These days pets can take the form of four-legged fur balls to feathered birds. But, regardless of their form and size, it has become a universal fact that pets require the same treatment and assistance which are rendered to humans-especially when it comes to taking care of them. Keeping birds as pets have been in vogue for a long time. Still, it has gained more momentum with the adding years. Naturally, people have come up with different ways on how to treat birds as pets, and especially during winters. It becomes a necessity to keep these feathered friends warm and cozy, just like their owners. The question of how to keep birds warm in winter has an easy solution. But it requires exceptional adherence and some work on the part of the owner.
Invest Time and Energy
Keeping birds warm in winter is not an unconquerable mountain, but requires a considerable amount of dedication and time investment. Keeping birds warm in winter is not a task for someone who cannot begin to invest time and effort. To keep the birds warm in winter, one of the fundamental prerequisites is to be able to sacrifice time and energy. Taking care of birds and especially with the added incentive of the winter’s cold, an owner needs to be able to at least give a certain amount of time into caring for the birds. Therefore, one of the first requirements is to invest time and energy towards their pet. With time and energy, the owner can use various methods to keep birds warm in winter.
Keep Bird Warm Indoor
One may start by keeping the bird’s cage indoors instead of outdoors. General practice is to keep cages away from air openings like windows or doors. Keeping cages near windows allow cold wind to enter and make the birds feel cold. It is also advisable to heat the rooms with heaters. You can also use a fireplace to warm the space, which the birds can also feel. However, heating has to be done with the highest degree of caution as fire is hazardous and needs to be done under strict adult supervision. However, these days, heat lamps are also readily available in the market or online. You can purchase heat lamps to help keep birds warm in winter. Heat lamps are easy to use and should be directed towards the bird or its cage to warm it.
Use Winter Cover for Cages at Night
Another trick to keep a baby bird warm is to use a cage cover at night. You can use it even during the daytime if cold intensifies. Cage covers are usually cloth material which can obstruct the cold going into the cage and freezing the bird. Cage covers can be assisted by the above-mentioned technique of using heat lamps. It will augment the heating process and provide for a warmer and cozier cage to the birds. This technique will significantly help in maintaining optimal temperature and environment for the birds and keep them warm. Along with the positioning of the cage away for air inlets, it will significantly help in keeping the birds warm in winter and minimize any risk of health posed by the cold.
Heated Bird Perches
While waiting on spring and battling the cold of winter, bird owners may also try and go the extra mile by purchasing heated perches for birds. One of the most exposed parts of a bird is its feet. Bird feet are not protected by feathers, unlike the paws of canines or felines protected by a coating of fur. Hence, their feet are easily susceptible to the biting cold. The giveaway clue is that when their legs are cold, birds will usually curl up somewhat like a ball. Hence investing and purchasing a heated perch for the bird to stand on isn’t a bad idea if keeping birds warm in winter becomes a priority for the owner.
Keep Birds Together
You cannot deny that solidarity intensifies the feeling of cold. Hence, just as pack animals like dogs who stay in packs to keep themselves warm during winters, birds too feel warmer during winter if kept together with other birds inside a cage. They can roost and use each other to keep warm during the night. The tighter the space, the more adequate the conditions for roosting and keep each other warm. This is a natural instinct for any animal, to roost or huddle or squeeze together with one another in order to use their body heat to warm themselves naturally, which again can be augmented by the use of external heating sources like heat lamps, heaters or even fires.
Cage Tents for Birds
Technical innovation has no boundary and has crept in for the better even for tasks such as keeping birds warm. Cage tents, which are generally woolen shelter tents of miniature size, are available these days. It can be fashioned inside the tent that can act as a cozy shelter for the birds to nest inside. It gives the added option for the birds to go inside the cage tents and snuggle up if it gets too cold.
Another useful but more hands-on dirty way of keeping birds warm in winter is to save their litter inside their pens or cages instead of taking it out and cleaning it. That can be done throughout the season, and by accumulating the litter, it creates conditions that allow the emission of heat inside the cages or pens, which will definitely help in keeping the birds warm. It is known as an in-depth litter approach. It traps heat inside the cages or pens through the collection of excrement.
Increase Physical Activity To Keep Them Warm
Another sure and effective way to keep birds warm in winter is to increase their physical activity. Physical activity heats up their body and makes them warm. You can achieve it by allowing them to play with toys and keeping toys inside their cages or pens. When the body is in motion and engaged in a physical task, heat is produced internally, which will naturally keep the birds warm during winter. Similar to humans, eating, which leads to metabolism, produces heat. Hence, keeping more food inside the pens or cages will lead to the generation of more bodily heat. Thus, feeding consistent meals and also sophisticated food like corn at night to the birds may go a long way in keeping them warm due to the heat that is produced through the process of metabolism.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned methods and tips should be sufficient in helping bird owners understand the basic requirements of birds during winter and employ ways to keep birds warm in winter. Whether your feathered friend is a chicken or an exotic parrot, the above tips will significantly help in keeping them warm until the first taste of warmth comes naturally with spring.
