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Right now the conditions seem right for terrible ice storms in a large reason of the US. This can result in power failures that can go on for days at a time, sometimes even weeks. Most heating systems rely on electricity.

Many of the heaters that can be used to provide warmth can create a carbon monoxide hazard to birds and people. Generators need to be used carefully too, so that exhaust gases do not get inside to poison occupants.

we had a four day power failure a while back. Fortunately it was fairly warm after that ice storm. It was still a bit difficult to keep the place warm, as I did not have a generator then.

There is also a nasty hazard from the storage of substantial amounts of gasoline for fueling geneators. Diesel engines are MUCH safer in this regard, but they also are substantially more expensive. (Even the one cylinder ones also sound like bulldozers!)

Still ice storms are a real concern for those of us with birds.

We got lucky with that last storm and didn't lose power. My pregnant niece was without power for over a week. I'm hoping hard we get as lucky with this storm as well. My elderly and sickly mother is living with us now. That adds a whole new dimension to the worry of a power outage. The weather prophets (like that term Robert) have you all pegged to get it worse than us.

A built-iin generator is high on our wish list. Our heat source is electric so a portable generator would be pretty much useless. A built-in would cost about as much as a college semester so it will have to wait a few years.

How did you manage to keep your birds warm?

Weather Man is saying we could have weather like we did the the first part of December. That time we can to pack up our birds and poodle and travel over 100 miles to a hotel that would take in our entire family. The girls didnot not mind the trip they were talking all the way. A man in the next room came to visit the girls saying his sister raised birds. The only trouble with staying in a hotel or motel we are afraid to leave the birds by themselfs so we mainly had room service, but that was great for the birds they sure do enjoy whatever we have on our plates. I hope the weather man is wrong I don't mind staying in and watching our the windows. We have a friend that is looking into a entire house generator, but he will not be back until Feb. or Mar.but it will be worth the wait because he knows what to do and make sure it will be safe for my birds. Keep warm and dry. parrotsmama1940

We were without power for about 5 days. We have a fireplace in the basement so we took everyone downstairs to keep warm.
My daughter was without power for 9 days, she had to take her birds to my mothers house (she lives about 2 miles from me and didn't lose her power at all!!) and had to leave her dogs (5 in all) home to huddle together. If we lose power this time I told her to bring her one dog over here cuz she's so old she can't take another freeze.
Everytime a squirrel farts we lose power! I'm so sick of it. And Ameren wants to raise the rates!!! BS
I was surprised that Peggy and David lost power, they live closer to my mom than I do and she didn't lose power.

The weather prophets seemed very angry this morning! I went to check on the generator fuel supply, plugged in the generator battery, and then decided that I most definitely did not have enough fuel to keep the generator running long. I went to Pittsburg (Kansas, not the real one, where our University is.), to get a fuel container, as I could not find any here that were yellow. (You are supposed to put gasoline in red, diesel fuel in yellow, and kerosene in blue.) I located one, and then went to see our secretary at the University, because she retires today! We sat around and ate all the food left from her party yesterday. Then I looked outside and it looked a bit bad. I came back home, stopped at the Farmer's Coop fuel station and filled the container with diesel fuel, and now I am hoping for the best.

I have it fixed so I can connect the furnace to the generator easily, as well as refrigerators and many electric lights. The generator seems to consume about 1 litre/hour, so I have enough fuel for about 30 hours. The plan is to run the generator at night, and start it every hour or so to warm up the place during the day should the predicted outages occur.

I hate to use the kerosene heater, because they can so much be a risk to the birds. (though I do have a carbon monoxide detector that is battery powered.)

Right the weather is real weird. Solid ice pellets will fall out of the sky, and then a few minutes it is water that freezes to everything. This is supposed to go on for 72 hours!!!!

If I run out of fuel and have to use kerosene heater, I think Oscar will have to move to the living room, as it can only keep the living room and bird room warm.

Good look to everyone else and their flocks!

By the way--if anyone else have electric garage door openers do not attempt to open the garage door with the opener if freezing rain has frozen it down. Mine was damaged a bit a few weeks ago in the storm then.

rrp

rpalis, Thanks for giving the warning about the electric garage dooring opening. The only thing that saved my daughter was a tree had fallen in front of her garage. This was her first electric door opener.and she would have not known what to do. You sound like you are set for the wonderful...weather. HaHa.If you get it Kansas City, St. Louis is usually next. Peggy

Good luck, Robert. I hope you can keep your power. In Houston, I don't ever remember losing power from ice and cold, although one year it did stay below freezing long enough to burst pipes in a lot of homes (including the one to the washing machine in the garage at our home). A lot of pipes aren't buried here; they are in the walls, and sometimes even in ceilings. We are being warned of freezing temperatures, but not really too low. Of course, since they are saying that, it will probably be worse. LOL

It is apparent that most of Oklahoma, part of Arkansas, a bit of Kansas, and above all a large portion of Missouri had really an extraordinarily bad weekend for weather. I live about a 25 minute drive NW of Pittsburg Kansas. I noticed this morning that our University web site is not there, and I cannot log into my office computer nor the central University computer system. Apparently 500.000 homes are without power!!!

When I heard the weather forecast was so terrible, I went to Pittsburg to get a larger container of diesel fuel, and then went to our secretary's second retirement party. I looked outside and discovered it looked very dark, so I rushed home. It was freezing rain all the way. I stopped at the fuel place and filled the diesel container with fuel, and then it started to rain freezing rain really hard. But within about 3 blocks of home it started to drop ice pellets. By the time I drove those 3 blocks the ground was white with sleet, and it kept falling until it looks like a moderate snow outside. It is NOT snow! There was another round of the same thing on Saturday. On Sunday it was warmer and the stuff that fell that day largely stuck to things, but fortunately that was not an heavy downpour.

This can be very very bad for people with birds. Some people can take refuge in hotels, but they often have no current either, and many will not allow birds. Kerosene heaters are dangerous both from carbon monoxide poisoning and from burning down one's house! What is especially bad is that after the power failure the temperatures are falling dramatically. It is supposed to be hideously cold the next couple of days and nights.

I hope the wind does not come up today, because the ice on power lines and trees could problems here too if that happen.

I took a picture of my house from the fence. The ice on the ground is absolutely solid, you do not leave a track walking on it, and it is also dangerously slick!!!!

WOW, please take care all of you!

Both last year and the year before we experienced horrible ice storms and loss of power (and heat) for days.
Unfortunately, the first time (two years ago) I lost one of my budgies. He had to be in a carrier instead of his normal cage because my mother refused to bring it along when we relocated for a few days. He tried to fly and broke his neck. My mother definately learned her lesson. It was heartbreaking.
The next year, we stayed at home without heat and all cuddled up infront of the fireplace. The birds were bought out (caged, of course) and covered with a small opening to allow heat from the fire to enter. They were somewhat puffed up, but they were alright. The top of the fireplace was open to prevent smoke from entering the house, so that really wasn't an issue.
We were very unprepared. Hopefully, all of you will be alright and well prepared for whatever winter throws your way.