African Gray care.....

[wacki]

Ok, I did a google search for

"african gray" care

"african gray" care fahrenheit

And a crapload of other searches. It's winter and my birds are shaking. I'm telling my dad to turn up the heat but he says the birds are fine down to 40 degrees. I can't find a single link saying what the minimum temp for Grays are.

Anyone know what temp it is? Anyone know how to tell if the birds are cold?

"african gray" shaking

came up with 100 links on birds w/ toys.

Thanks for the help.

wacki

[garion888]

It seems that most larger birds need a minimum temp of 5C, or 41F...but i haven't found the african gray specifically...

[istewart]

Here's what I got. Might have mistyped though.

[Los Feliz Slim]

Best I could find:
[ QUOTE ]
Cold - The bird fluffs its feathers to trap as much heat as it can to keep its body warm. It pulls one foot into its feathers to warm it. The main giveaway is the shaking or moving feathers on the bird's chest.

The bird brings its head close to its body in much the same way that a person would snuggle down into a warm coat on a cold day. It raises its shoulders so its neck almost disappears.

Do not let your bird get chilled. Check to see if its cage is in a draught. Many times just moving the cage or covering it with a cloth will solve the problem. If that doesn't help, raise the room temperature.

The bird is saying "I feel a draught!".

[/ QUOTE ]

[Yeti]

You should have searched for African Grey.


Greys are originally from Africa and therefore are not to be kept at temperatures below freezing. Their native habitat is WARM. Climates for them can safely vary between 60F and 85F. A cold draft could possibly kill them, and in fact a cold draft could kill any pet bird by giving it a quick deadly case of pneumonia. At temperatures around 85F, the Grey requires plenty of shade and water, because otherwise they will overheat. When they overheat, they hold their wings out, open their beaks, and breathe shallowly - and this means they are in danger of heat stroke. Room temperature, 70 to 72F, is probably the best for them.

[astroglide]

good work as usual istewart

to wacki, jesus dude. throw a towel/blanket over the cage as is common to do overnight. if it's not critical call a bird shop tomorrow. if it is, call an emergency vet.

[Yeti]

Or read my post!

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]


to wacki, jesus dude. throw a towel/blanket over the cage as is common to do overnight. if it's not critical call a bird shop tomorrow. if it is, call an emergency vet.

[/ QUOTE ]

I doubt they are in danger. Still, I want them to be comfortable.

Plus I wanted a reputable link.

Thanks to all that helped. I found several. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Blarg]

Hey I'm with you on the comfort thing.

The question isn't whether the best possible parrot on his best day will have just enough of a margin to survive. It's whether your bird will survive, and whether your bird could also survive if it's in a weakened state for whatever reason -- fear, age, flu, who knows.

This isn't one of those things where you argue fine points of what ultimate survivability is. Especially if you have any care for or sympathy for your pet at all. You want him comfy and safe without question.

On the other hand, if your dad is suck a cheap f*ck that he doesn't give a sh*t if your bird dies, chip in on the power bill yourself or get a space heater or both.

[astroglide]

i'm with him on the comfort thing too. it's why i suggested he call a bird shop to get a definitive answer.

on the subject of 'ultimate survivability', african greys almost have it to the point of problem. they often outlive their owners and end up getting hosed in some way.