how to keep aviary birds warm in winter

Whether you keep chickens or have a parrot as a pet, the winters can be harsh on the bodies of your avian friends. A bird’s body is not well equipped for cold temperatures, even in well-insulated, sheltered areas. Besides keeping the birds inside a sheltered space, there are other tips you should follow to keep any pet bird warm in the winter.

Heater & Heat Lamps

When it’s extremely cold outside, a bird can be directly warmed by heaters and heat lamps. The heaters function as portable, plug-in heaters similar to space heaters, safely warming up birds that are beneath or near them. A cold bird can receive some pleasant warmth from the heater and heat lamps.

Your bird may ball itself up and cover its legs and feet as a symptom that it is cold. Because a bird’s legs and feet can get very cold, when it balls up, it’s because it’s extremely cold. To keep bird legs warm, investing in a heated perch is a good idea. The bird’s feet and legs become heated as the perch warms up to a comfortable temperature. This can generally keep the bird warm by keeping the blood and tissue in its legs warm.

Tents serve as tiny shelters inside the bird’s dwelling, much like the cage coverings do. The bird can hop into these little, insulated tents to stay warm. The birds can choose to curl up in the tents when they’re cold because they fit into the majority of cages and pens.

One method of providing the birds with a heat source is the deep litter approach. The deep litter method calls for you to continuously add more bird litter on top of existing bird litter, as opposed to cleaning out the coops for the pens or cages the bird is in. This strategy must endure for extended periods of time, like entire seasons. Consequently, the cage or pen’s bed floor will have a layer of litter mingled with waste. This can actually trap and emit heat for the bird.

Physical activity that is both enjoyable and challenging can help anyone experience a rise in body temperature and metabolism. In addition to keeping the bird active and warming up through exercise during the winter, having lots of toys in the cage or pen can really help.

Because ClearMesh is composed of stainless steel, it is weather-resistant and anti-corrosive, making it the ideal material for outdoor aviaries. Stainless steel is non-toxic to birds, in contrast to galvanized steel, which is the material used to make most welded meshes. ClearMesh can shield your aviary from the intense summer sun and the winter’s hard rain. To determine which ClearMesh product you would need to use, you can order free samples and get in touch with us for a quote.

Your aviary can be prepared for winter all year round by using a thermostat system often used for reptile habitats. These systems continuously measure and maintain the temperature within an enclosed space using bulb heaters or heating mats. This tubular heater also has a built in thermostat helping it to sense and regulate the temperature accordingly. You should also make sure you purchase the guard for this build to prevent your birds from injuring themselves.

It’s time to start getting your aviary and your birds ready for winter since summer is coming to an end soon and autumn and winter are on the horizon. You can make a few adjustments to guarantee your birds’ health, safety, and security throughout the colder months.

Cage Covers

The bird’s cage will have cage covers on it. The covers—especially those made for the winter—help keep the heat inside the cage. When it is “night out,” it is best to cover the cages with these kinds of covers. In this manner, you can observe your pet birds staying warm at night under a cover and enjoying the sun during the day.

Whether it is a cage for a finch or a chicken pen, where the avian home is located in the home or barn is very important. That is because improper insulation can make cold drafts fly into the area. Unless you properly insulate the windows and walls, it is best to move the pens or cages away from drafty areas. Keep the pens or cages in a safe, central spot where heat is not being lost from the home or barn.

FAQ

How do you keep an outdoor aviary warm in the winter?

Yes, I would recommend 2–3 Infra red heat elements placed every 2–3 feet at the top of the aviary. The 10” reflectors with ceramic sockets would work best as they won’t poke out of the end of the reflectors and will provide more heat as it’s a larger diameter.

How do you insulate an outdoor aviary?

Following the same basic principle as house insulation, construct walls with a gap between the interior and exterior. This cavity can then be lined or filled with polystyrene, bubblewrap or a similar insulating material. Polystyrene sheets covered with plywood are another good option.

What can I put outside to keep birds warm?

A heated bird bath just might be the most important item you can put out in extremely cold weather. By offering a heated bird bath for your birds to drink from, you will not only help them survive but will also attract many more birds than you would with feeders alone.

What temperature is too cold for a bird?

Birds (especially larger parrots) can generally tolerate temperatures as low as the 50s, but once the thermometer drops below that, they may get fluffed up (expending all of their energy trying to trap warm air between their feathers and their bodies to keep warm) and stop eating.