power outage and extreme cold

[nicc]

Hey all, I really hoped I wouldn't have to post about a power outage again but here we are. Things have been terrible. Last time it was only 4 hours and then a few more during the night- this time we have been left without power for nearly 36 hours now and we will be without power for a few more days as far as I'm aware. In my last thread I got many great suggestions about lamps and such I could get and I also found information about heated perches and heat lamps but everything has happened in such a short notice I haven't had the opportunity to buy anything at all.
The temperature outside has been at a constant 2 degrees Celsius ever since the power went out and the only heating is in our kitchen via a fireplace. When this started we weren't home, and Sunny stayed in my awfully cold room up until now. I was hesitant to bring him to the kitchen since I thought the fireplace could harm him but there's currently no fire and it's a much better temp here than in my room. In my room, I'm not sure what the temperature is but it feels almost like a fridge.
I'm extremely worried that something might be wrong with Sunny now due to how long he was in my room, the drop of temperature from about 20-23 C to god knows how cold in 24 hours and the sudden rise in temperature when I brought him here. I've just woken him up and since I brought him he's pooped and had a drink of water but aside from it he's been standing in one spot and looking around kind of scared. I can't imagine he's feeling well at all and I feel terrible I didn't bring him to warmth earlier than this as I was so hopeful we would have power today and I could heat my room back up ;;
I still don't know if the fireplace is safe but if need be I will put him in the room next to this so he can still be warm.
I have no contact with an actual avian vet but I know of a vet who has parrots of her own (macaws I believe?) and I will call her for further assistance when I'm in a place with better reception but any advice, words of encouragement or even critique help in the meantime ;;

edit: nearly as soon as I posted this, after loads of looking around to make sure he's safe in this unfamiliar room, Sunny is now eating. So far he doesn't seem lethargic or anything so I have hope but I'm still somewhat worried about the sudden temperature changes and whatnot.

 

[nicc]

Another little fast update since I'm not sure how to edit a second time, I've covered all sides of the cage except for the front with the cage cover and Sunny is preening himself and moving around. Also chewing on one of his toys a little. It seems the back of the cage is warmest and the metal food bowl is coldest so I hope this doesn't deter him from eating later on

 

[flyzipper]

I've covered all sides of the cage except for the front with the cage cover

This is moderately effective if the cage is very near a cold exterior wall, acting as a buffer against radiant heat loss (where heat moves from warm to cold). It's also effective in mitigating convective heat loss in the presence of moving air. However, on its own, it doesn't raise the temperature within the enclosure. Without a heat source, the cage's temperature matches the ambient temperature of the room. When combined with a heat source, the insulation and reduced air movement created by the cover can establish a microclimate that is warmer than the ambient temperature.

Speaking of which...

my awfully cold room... In my room, I'm not sure what the temperature is... the drop of temperature from about 20-23 C to god knows how cold

Add an indoor thermometer to your shopping list and monitor the temperature near Sunny's cage. Knowing the temperature will help you determine when it's cold enough to be concerned and take further action, preventing unnecessary worry. It can also guide where his cage is placed for the best comfort.

Harness the sun as much as possible by opening curtains to let sunlight in during the day and closing them otherwise. If you place Sunny's cage near a sunny location, ensure he can move in and out of the sun on his own.

Be mindful of conductive heat loss; monitor the surfaces Sunny is perching on. While everything will be colder than Sunny, some materials conduct heat more readily than others (consider the contrast between how cold metal feels compared to wood).

If you have a good relationship with Sunny, he may enjoy spending extra time perched on you or inside a your clothing (both will be warmer than your surroundings)

Pay close attention to Sunny's behavior, as it can provide important clues about whether he's feeling cold and if he might need assistance. If he starts ruffling his feathers more than usual and fluffs up, he's likely trying to create an additional layer of insulation to stay warm. Shivering is another indicator that Sunny is actively generating heat to maintain his body temperature. If you observe these behaviors, it's a good indication that he may be experiencing cold stress. If so, this is when you should take extra steps to provide warmth.

Lastly, this is a good time to ensure he has access to as much energy-dense food as he wants.

We lost power recently for 12 hours and indoor temperatures got down to 60F/15.5C -- we were fine, and I hope you guys will be as well.

 

[nicc]

This is moderately effective if the cage is very near a cold exterior wall, acting as a buffer against radiant heat loss (where heat moves from warm to cold). It's also effective in mitigating convective heat loss in the presence of moving air. However, on its own, it doesn't raise the temperature within the enclosure. Without a heat source, the cage's temperature matches the ambient temperature of the room. When combined with a heat source, the insulation and reduced air movement created by the cover can establish a microclimate that is warmer than the ambient temperature.

Speaking of which...

Add an indoor thermometer to your shopping list and monitor the temperature near Sunny's cage. Knowing the temperature will help you determine when it's cold enough to be concerned and take further action, preventing unnecessary worry. It can also guide where his cage is placed for the best comfort.

Harness the sun as much as possible by opening curtains to let sunlight in during the day and closing them otherwise. If you place Sunny's cage near a sunny location, ensure he can move in and out of the sun on his own.

Be mindful of conductive heat loss; monitor the surfaces Sunny is perching on. While everything will be colder than Sunny, some materials conduct heat more readily than others (consider the contrast between how cold metal feels compared to wood).

If you have a good relationship with Sunny, he may enjoy spending extra time perched on you or inside a your clothing (both will be warmer than your surroundings)

Pay close attention to Sunny's behavior, as it can provide important clues about whether he's feeling cold and if he might need assistance. If he starts ruffling his feathers more than usual and fluffs up, he's likely trying to create an additional layer of insulation to stay warm. Shivering is another indicator that Sunny is actively generating heat to maintain his body temperature. If you observe these behaviors, it's a good indication that he may be experiencing cold stress. If so, this is when you should take extra steps to provide warmth.

Lastly, this is a good time to ensure he has access to as much energy-dense food as he wants.

We lost power recently for 12 hours and indoor temperatures got down to 60F/15.5C -- we were fine, and I hope you guys will be as well.

Thank you so much, I will make sure to keep everything you've said in mind and it is also helping me not worry as much. I've also been planning to get an indoor thermometer anyway so I guess this is a good reason to do so sooner along with some sort of portable heat source that doesn't need electricity haha
A lot of sun does come into the room Sunny is in right now and I assume it is somewhere around that 15° Celsius mark you've mentioned so he should hopefully be okay, plus by the time everyone is home the fireplace will be on so it will gradually get warmer. I'm about 99% sure that my room at the current moment is dangerously cold for him since I need about 3 layers of thick clothes to be comfortable there myself.
He's mostly not shivering right now unless he's on the metal food bowl and everything else in the cage is wood. I also really do wish I could let him perch on me or stay in the pocket of my hoodie or something to warm up but he sadly doesn't trust me enough for it
Either way, the fact he's acting mostly normal now paired with the info you've given me is really reassuring and makes me hopeful we'll be okay. I really really appreciate it!!!

 

[Shannan]

A good old fashion water bottle placed near the cage could help capture some of the heat of your fire place. Heck in a pinch you could even take some bricks (or a cast iron pan ) and warm them near the fire place then place them near the cage (but definitely out of reach) to let them radiate some heat into the cage.

 

[Shezbug]

The bricks is a wonderful idea as long as precautions are made and the bricks are not allowed to get to hot (some explode)- they hold heat beautifully.

 

[nicc]

A good old fashion water bottle placed near the cage could help capture some of the heat of your fire place. Heck in a pinch you could even take some bricks (or a cast iron pan ) and warm them near the fire place then place them near the cage (but definitely out of reach) to let them radiate some heat into the cage.

The bricks is a wonderful idea as long as precautions are made and the bricks are not allowed to get to hot (some explode)- they hold heat beautifully.

I actually did think of trying to warm something up to bring some heat to the cage but it never would've crossed my mind to try a brick and I wasn't sure whether the water bottle would really work. I do appreciate this advice though!!! I will keep it in mind in case something like this happens again (hopefully not but you never know). Hopefully we have non exploding bricks lol
Also, despite the predictions we were getting, the power actually came back last night (finally) so we're doing better now but it seems stress has affected Sunny a bit since he's really not acting like himself, but at least he's back in his usual spot at a comfortable temperature.

 

[Shannan]

Glad your heat is back on and that Sunny is doing better. Hopefully Sunny will be less stressed not that it is back to normal.

 

[Blueberry]

In a power outage I’ve used the hand warmers and self adhesive wrap. Just watch to make sure he doesn’t chew it

 

[nicc]

Glad your heat is back on and that Sunny is doing better. Hopefully Sunny will be less stressed not that it is back to normal.

it's unfortunately went out again. we've been without power since saturday during the few calm days when we actually had power and heat he recovered from the stress pretty quickly but we're back at it again with everything from last time. im still very cautious about keeping sunny in the same room as the fireplace even though im also trying to keep the room nice and ventilated. we're hoping it'll be back today but nobody can tell. at least aside from the fact he's very unhappy to be back here he seems okay so far

In a power outage I’ve used the hand warmers and self adhesive wrap. Just watch to make sure he doesn’t chew it

also sadly i don't have any it these on hand, but thank you for the advice!

 

[nicc]

it's unfortunately went out again.
-snip-

only 2 hours and a little after i sent this it's finally back !!!!!!!! the longest 2 hours of my life for sure lol