I think it's the sudden temperature fluctuations that are harmful to a bird. It takes time for certain mechanisms to switch on to keep their internal temperature constant. So if you have a draft, whether warm or cold, and it's creating very fast temperature changes in that area, I think that is what's potentially dangerous. Whereas the actual temperature might not be the biggest factor because once those mechanisms have switched on they'll stay on. (But then it takes time to turn them off, too).

I've read "keep them out of drafts" in many books, and having done a bit of thermoregulation in my vet course I tend to agree.

Something over the cage in winter will stop any draughts.

My budgie Bluey1 died last year and our vet thought it may have happened because i put the the cage next to the glass panel near my front door so they could get some winter sun. We stayed away overnight and it got down to minus 4 that night. My other budgie Colour was fine, but Bluey1 got very sick, shivering on his perch and a squek in his breathing. The vet told he had a chill and unfortunately he did not pull through. I have learnt a valuable lesson. It gets below zero here most nights in winter (Albury/Wodonga, on the New South Victorian border), I will never go away over night in winter again without leaving the heating on low. If the day temp is forecast to be below 14 degrees i now also leave it on, warm enough to keep the chill out.

I'm sorry I don't understand any of these points being made here. Sorry to here about the deaths though.

Budgies are an Australian bird right? And they live in all areas of Australia and that's why are known to be so hardy. Below zero temps and really hot days should not effect any budgie.................why are the birds you guys are talking about so fragile?

Sorry but I'm a bit confused here

Edited March 1, 200817 yr by fuzzy butt

Something over the cage in winter will stop any draughts.

My budgie Bluey1 died last year and our vet thought it may have happened because i put the the cage next to the glass panel near my front door so they could get some winter sun. We stayed away overnight and it got down to minus 4 that night. My other budgie Colour was fine, but Bluey1 got very sick, shivering on his perch and a squek in his breathing. The vet told he had a chill and unfortunately he did not pull through. I have learnt a valuable lesson. It gets below zero here most nights in winter (Albury/Wodonga, on the New South Victorian border), I will never go away over night in winter again without leaving the heating on low. If the day temp is forecast to be below 14 degrees i now also leave it on, warm enough to keep the chill out.

 

I think leaving the heat on is a bit extreme?

From my experiences with my budgies (and my canaries - which in my opinion are significantly weaker than budgies) in the past, that hasn't ever been needed. Sure, pull them inside from outside.. if they're an inside bird. If they're used to being outside and have others with them, cover them and ensure they have nesting boxes or something and should be okay, in my opinion.

 

I've left my bird without a blanket and gone away for a week in winter before, and came back and she was fine? The weather would get to about 0C sometimes... she lived. It never gets that cold *inside*. The lowest I ever seen it in my house was 10C, and she was fine through that too - ofcourse, I WASNT (Laughing out loud).

 

I think as long as your bird is USED TO (whatever) conditions, then it shouldn't affect it.

 

I agree with the above post. Budgies are "tough" birds, who have dealt with WORSE conditions in the horrid conditions in Rural Australia... >_>

 

 

Edit: I'm not goign to claim this accurate in birds, as I'm not a Vet, but people don't get sick from the cold, unless it's SEVERE.

So the old wives tale of "put a jacket on or you'll get the flu" is a lie. Yes, the temperature does affect the amount of pathogens in the air, but not wearing a jacket isn't going to do much.

I don't know if this is like that with birds, but it's like this with humans.. So imo, I don't see how a mild draft will make the bird sick.. Might make it extremely uncomfortable which could resort in stress though? >_>

Edited March 19, 200817 yr by sereptilia

Relating to your last few comments - It's less the pathogens in the air, more that the body is busy trying to warm itself and might put things like its immune system aside just to stay alive. Cold won't put more virus in the air - in fact I think it decreases it - but your body might be too tired to fight it. Making heat is a very energy consuming. Birds need their internal temperature even higher than ours, so I would not chance at leaving a bird that was not used to it out in the cold if I could help it.

 

I totally agree that they can be fine if they are used to somewhat constant conditions - I'm thinking of all those English budgies. But I believe it is the sudden changes in temperature, not a constant extreme that does it. Turning on and off those heat/cooling mechanisms suddenly must be hard on the body. So I think all drafts - warm or cold - should be avoided if possible. In the wild it is rare to have a cold ambient temperature with a really hot wind causing very quick sudden fluctuations in local temperature, or vice versa.

Edited March 19, 200817 yr by Chrysocome

That's what I meant to say - sorry.

 

I was half asleep at work when I wrote that, not really paying too much attention to what I wrote, (Laughing out loud)!