Trained Parrot BlogParrot Wizard Online Parrot Toy StoreThe Parrot Forum

African Grey - House Temperature and Humidity

Chat about general parrot care and parrot owner lifestyle. Bird psychology, activities, trimming, clipping, breeding etc.

African Grey - House Temperature and Humidity

Postby bydabeav » Mon Jan 29, 2018 7:31 pm

Hello, my wife and I have owned dogs for most of our lives our last 2 died are very early ages. We are considering our first parrot and have mostly decided on an African Grey. I will have a few questions lets start with the biggest challenge I expect to start.

We heat our home primarily with wood. This causes a normal temperature fluctuation between 17 deg Celsius (61 deg F) in the early morning to about 24 deg Celcius (75 deg F) before bed. Would temperature range have any negative effect on an African Grey?

Humidity... heating with wood makes the house quite dry, about 25% during the heating season. Is this too dry? Will I need to place an humidifier near the cage?

Looking forward to some comments. Final note, we are not considering a baby, we are looking at adopting an adult bird.

Thanks - Steve
bydabeav
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 2
Number of Birds Owned: 0
Types of Birds Owned: None at this time
Flight: No

Re: African Grey - House Temperature and Humidity

Postby Pajarita » Tue Jan 30, 2018 10:53 am

Wecome to the forum and thank you for doing research before you get the bird! The difference in temperature is nothing and the humidity is easily fixed with a humidifier [we all run them all winter long] but you do have a big problem and it's the fact that you heat your home with wood. Parrots cannot live in an environment that is heated by wood because the air ends up with a large amount of particulates that are harmful to their respiratory system. Birds have an extraordinarily sophisticated and extremely efficient respiratory system [they need to be able to absorb large amounts of oxygen for their flight] but, precisely because of its sophistication and efficiency, it's also VERY delicate and easily messed up. I know of two birds that lived in environments where they were exposed to wood burning and their lungs and air sacs were so damaged that they now require oxygen therapy daily in their new homes...

What you can do is dedicate a room to the bird where he would have to be kept all the time and use an electric heater in it. My passerine room doesn't have a radiator because it used to be just the mud room so I use the kind of electric heater that looks like a radiator and has oil in it - I set it at a temperature for the day and one for the night, it stays on all winter long and it works great!

Another thought that you might want to take into consideration is that going from not ever having a parrot to a gray is not what I would recommend. Grays are very difficult birds to keep happy and extremely picky eaters... You would do much better to start with an 'easier' species [not that there is such a thing as an 'easy' parrot species, it's just relative to the level of difficulty :D ].

But, if you have your heart set on one, I would strongly recommend you volunteer at a rescue and try your hand at caring for different species, learning their body language, etc. It often happens that when one volunteers, there is a bird in the rescue that chooses you for its human and, if you are lucky enough to get that, you have half the battle already won!
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: African Grey - House Temperature and Humidity

Postby Navre » Tue Jan 30, 2018 4:01 pm

I think People like greys because they tend to be quieter than the amazons. I think the Timneh are easier to keep happy than the Congos, but my Nicky is a handful.
Navre
African Grey
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 1909
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: Turquoise Green Cheek Conure
Hooded Parrot
Flight: Yes

Re: African Grey - House Temperature and Humidity

Postby Pajarita » Wed Jan 31, 2018 10:45 am

I think that people want grays because they have the reputation of being very smart and good talkers, actually. But some grays never say a single word...
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: African Grey - House Temperature and Humidity

Postby Navre » Wed Jan 31, 2018 11:34 am

Having a great talker is cool and entertaining, but you'll only know that if you get an adult bird who is already a great talker.
Navre
African Grey
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 1909
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: Turquoise Green Cheek Conure
Hooded Parrot
Flight: Yes

Re: African Grey - House Temperature and Humidity

Postby bydabeav » Thu Feb 01, 2018 10:00 am

Thank you Pajarita, I have been researching this for many months now and not once did I see anything about heating with wood being an issue. Long story short, an electric heater is not an option so that might be the deciding factor. Sad news.

Thanks again.

Steve
bydabeav
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 2
Number of Birds Owned: 0
Types of Birds Owned: None at this time
Flight: No

Re: African Grey - House Temperature and Humidity

Postby Pajarita » Thu Feb 01, 2018 10:30 am

Well, think about the issue and a solution might present itself. Electric heaters are not really that expensive to buy or to use anymore... It's more the reputation they have than reality at this point in time. If you have an open plan, you might be able to close off a corner of it and make it either an enclosed aviary [maybe with plexiglass? but it needs to have some sort of air circulation, too] or a small room where the bird can live and which could be heated reasonably cheap.

I am planning on having a large double-sided fireplace at our future home [my godmother had one when I was a young girl and I've always wanted one just like it] but the birds will have their own aviary/rooms that will be built adjacent to the open plan human area and separated by glass doors and windows so I can see what they are doing all day long and they can see me. Of course, this is all still in a 'planning' stage so who knows what we will end up with! :lol:
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: African Grey - House Temperature and Humidity

Postby GreenWing » Thu Feb 08, 2018 8:27 pm

As the "parront" to a CAG, I can speak from experience here. Definitely glad you're doing your research. So, yes, a lot of Greys "don't talk" but a lot of them do. I would say more than half of the Greys I have encountered do indeed talk, some more than others. The difference, though, is that you don't want to expect the bird to talk. My Grey is a rescue, she is about 13 to 14 years old, we're not exactly sure.
Greys are still a delight, even if they do not talk, many are great whistlers, and with their intelligence they can learn a lot of tricks. Chance loves the clicker and she loves a challenge. I do advise though that this species of bird is highly, highly intelligent -- in my opinion -- rivaling that of dolphins, and they are capable of sneaking out a cage and finding ways out of the cage!
Still, there are pros and cons. With high intelligence comes neuroticism and sensitivity. Greys are indeed very sensitive and they tend to like the "status quo," they don't like change all that much. They're like the Parmenides of birds in this regard! My CAG loves being on her play perch and staying there, although on her terms, she will enjoy cuddling and watching TV with me.
Since birds are warm blooded, I would say keep the house temperature at least 65 degrees. I'm not sure about your area, but I keep the house warm, but then I live in a colder, wetter climate. I do use a small, electric heater in the room. It does the trick just fine.
Greys need a lot of stimulation -- my Grey's cage is in front of a window -- and leafy greens to tear apart as well as some good toys are needed. They need good vegetables in their diet, Chance loves carrots in particular.
Lastly, Greys are dusty, but I don't have a humidifier. I just air the house out naturally with windows open and vaccum my hard wood floors often.

Message me any time if you ever had any questions. ;)
Image
GreenWing
African Grey
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 1165
Location: Portlandia, United States
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Congo African Grey ♥
Flight: Yes

Re: African Grey - House Temperature and Humidity

Postby Navre » Fri Feb 09, 2018 7:25 pm

Pajarita wrote:Well, think about the issue and a solution might present itself.


Some people who heat with wood are off-the-grid and either don't have electricity, or have solar panels and don't have the capacity to run electric heaters.
Navre
African Grey
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 1909
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: Turquoise Green Cheek Conure
Hooded Parrot
Flight: Yes

Re: African Grey - House Temperature and Humidity

Postby Pajarita » Sat Feb 10, 2018 10:43 am

It's possible, I guess... But I lived in a kind of 'off-the-grid' location [not that we were off the grid but there were lots of people in the area that were] and, although there were plenty of people who heated their homes with wood stoves and boilers, they all had generators. Granted that they might have had a small one that could not really work for a heater but there are also propane ones that would work out as long as they have the special little chimney taking out the fumes.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes


Return to General Parrot Care

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 16 guests

Parrot ForumArticles IndexTraining Step UpParrot Training BlogPoicephalus Parrot InformationParrot Wizard Store