric on the bottom of their cage all the time? What do you do about their poops?


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

yes, i keep it in their cage, but i change blankets daily or every other day. its my replacement for newspaper, because i dont have a grate and my guys shred newspaper and make nests out of it. they dont shred the blankets so i dont have nesty tiels with it lol it just means a lot of laundry. we have several blankets and we just wash them with the weekly wash.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

You could use an infrared heat lamp made for reptiles. They're easily available at pet stores, and reptile products tend to be cheaper than similar products marketed to birds. Infrared is perfectly safe for birds, and there's no light that's visible to our eyes or theirs (as far as I know anyway; birds can see into the UVB but I've never heard anyone suggest that they can see into the infrared part of the spectrum).


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