Heating pad vs light?

[Azzie]

I'm almost organised with my birdie first aid supplies. The one thing I don't have yet is something to provide heat in case one of my 3 fids becomes ill.

My question is this:

 

Would a heating pad be better for a sick bird, or a heat lamp?

[FirstPenguin]

We use Avitech heating panels during the winter nights. They're similar to a heating lamp (both infrared based) but much safer to use in close proximity. We use the smallest one on her smaller sleep cage, which could easily be a hospital cage. The panel consumes less power than a standard light bulb and her space stays plenty warm. The larger panels consume a bit more power but are the same or less than a lamp, and nothing compared to the draw of a space heater. They're a bit pricier but a very useful multi-purpose tool where your bird is concerned. Keep in mind I'm not saying this would be better than a lamp or pad for an ill bird. Just offering it as a 3rd option.

 

http://www.avitec.com/Avi-Temp-Infrared-Heat-Panels-p/ihp.htm

[KimKim]

Thanks for that link, I think that is what I am going to get next, since he wont sit on the thermo perch by himself.

 

I have seen clear tubs with holes drilled on the lid, with bedding on the bottom and that sits on a heat pad. But I am not talking from experience that is just what the local bird store does for baby birds and I am assuming sick ones.

[birdhouse]

Phenix is the only one to have been that sick & it went on for about a month. For that, it worked best to set up a hospital cage in the bathroom & keep the heat on in there. He had a quiet place that I knew was a constant 85 degrees. It was also away from the other birds, with instant access to the sink so I could wash as soon as I handled him.

[KimKim]

I got the heat panel. It took a day sitting next to his cage, and when I attached it next to the perch he usually sleeps on, I put him in the cage and he was looking at it all funny while he was eating. Then I covered him for the night and when I came down in the morning and uncovered him, he was next to it. He acted the same for the next few days with it, but every time in the morning he was next to it. He is still getting use to it. It is close to the bars, but luckily he has not tried to touch it. He is good about not trying to destroy things. This was the free cage mount, but after I ordered and got the instructions they do make a mount that sets the panel farther back.

[Birdnut]

We also use the Avitech heat panels, and we got the deeper mount attachments. We have s sealed oil type space heater in the bird room, but the birds outside the bird room get the Avitech panels in the winter. We have been lucky not to have a really sick bird so far, just some egg laying issues where we did use the heat panel, as well.

[MarcusCAG]

That's funny, we just ordered an Avitech heat panel ourselves and it arrived yesterday. Marcus was kind of playing with a toy near it this morning, but I was surprised because I expected to find him huddled in front of it for warmth (it has been in the fifties inside our house at night lately, the birds have been fine so far but we wanted to take some precautions just in case)...

[KimKim]

MarcusCAG- Were you able to hang the panel next to his favorite sleep perch? Or maybe since he was awake already when you went to see him, he just moved?? Hopefully tomorrow morning you will find him next to it, that is pretty cold.

[MarcusCAG]

MarcusCAG- Were you able to hang the panel next to his favorite sleep perch? Or maybe since he was awake already when you went to see him, he just moved?? Hopefully tomorrow morning you will find him next to it, that is pretty cold.

 

Thanks for your concern, KimKim. We affixed the panel horizontally on the side of Marcus' cage and it crosses over his one 'play perch' (where his favorite toy is) and his long all-purpose perch (where he sleeps) that spans the breadth of his cage. Yesterday afternoon he tried chewing the fasteners and I got a little worried, but I think the curiosity made him realize, Hey, this is warm! Ever since then he's been kind of hanging out in that corner and looking pretty happy, dividing his time between his play perch and the long perch.

 

Beaker, our Quaker parrot, was acting a little oddly yesterday too. He kept perching by his water bowl and looking at it, and I kept asking, Is it Beaker bathtime? and Are you thirsty? and Do you want me to get you more clean water? and such. He would chirp at me and I was getting upset because I couldn't figure out what the big deal was, why he was staying on that one perch. My husband picked up on it this morning... I'll admit I don't know exactly how infrared heat works, but apparently it's strong enough to come in waves and move over to Beaker's cage, we could feel it when we just stood there for a minute. His water bowl perch is rather in line with the heat panel, and so the two of them are both enjoying it now! I'm thinking I'd like to get Beaker another more comfy perch (his water perch is a little concrete one) that we can put a little higher and behind his water bowl perch so he's even more in line with the heat and his feet don't get messed up from sitting on concrete for too long. Quakers are hardy little things, we really got the heat panel for Marcus, but if Beaker wants the option of more warmth in the winter months too, then so be it!

 

Oh, and I want to add this: We found Beaker up on his highest perch, out of line of the heat panel, when we went into their room this morning. I read online that Quakers can take temps into the forties and below just fine, as long as it's a gradual thing. So I really am not concerned about him and the colder temperatures like I was for Marcus, especially since he seems just as happy to be in other parts of his cage away from the heat. But Marcus appears very happy for the warmth now, so it's worked out well.

Edited December 11, 2010 by MarcusCAG

[Birdnut]

Well, I know Quakers must be pretty hardy birds, because there are several colonies of feral Quakers living wild in the Austin area. Our winter temps often dip well below freezing, but the Quakers have been thriving here for many years.