K&H Snuggle Up Bird Warmer ~ safe??

[newgreymom]

I just got my African Grey a heater for her cage as winter is coming and already we're getting some rather chilly nights in here. K & H Snuggle Up Bird Warmer| Seasonal Essentials for Birds from DrsFosterSmith.com

I just plugged it in tonight on the counter because I wanted to know how warm it got before just mounting this inside Hope's cage.

After it warmed it, it was too warm for me to keep my bare hand against it for more than 2 seconds. Now I'm concerned.

Has anyone used this?

Is there anyway to cover this with something to buffer the heat without being a fire hazard?

Or can a dimmer switch be added to it to dial it back down at all?

I'm assuming the idea is the bird will sit close to it and feel the radiant heat from it, but what if she leans against it or perches on the top edge?

 

[allison]

Are there settings on it? I probably wouldn't use it if it gets that hot and you can't turn it down. If you can set it up somehow out of her cage several inches away it might be ok but not where she can have direct contact with it.

 

[newgreymom]

There's no way to adjust it and it's got bolts on the back to mount it in the cage. Not sure how I could mount it at a little distance.

 

[Mizzely]

I would call the company and ask if it might be faulty. If that is how it is intended to work, I wouldn't use it! I do like the K & H thermal perches, and they do not run hot. There are also heating panels be avitech you could look into.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

These are cheaper than Avi-Teck panels, but the panels have a rheostat that can be used to change the temp level. Currently I use the Thermoperch for each of the birds; the bird is perched on it and can get less heat by moving farther out on the perch or more heat by moving closer to the attachment area. The Thermoperch stops heating at 103F. It has worked very well for me in the past.

I will consider getting one of these and seeing how the canaries like it.

 

[newgreymom]

good news: I contacted Drs. Foster & Smith and they took another panel out of the package from their warehouse, plugged it in for 2 hours and it did not overheat. They are sending me the one they know works properly as a replacement at no cost to me.

 

[Somebirdie]

Fantastic they're going to replace it for you, and great you thought too test it first

 

[Thugluvgrl187]

IF you feel that it is getting too hot then I would not use it. I had a Thermo perch for Squeeky and it stayed pleasantly warm but not burning hot. In the end I stopped using it though because every time he would get off of the perch he would start shivering. It has been about a year since I have used it.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

My thermoperches are only plugged in from Oct to April. The rest of the year they are in the cage but not powered, as most of the birds like to sleep on them. One two perches I have vet wrap to combat the redness I saw develop on two of my parrots' feet; on one other I have a washable fleece-like covering for a bird with arthritis in her feet. I get great results with the thermoperches and the birds really seem to like them. I do wish they had a customer cover for them which could be bought.

 

[maimaie]

I recently bought a K & H warmer after reading this thread. I plugged it in and it didn't get as hot as you described (not being able to hold your hand on it for more than a few seconds), but it was warmer than I was really comfortable with, and warmer than I was really expecting it to get. The paperwork says that it heats to 102 degrees, so I was thinking luke warm bath water, slightly hotter than you would run for a baby... but the heater is more like pleasantly warm for a few seconds, then uncomfortably warm, then if I don't move my hand I might get a burn. I'm pretty certain that Luca is smart enough to not allow himself to get burned, but my big concern is that Luca is going to put his beak/tongue on it. Everything goes into his mouth!

I haven't called Dr. Foster & Smith yet because it's the weekend, but I'm wondering how the new one performed when you received the replacement? Did it get hotter than you expected? Did it get as hot as the previous one? Do you think that mine is also overheating?

On a side note, I wish I had a digital thermometer with a laser so I could measure the temperature... Does anyone know how I can go about measuring the temperature?

 

[ncGreyBirdLady]

In the description that F&S give,they state that it will heat between 102 to 107,We have to realize that a birds body temperature can be up to 105% I also think that Our birds are smart enough to only get as close as what is comfortable for them

 

[CrymsynNirvana]

I got one (K&H) for my Conure and she loves her heater... literally, she chirps and sings to it before she goes to sleep. Took it out during the summer and she had a hissy fit so replaced it but not plugged in. I watch her for signs of overheating but I tend to keep my room cool so it hasn't caused a problem since I bought it in september 2015.

As to making a cover, I croched a couple covers from all cotton yarn and it tolerated the heat ok but my bird hated them and tore it off. lol

 

[Distaff]

IIRC, HydroFarm T-stats run about $26 (Amazon), and have a good rep. for being reliable. I have one regulating the heat pad for a rosy boa. No problems. A lazer temp gun is useful for many things. Worth getting. I use mine all the time.