Stange Avian Light Behavior

[Dave007]

It is a constant 76 to 78 degrees in the whole flat.... Because of the temperature out side being 130 degrees at the high point and 110 at the low point, they try to maintain the entire building at that temp range.

 

Is that to cold? I know it is not too hot..????

 

*******constant 76 to 78 degrees ********

 

Too warm for greys. Temp should be no more than 72. 70 being the better. Any higher will eventually cause dry, itchy skin and may induce greys to excessive scratching and posssible plucking. Even people find that 76 to 78 degrees is a bit too warm for themselves.

[VStar Mama]

Birds are capable of acclimatizing to the home environment just like people are which allows humans to create human-comfortable environments that the parrots are suited for. A couple of generations of captive breeding and a few years of living with humans don't erase the millenia of evolutionary adaptations of the species to the native environment. The Congo region of African sees average high temps between 80 and 90 and average lows between 65 and 75 with occasions where temps dip below 65 and above 95 (because that is how nature rolls....she reserves the right to make it rain, snow, hail, bake, freeze, blow, dehydrate or any combination there of where and when she pleases). Daily relative humidity levels are usually between 50 and 96%. I prefer a warmer environment of 78 degrees or but not higher than 84 (or so, I do like being outside when its hot).

 

It seems to me that household temps, along with many factors, exist along a spectrum of acceptable norms rather than there being a single "perfect" circumstance. The general rule of thumb is what is comfy for you is going to be acceptable for them, providing temps are stable. I find myself wondering if the lack of humidity may play a role in plucking and itchy skin.

 

Has any one (i.e. a behaviorist, vet, expert, or institute or something...I wouldn't expect the typical parrot owner to do a research study like this) taken the time to determine if there may be a correlation between feather problems and relative humidity levels?

[Luvparrots]

I keep my home at 72-73°.

[danmcq]

Vstar - Many of us use humidifiers to keep the level up to around 40%. At least that is what I do. Here in California, the humidity is only around 10% which is way too low for any parrot. In the summer, we keep our house temperature at 77. In the winter we keep it at 72 during the day and 68 at night.

Edited August 29, 2013 by danmcq

[KevinD]

Well, thanks for the input, there is not much I can do about the temperature but think I will go get a humidifier, the humidity is ALWAYS low.....

 

But if Dave is right and he is too hot, then why would he try to stay as close to the light as possible.......and a small up date, guess he is getting used to the light, he does not barrel roll to it so much anymore.