The forecast says possible power outage caused by an ice storm. My concern is heat in the house. I don't have any power generators.

How cold can birds stand?
I don't have a fireplace (not sure how safe they are with birds in the house anyway)
Right now, all power generators in town seem to be sold out. If I look for one in the future, what should I pay my attention to? Any kinds to avoid because of birds in the house?
Any other ideas? Thanks!

is gas fireplace safe to use around birds? for example this one
http://www.homedepot.com/p/ProCom-29-in ... lsrc=aw.ds

Is kerosene heater a No-No?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Kerosene-Hea ... about-item

this is the best I have been recommended. Again, no idea if it's safe with birds around. Anybody?
https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-MH18B- ... 6C4TC?th=1

my friends have a fireplace that uses wood they pick up in their yard (lengthy process.. takes couple of years to dry it in a certain way Our bird store posted tips for the ice storm


Do you think it would be safe for me to bring the birds to their house if the situation is real bad? The only problem - they live rather far away, and I am not sure if driving will be safe

Wild cockatiels can withstand temperatures below freezing. Indoor birds aren't used to it of course and a sudden dramatic change in temperature can cause problems. If you keep them in the cage and put a blanket over it, they can huddle together and share their body heat. Hopefully that will be enough for them to get by. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of good options in a power failure, and it seems to be generally agreed that kerosene heaters aren't safe.

I've heard of people lighting a bunch of unscented candles in a small room to raise the temperature. They say it's more effective than you'd expect, and one person ended up blowing out a few of the candles because it was getting too warm. The birds need to stay in the cage of course if candles are being used. This candle and flowerpot arrangement is said to be useful: http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/blo ... heater.htm

Here's a thread saying that a Mr. Buddy propane heater might be safe if used carefully: http://www.parrotforums.com/general-par ... utage.html

This one talks about using a power inverter: http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww10e.htm

thanks tielfan. Very interesting info! I probably won't have time to construct a pot candle heater, but I like the idea. For now, I will buy several large unscented candles.
Fortunately, we expect warming above freezing Sunday afternoon. So its only Saturday into Sunday night that is a concern. If we lose power, I hope they will be able to restore it rather soon on Sunday

Good luck, I hope the storm doesn't hit you too hard!

thank you!
Tomorrow at 11 am ice pellets should switch for rain as temperature is promised to go up! (how did we live in the past without Intellicast?
Birds will be sleeping in the living room under the blanket (just in case) as it's warmer there (all bedrooms are much colder). The rest of the family is gone to Texas, don't have to worry about them. Rabbits are spending night in garage where they have heat and a night light when everything is normal.
I bought 6 large unscented candles and couple of lanterns (for light).

you could try those pocket hand warmers to the under side of the cages. these should NEVER be place in the cage EVER. I wrap mine in a hand towel and then some vet wrap. place under the tray and duct tape it in place. they stay warm for about 8 to 10 hours @ 135 degrees. you may have unwrap them a couple of times and shake them well. also cover your cages on 3 sides to keep the warm in the cage. watch very carefully that the warmer does not warp the plastic tray.