A weird question about Balls and Birds....

[frankhermens]

As I'm intending to expand my hobby to breeding, I'm trying to choose where to setup my first rack. I now have a 0.1 Pastel Spark in a terrarium, but I intend to expand to 2 males and 4 females to breed in the future.

I have several options to put my first rack, but a dedicated room is not possible (all occupied with kids :-)). Now, my other hobby is keeping birds and in my backyard there is an insulated, heated garage where I keep them. Ambient temperatures there are 60 - 70 F / 16 - 20 C. Humidity 40-70%. There are about 100 tropical birds in cages and aviaries. Keeping hobbies together, it might be logical to set up my first rack(s) there. I intend to buy high quality racks with equally good thermostat / heating.

Now, does anyone see any problems with the birds in the vicinity? They are pretty quiet, except for some singing off course. One other plus is that there are no people there, so besides the birds it is very quiet.

And may I assume the ambient temperature is not a problem with a high quality rack?

thanks!

[Zincubus]

Well there are some who keep pet fancy mice and rats in the same rooms as their snakes so birds should be no problem , I guess .

I wouldn't fancy having mice in my reptile room as the Kings go psycho with just the smell of frozen thawed mice !


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[Starscream]

And may I assume the ambient temperature is not a problem with a high quality rack?

From what I understand about racks, high-quality simply means it's not been made with shoddy workmanship and isn't going to collapse within a few years, as well as any wiring already being professionally done for the rack. PVC also retains heat and humidity pretty well, and is lighter than wooden racks. However, UTHs only do so much, and having ambient temps as low as 60-70F for ball pythons is a no-go. The temps need to at least be 75F, more ideally 79F, as the UTHs only warms a surface and not ambient air.

[zina10]

Ambient seems to low...

That said, my ambient is between 74 and 77/78 most times. Can dip as low as 72 at night during winter.

I like enclosed racks. I do believe it absolutely helps to keep the temps more even. Most people will say UTH doesn't help to warm the ambient, and in most cases its probably true (cages, open racks) however, when I pull my tubs open, I can absolutely feel warmer air coming from the tub. My rack has one single heat tape that snakes (no pun) its way under each tub, up the side and under the next tub. So each tub has heat from below and a bit from a side.

Temperature of 60 degrees or in the 60's is going to be a problem, though, unless you heat the whole room or keep enclosures that will raise the ambient temp.

Also, "if" you ever have to treat your racks/enclosures and surroundings for snake mites, that may be a problem for the birds. Most of those treatments are "sprayed" and I know birds can be extremely sensitive to things like that..

Can your birds handle a ambient temp of around 75 degrees if you heat the whole room?

Can you remove the birds temporarily if you ever had to treat for mites ? (until the fumes dissipate)

[frankhermens]

Thanks for your replies!

- I was afraid you were going to say that about the ambient temps. That is not a huge problem. I would just have to heat more towards the 70's I guess...

- as for the racks: With high quality I meant solid heating and solid thermostat as to diminish temp-problems in the rack.

- And should I ever have to treat for mites, the birds can go temporarily...

Thanks!

[frankhermens]

PS: has anyone any experience with a heatpad in de the front of a rack, or say, at the side? This to compensate for low surrounding temperatures?

[BallPythonWannaBe]

I dont think it would be a problem. I keep my two parakeets(Budgies) in the room with my one Ball Python and he dosent even know they are there. 100 might be diffrent but you should be fine.