# Heat lamp?



## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Fall season has started here and temperature in my house has dropped- it was around 78 degrees in the summer and now it's about 70. My birds seem to feel it a lot, though. I think they are cold at night, because when I wake up in the morning and check on them, their little feet are all cold. I tried putting their cage in warmer places in the house during the night, but it didn't work. When it's rainy during the day they snuggle up together like they're cold, although it's 70 degrees in here. I am wondering if a heat lamp is necessary in this situation, or at least during the night? Or should I give them some time to adjust? I'm also thinking about buying those little fleece tents with perches for them to sleep in. Please let me know what you think. Thanks.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

No little fleece tents please - those are an invitation to breeding since they vaguely resemble a nest hole.

Your birds will adapt to temperature changes by growing thicker down feathers. 70 degrees isn't excessively cold and isn't a huge drop from 78, so until they get their new "underwear" they will stay warm enough by fluffing up and staying close together for body heat. If you provide extra heat you will actually interfere with growing the thicker down that they need.

They might need supplemental heat in the case of a sudden dramatic temperature change, and in that case you would need to gradually taper down the heat while they grow more down. For example knocking the temperature down by a degree or two every couple of days.


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Really? Breeding in the cold season? Here is a picture of the tent I was thinking about getting:
http://www.mysafebirdstore.com/search.cgi
It's called the "Peekaboo perch tent", almost at the end of the 1st page. On the description it says that it doesn't promote breeding behavior. 

Good to know that they adapt by growing more down feathers. I guess they'll have to be a little cold until they get their new "underwear". Today they climbed on my shoulder and stayed cuddled up there for a long time. I think they were trying to warm up! When I put them down they got all fluffed up. 70 degrees is not bad at all - that's the temperature that we had last winter, but they seem to be feeling it so much more now!


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Maybe it was a hotter summer than last year? That could be a reason for them to be affected more by the cooling temperatures.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Here's a picture of the tent from that link:









An open-bottomed tent is definitely better than a closed-bottom tent. But cockatiels are exceptionally eager breeders so you might still be taking a risk. Springtime is the most popular season for breeding, but many cockatiels are quite willing to breed in the winter if they get electric light in the evenings instead of following the natural daylight schedule.


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

bjknight93 said:


> Maybe it was a hotter summer than last year? That could be a reason for them to be affected more by the cooling temperatures.


I wouldn't know because this was my first summer with them. I bought Cookie last winter, and Buddy in the beginning of the spring. This is my first summer-fall transition with them.


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

tielfan said:


> Here's a picture of the tent from that link:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes, that's the one. Right, so it may be better not to risk it. I think I'll just wait for the thicker down feathers to grow...I remember that when I got Cookie last winter she didn't seem to be cold, although the house temperature was the same as now. Hopefully she will adapt soon, it breaks my heart to see them being so cold!!


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

The birds are literally wearing down jackets. If they're actually shivering with cold you should provide some heat and gradually reduce the temperature as they acclimate. But if they're just puffed up, the feathers are doing their job well enough.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Carolyn, I appreciate the general principle of letting them adapt to the cooler temperatures, but might this be a situation where supplemental heat is appropriate since Buddy's metabolism is very fragile? I would think, if possible, that it would benefit an ill/recovering bird to not also need to go through that adaptation process right now.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Thanks, I didn't know that. I'm not very observant about user names and didn't realize that Buddy was involved in this. It's essential to keep sick/fragile birds warm and I would definitely provide him with some heat. If you reduce the temperatures on him I would do it very very slowly, and make sure he still looks comfortable after each reduction.


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Oh, I'm so sorry, I should have mentioned Buddy. He has gotten so much better that sometimes I forget that he's still sick. Alright, I will put a heat lamp there and reduce the heat very slowly. Today they were shivering a bit, so maybe it's a good idea to get one anyway. Thank you for the help


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## smays810 (Dec 27, 2011)

Just a thought but I have the thermo perch for my bird she LOVES it. Maybe you could invest in one of those to help keep their feet warm. She perches on it every chance she gets and when she gets to warm then she if free to move to a different perch.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Just make sure the heat lamp you use is teflon-free. Believe it or not, there have been rare instances of this being an issue.


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Ok, I'll buy it from a safe online bird store that someone from this site recommended to me. 

Thermo perches...where can I buy them?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

If you google for them you'll find a variety of sources. You do have to be careful about the cords of course. 

You can also use an infrared heat lamp made for reptiles. Infrared radiation is invisible so it won't keep the birds up all night, although some include a little bit of visible light so you can view your pets at night. I've never used one of these so I don't know what kind of heat range they have, and whether you have any control over the output.


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