How to keep warm

[Alpharius]

Hello,

my mom has an African grey named Winston. He’s four and wildly smart andlikes to talk, dance, and turn on music via Alexa when he can get the words clear enough.

We live in south Texas and recently lost power for days. It got down to the thirties inside the house. Winston is fine, we kept him warm using warmed rocks and glass jars of water heated in the fireplace in another room but that was .. extremely inefficient. I had read that process on one of the forum sites like a year or two ago. Just trying to get a game plan in case we ever had a real outage like last week play out. So is there a better way? Are there any safe electric heaters or radiators? I have power banks. And can get a bigger one if needed. I had just read most of the electric ones put out poisonous fumes.

thanks for thehelp!

 

[Destiny]

Oil filled radiators are a good option for bird-safe heat, but I am not sure if you could run one off a power bank. Heaters tend to require a lot of power. I would not trust a "battery-powered" heater to keep me from freezing.

In an emergency, a properly ventilated wood-burning fireplace is a reasonable heat source. The dangers of freezing are greater than the particulate risk at that point.

You might also look into an indoor-rated propane heater. These produce minimal emissions and can be used safely around birds, with proper airflow and ventilation

 

[Clueless]

Heated rocks? Great thought!

 

[Destiny]

Just be sure to use the right rocks.

Porous rocks (rocks with holes or void spaces) can explode when they get too hot. Also wet rocks are more likely to explode, because the water can get into cracks in the rock. When the rock heats up, the water turns to steam and expands, pushing apart the rock. Dense rocks with uniform consistency are less likely to crack or explode when heated.

You should generally avoid heating up sandstone, limestone, pumice, gravel, and river rock. Hard rocks like granite, marble, or slate are a better choice.

 

[Alpharius]

Oil filled radiators are a good option for bird-safe heat, but I am not sure if you could run one off a power bank. Heaters tend to require a lot of power. I would not trust a "battery-powered" heater to keep me from freezing.

In an emergency, a properly ventilated wood-burning fireplace is a reasonable heat source. The dangers of freezing are greater than the particulate risk at that point.

You might also look into an indoor-rated propane heater. These produce minimal emissions and can be used safely around birds, with proper airflow and ventilation

Thanks! I thought I read propane ones were a no go as well, any recommendations on which ones?

 

[Mizzely]

How To Build A Clay Pot Candle Heater & Do They Really Work?

Some people claim they can heat a room with nothing but a few tea light candles and some clay pots. It's called a clay pot candle heater.

www.skilledsurvival.com

 

[Destiny]

You'll read conflicting reports regarding propane heaters. They DO produce emissions that require ventilation, so there is danger in using a propane heater in a small unvented space, for both people and birds. However, a propane heater designed for indoor use in a properly ventilated room is pretty darn safe. Some people would avoid them for the potential emissions risk, but I don't think it is necessary to avoid propane as long as you are providing good airflow and positioning the heater in a location that allows any gases to vent away from the bird. Keep in mind, there is a certain amount of risk with any type of heater, because they can start fires or overheat. If there is an electrical fault, any electrical device can off-gas dangerous fumes that could kill your bird.

Here is one article that talks about the safety of propane heaters and birds:

https://www.windycityparrot.com/blog/2016/01/16/propane-heat-safe-bird/

I recommend that you do your own research too. Don't just trust a random voice on the internet. But if I was considering back-up heating options for my birds in case of power outage in winter, I would feel safe choosing a good propane heater.

 

[Clueless]

How To Build A Clay Pot Candle Heater & Do They Really Work?

Some people claim they can heat a room with nothing but a few tea light candles and some clay pots. It's called a clay pot candle heater.

www.skilledsurvival.com

But not with birds, right? Candles are a no no.

 

[Mizzely]

But not with birds, right? Candles are a no no.

I mean if the choice is between freezing to death and burning a candle with a short wick with some unscented soy wax, I'll take my chances with the candles.