Keep birds out of Drafts???

[danmcq]

If drafts and breezes are BAD for birds, why do they live outside?

 

My personal belief, is that this is an old wives tale.

 

In the wild, they get rained on, hurricaned, tornadoed and winds constantly. I find it odd we don't see dead birds laying everywhere after a wind, storm etc.

 

Make sense? Now, I will go ponder my Belly Button. B)

[Guest Rheashard0919]

In the wild, birds have the ability to move away. Get warm. Move out of drafts that start to lower body temperature. In a home, in a cage, in their favorite part of the cage they do not. Usually their cage is towards a corner 'to be out of the way'. Drafts bounce in and out of corners. Caged birds have no place to go to get out of the draft, no way to warm up as the air temp around them drops. Try it your self lying in bed with nothing on but night clothes and nothing on your feet. Then lie there during the night as the air temperature drops, night after night. Have someone tell you that you have to stay there, with cool air blowing on you. Then as your body temp drops the air feels cooler and cooler. That is in effect a less violent form but non the less dangerous type of freezing to death. Your body functions slow down. Then when daylight comes if you are still alive, the millions of bacteria that you are host to start to over whelm your body defenses. In a bird who is prey to nearly every one hides this weakness is hidden until it is too late. This is something that is easier to avoid for the sake of your pet and companion.

[judygram]

Rheashard that makes a lot of sense, but I just figured that because we keep our birds indoors away from any kind of drafts that was the reason drafts were bad for them, they are not used to it like they would be in the wild. They can get away from some wind but not all of it being outside and exposed to the elements.

 

Well lets let Dan ponder this one for a bit and he can give his belly button a rest.:blink: :laugh:

[danmcq]

Freezing temperatures are one thing and that's why many Birds migrate. Just drafts or winds in normal non-winter temperatures are a completely different situation. Also, no one (with common sense) would place a cage confined Bird directly under a vent, in front of an open window etc. with winds or drafts blowing away. That's just common sense.

 

It of course, would not be a good situation to place ones bird in a cage where they could not maneuver around to block a wind or draft of some type. In the wild, they do so by landing in trees etc which reduces the wind, but does not shelter them completely.

 

Winds and Drafts of themselves, do not harm them in normal temperature ranges.

[Guest]

I don't think they would sit in a draft - they'd just naturally move away from it. A draft isn't the same as cold weather, it is something else completely. But, I am no 'pro' so couldn't tell why it is worse than sitting in cold weather really :blush:

[lovemyGreys]

Well my take on drafts is,a draft is like a stream of cold air that cuts through warmer air thereby making your pet bird's body temperature fluctuate ? i personally dont like sitting in a draft

[danmcq]

Thanks for all the input so far. They are all good points.

 

But, the operating word in my initial post "Bad" is not really being addressed.

 

I did not mean constant fans, vents or open windows blowing forever on our Avian friends. What I meant was, is a nice opening up of the house or taking your Avian friend out on a nice day with a breeze "Bad"?

 

The connotation I get from all the sources I have read over the years is they will somehow impact the health of your bird upon the slightest instance of a "draft". I believe this is hogwash.

 

Example - I observe birds daily frolicking, soaring and enjoying nice breezes and even moderate winds. Both my Parrots and all my Finches have always enjoyed either sitting outside in their cages or when opening up the house so a nice breeze blows through and "Freshens" the air up while allowing an exchange of stale to fresh air.

 

I hope I am articulating this sufficiently to help all in understanding the point of view I am coming from.

 

Thanks for all your feedback so far :-)

[judygram]

Dan you articulate very well but sometimes you just have to come out and say exactly what it is you are trying to say and that is them sitting outside in the fresh air even with a breeze blowing is not going to harm them, as well as opening a few windows to freshen the air, thanks for clearing that up for us.:whistle: :laugh: :blink: B)

[danmcq]

LOL Judy - Thanks for solidifying my conclusion of identifying the root problem of my initial supposition. :-)

 

Sometimes I just blurt a very long thought process out in a one liner confuse everyone and shoot myself.

[judygram]

Sometimes you do Dan and confuse this simple country girl but don't shoot yourself just yet:laugh:

[kitt79]

It's probably more about the change than the actual temp. I'm sitting here in Georgia in the winter with my birds in a nice warm somewhat humid environment, then I open a window so that they're getting cold dry air blowing in on them... that's probably bad.

 

Same reason some people (like me) get colds when all the department stores turn on the AC for the summer... it's 80 or 90F and humid outside, and then you walk into dry cold air. Bad things.

[siobha9]

I always open my windows with no ill effects so far

 

Since I can't use smelly candles and the like, I find the quickest way to freshen up the house is open the windows for 30 minutes or so. The greys cage is in a corner where the breeze from the window would actually pass them by. If they want to get out of the breeze they can.

[Guest Rheashard0919]

It seems that the word in question is draft. I being medical in profession see it at the negative end. An air movement of neutral, greater or lesser air temperature that the person (grey) can not escape from. In all scenario's there are negative results. Neutral depends upon the actual air temperature; The heat or cold is stressed in neutral and the individual can not cool off or warm up. In the greater then the air temperature, then the air will warm up quickly. How quickly depends on the draft. Then the individuals ability to stay cool is stressed. In cool drafts the opposite happens. This stresses the persons ability to fight infection. If they have a little something unknown brewing it takes control. What I am reading are basic talk of clearing the air in the house. A brief but not continuos window opening. That is not what I would term a true draft. I just yesterday with a nice breeze and 75 degrees here in San Antonio I took my 'Nameliss" out for her (his?) every 2 week outing. We do that weather permitting. I can't drive any more. My daughter drove us to the local PetsMart where Nameliss could pick out a toy. We then walked 1 1/2 miles with a brisk breeze to the bus stop. Nameliss preferred to snuggle under her snuggle blanket used for cold buses and this purpose. Off the bus we walked the last 1 1/2 miles home. The breeze was still there but the air temp was warmer. Nameliss then chose to ride on the blanket as it was wrapped around my waist on my fanny pack. Nameliss had on her harness the entire time. She had the ability to move in and out of the wind. I had the ability to cover her. And if the air temp dropped I had her carrier and could put her in it with the blanket doubled. She enjoys her outings. She enjoys being near an open window so she can see how many birds she can lure to it. I do not consider that (due to my profession) as a draft. Precautions are taken. Air temperature is monitored. Wind direction is checked. If blowing directly or near directly towards the cage I cover that part of it. So Nameliss can move in and out as she wishes.

The talk of subjective perception is so true. It should also be added that experience too. I am a retired critical care nurse of nearly 30 years. I as I stated know what drafts left unmonitored can do.