Conference 7.286::pet_birds

    Budgies are hardier than some people think. I have a couple that thrive
    and are in a room that sometimes gets as low as 50 degree (F). The main
    thing is for the change not to be sudden, 80 degrees one day and then
    60 the next, and that they are kept out of the draft.
    
    Doug

    I agree with Doug.  Although 65 + is an ideal temperature for the
    Budgie,  they are quite adaptable to lower temps.  My birds are in my
    outdoor aviary and saturday night it dropped into the high 40's.  I did
    have tarps drawn tightly around the aviary to keep out drafts so it was
    probably in the mid 50's inside.  They were no worse for wear the next
    day and are doing great.  As Doug stated,  avoid sudden changes in
    temps and above all....DRAFTS!  They are a killer.
    
    Keep your bird out of drafty areas (around windows doors, etc.). In the
    winter, you might want to ensure that the house does not drop below 50
    degrees at any time,  anything lower than that might affect your bird's
    health and wellbeing.  If anything else - it will cause  a discomfort
    to them.    My advise to you is treat your birds in the same manner you
    treat yourself.  You probably wouldn't be comfortable in a 50 degree
    environment with just a shirt.  Neither would your bird.
    
    Good luck,
    Denise

    Thanks for the hints. I'll make sure that the birds are kept away from 
    drafts.
    
     rgds,Tom

    Hi Tom,
    
    I drape the cages in rooms that are cooler during the winter.  This
    could be a thick cloth to a blanket, depending on the bird's size,
    cage size, and temperature.  A caution about using terrycloth towels...
    some birds get their nails caught in them.  I almost lost a society
    finch hen this way.  She got tangled up in the threads that the colony
    members had been pulling out of the terry towel to add stuff to their
    nests (this was a 1 x 1/2 inch wire mesh flight).  Also, anything you
    drape around a hookbill's cage may be partially to totally destroyed
    due to chewing.  Another caution with regard to the chewing: Keep 
    in mind fabric content in terms of it possibly being ingested.....
    and wash covers regularly -- it's amazing how splatters of soft foods
    and bird dander accumulate!!
    
    Linda

    Linda,
         do you partially drape or fully drape the cages. I am thinking
    that if I cover the cage with a heavy blanket that the birds will
    be living in semi or complete darkness all day. I want them to be
    comfortable in as many ways as possible.
    
    rgds,Tom

    Hi Tom,
    
    They are more covered at night than during the day, exactly because of
    what you bring up.  It's a little bit of work each night, but I hate
    seeing them not getting the right light during the day.  Most of my
    birds are under timed VitaLites, with some also exposed to natural
    light via nearby windows.  The ones near windows are the ones I usually
    double-check at night on cold days/nights because the windows pull in
    the cold.
    
    Does this answer your question?  (more than...probably ;')  ) 
    
    Linda

    Thanks Linda. I think I will start covering them at night. I used to do
    this before but they started getting agitated and fluttering around the
    cage just after I had covered them. I was afraid they would do damage
    so I stopped doing it.
    
    rgds,Tom
    

    Hi Tom,
    
    Just remember to keep the front open at first, then gradually over a
    few days bring the front cover down, but consider always leaving some
    space open -- a horizontal or vertical area on the front that gives
    the birds a chance to see out.
    
    Regards,
    
    Linda C.

    
    >Just remember to keep the front open at first, then gradually over a
    >few days bring the front cover down, but consider always leaving some
    >space open -- a horizontal or vertical area on the front that gives
    >the birds a chance to see out.
    
    Just a thought - if you are handy with a sewing machine, you could make
    a cage cover that has a "picture-frame" pocket in the front.  You could
    then slide in a piece of plexiglass for a permanent, draft-free window.
    You could even add a piece of fabric onto the top to use as a
    "windowshade" to use if you have need to darken the cage without
    darkening the room.
    
    
    
    					/Rita
    
    
    						
    

    Rita - Great ideas! /Linda C.