I'm here, I'm okay! Ollie and I are in a hotel until the power is back on at my apartment. Who knows how long that will be...

Yeah, I did put the warmers under the cage grate. They didn't really do much good though. For some reason they would quit working after about 30 minutes until I shook them again. I wonder if it's because they need to be really close to body heat to stay activated? Anyways, we checked into a hotel that still has power so we're good!



This sounds interesting!! They're batteries that you can plug things (like a heater??) into? I need to get one! It's horrible being without power for any lenth of time.

Wonderful to hear that you are both doing well Camille!

We are so thankful you and Ollie are ok!! We love Camille and Ollie! You and Ollie snuggle up now and stay warm! Thanks for letting us know! We were worried!

Hubby just bought one of those fumeless propane tent warmers.... wonder if they would be safe to use in a case like this, with the birds? Anyone know? I'll have to do more research....

Let me know what you find out Dana. I want to be better prepared for this next time!

I think it might work, but will not really be safe, and you need to be very careful. The danger is that these heaters still utilize the combustion process, and so they utilize oxygen and produce carbon monoxide as a byproduct of that combustion. If there is sufficient ventilation (which is often problematic when you're trying to keep warm in a wintertime power failure) they are probably all right. What makes them even more dangerous than, say, kerosene heaters, is that they are odorless. So is Carbon monoxide. There could be very little warning that oxygen levels are being dangerously depleted, and very possible that one could just go to sleep and not wake up.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about solutions for winter power outages, being as how I live in an area where winter nights often plunge to 20 to 30 below zero (Fahrenheit). Its a very real danger, particularly with the birds.

So far I've only identified two safe and viable options:

1. Backup generator
2. Vented propane heater (gets its combustion air from the outside, and vents to the outside as well)

Neither of these options is very doable for apartment dwellers, and neither is very inexpensive for the homeowner. A vented propane heater will run 6 to 7 hundred dollars (plus installation and fuel), but should do the trick to keep at least one room if not the whole house) warm enough, for at least several days. A generator powerful enough to run a furnace, fridge, and some lights will run 7 to 9 hundred dollars (plus installation), and needs periodic maintenance to make sure it will actually work if needed. You also need to figure out just where to set it up where it'll be safe, ie. not putting exhaust gasses into the house; and be familiar with how to hook it up when needed. They're also noisy, and need refilling at least a couple times a day if in constant use.

A full fledged, permanently installed whole house weatherized generator solution is going to run several thousand dollars, and still requires preventative maintenance. It would be really annoying to have the power go out and not be able to get the generator to run.

Another possible option for some would be wood heat, but won't be readily available to those in suburban or urban settings. Also needs more attention to be truly safe for birds, in terms of smoke and burn dangers.

Interesting... I didn't know anything about them . Hubby bought ours for an upcoming camping trip. You would think it wouldn't be safe for humans in a tent!

The last power outage we had here shut us down for 2 days and it was bitter.
I took all the birds out into my shop where the wood burner was the only sorce of heat, plenty of ventilation, the wife went to work to stay warm, I stayed out in the shop with the birds.
Yep, a generator would be the way to go, and keep plenty of fuel on hand.

Well, a house is so much "tighter" than a tent. Theoretically, unless it was very well sealed, a tent will allow quite a lot of ventilation even when closed up. Many houses, particularly newer ones, are very tight, with multiple seals around doors and windows.

well, not here lol.... I can feel the darn cold air coming in through my front door when its closed!