Full Spectrum vs Daylight Lighting

Skittles is positioned near a ceiling light in our former kitchenette area. We're thinking of removing the fixture and replacing it with some type of "brighter" light. The following questions need to be answered first.

1. Daylight or Full Spectrum lighting?

2. Minimum distance from fixture to the closest spot Skittles can reach?

3. Minimum/maximum wattage?

4. Timed? How many hours?

5. Do I need to shade part of the cage to allow Skittles to retreat if he
choses?

6. Any other issues/concerns?

Thanks,

Forbey

These articles may be helpful.

weco said:

Don't know what your thinking is on the efficacy of what is currently sold as full spectrum lighting, but you might want to read the following articles...earlier posts/threads on the forum.....

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-health-care/29150-uvb-lighting.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/general...l-spectrum-lighting-do-you-want-part-1-a.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/general...l-spectrum-lighting-do-you-want-part-2-a.html

Click to expand...

Re: #5 -- YES.

FWIW, a few minutes outside in direct sunlight equals hours under one of those lights. I'm not against the lights but if you live somewhere you can provide sunlight year round, I would opt for that.

I've done some reading on sunlamps, as compared to FSL. These sunlamp bulbs are geared towards people with psoriasis (my step dad always pronounced that sorry a s s es -- LOL so when I type it I think of him and giggle) and other skin conditions. They are very expensive however.

Thanks for the articles, Ms. Wendy. I will read them as I can.

Unfortunately, when we contracted to buy and restore this home my son still had Skittles and we were looking for energy efficiency. So we installed high efficiency UV blocking windows. Now with no curtains on the windows there isn't enough full spectrum light to meet the needs of Skittles. The future living room is even more light controlled. This is why I'm investigating artificial light.

The possibility exists of installing solar tubes.All options remain open.

Forbey

Forbey, I can tell you that I use Compact Fluorescent over my bird cages, using bulbs with 6,500k. I don't think they are healthier because of it, but I know for sure they are happier because of the extra light. When we have a power outage (and they happen all too often), none of my fids will make a peep, lol. As soon as I started using the lights, I noticed an increase in activity.

Let me see if I can dig up a link on the ones I have....
Featherbrite Full Spectrum Pagoda Swag Light - FULL SPECTRUM LIGHTING by Bird Paradise

Mine are VERY similar to that one.

Daylight hands down. Full spectrum lights do not do birds any good. Birds who do not receive actual sunlight or the very least reflected sunlight from an open window will be very deficient in vitamin D.

I am curious as to what people do with their breeder birds. I have my breeders in a room with lots of windows however they do not get any direct light from the sun. My companion birds all get outside during the mild months for the sunlight. I am wondering what I can do for the breeders.

If, when you say 'daylight' you mean the name of some light sources, these are not really full spectrum so, in this case, full spectrum is better than the so-called 'daylight'.

But I would not go with a Ktem of 6500 as Wendy suggested, it makes the light too blue and brings the birds into condition. The recommended temperature for companion birds (the difference might be that Wendy breeds them) is 5500 but a little lower is not bad either and the CRI should be closest to 100 as you can get it but not lower than 93.

The other consideration is UV light which most full spectrums don't output enough of so what I do is use two full spectrum fluorescents to one UV light with both UVA (which they can see) and UVB (which they need to manufacture vit D3 needed for calcium absorption) output. I put mine on ceiling fixtures, I would never use any of the avian lamps they advertise that clamp on the cages, it's way too close to their eyes for my taste and I've heard horror stories of birds going blind because of them.

By daylight, he meant natural sunlight.

Pajarita said:

.....

But I would not go with a Ktem of 6500 as Wendy suggested, it makes the light too blue and brings the birds into condition. The recommended temperature for companion birds (the difference might be that Wendy breeds them) is 5500 but a little lower is not bad either and the CRI should be closest to 100 as you can get it but not lower than 93.
.....

Click to expand...

No, I don't breed at all, and none of my fids go into breeding condition by using 6,500k. The light is not blue at all either. Actinics are blue. The plumage of my fids looks BRILLIANT under the 6,500k, while all other bulbs I've tried didn't have the same effects, in fact most others I've tried looked "yellowish".

Also, if you read my post thoroughly I stated the ONLY reason I'm using any artificial light is because my fids are more active when they are on.

NOTHING substitutes taking your bird out and letting him/her/them get some real sunlight.

I've always wondered what those bulbs do to their eyes. Is there any info about that or is it unknown?

JerseyWendy said:

Pajarita said:

.....

But I would not go with a Ktem of 6500 as Wendy suggested, it makes the light too blue and brings the birds into condition. The recommended temperature for companion birds (the difference might be that Wendy breeds them) is 5500 but a little lower is not bad either and the CRI should be closest to 100 as you can get it but not lower than 93.
.....

Click to expand...

No, I don't breed at all, and none of my fids go into breeding condition by using 6,500k. The light is not blue at all either. Actinics are blue. The plumage of my fids looks BRILLIANT under the 6,500k, while all other bulbs I've tried didn't have the same effects, in fact most others I've tried looked "yellowish".

Also, if you read my post thoroughly I stated the ONLY reason I'm using any artificial light is because my fids are more active when they are on.

NOTHING substitutes taking your bird out and letting him/her/them get some real sunlight.

Click to expand...

Sorry, I haven't been here long enough and don't know all the details of all the members so I got you confused with somebody who says something like 'long term breeder of amazons' or something like that.

As to the light, it's not as if we, humans, can actually see the difference in the color of the light but higher Kelvin temperatures produce a bluer light while lower ones produce a redder one. Now, sunlight has a K temp of 5500 and a CRI of 100 so the closest you can find to this numbers, the more 'natural' the light will be but higher temperatures have been found to promote the production of sexual hormones and to create anxiety in birds (some have even made a connection with bluer light and feather destructive behavior). I used to use Verilux but I stopped when they went on to manufacture lights with a good CRI with a higher Ktemp. Personally, I ALWAYS play it safe and go for the closest to 5500 on any full spectrum with a CRI higher than 93.

Kalidasa said:

I've always wondered what those bulbs do to their eyes. Is there any info about that or is it unknown?

Click to expand...

If you read enough, you will probably find a sentence or two/paragraph or two about the effect of artificial lighting on the eyes of companion birds, but the greatest amount of research has been done on poultry, production, breeding and egg laying primarily and your reading needs to be to those ends…at least for now…..here is some reading material I have found interesting, though some of it is rather boring.....

Poultry breeding Effect of Light

SHEDDING SOME LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1460&context=icwdm_usdanwrc

Artificial Light Brings Beneficial Sun Indoors

https://oak.ucc.nau.edu/pb1/vitae/Beier-Lights-Mammals-FINAL[w.%20my%20edits].pdf

Common Eye Disorders in Birds | petMD

Light Pollution Affects Mammals in the Environment

Artificial light alters natural regimes of night-time sky brightness : Scientific Reports : Nature Publishing Group

http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/other/9780108508547/9780108508547.pdf

http://www.palsvetlab.co.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/63uvb.pdf

Artificial Lighting and the Blue Light Hazard

There is also anecdotal references. I personally know of two birds that had their corneas burnt by light, one of them got his sight back but the other one remained blind for the rest o his life.

All of the above..... When i got my first bird, my A vet said 5500K was the "correct" color temperature, but I also notice, even if i don't use a 'bird lamp', just having a light on near the cage always cheers them up immensely. I currently have a 5500K light, and i have it on fewer hours per day than i did in the past.

But there is nothing like being able to just get your birds outside in natural light and fresh air. Even in the spring/summer when Gilbert goes out a lot, pretty much a little each day, i still have his light on because of the cheerful factor.

I also don't care for the clamp on lights for a variety of reasons but i do have one at the moment because it was the only one in stock when i needed a light. I want to get a hanging light for on the ceiling again.

Pepito also sings a lot when it's sunny, so i have always enjoyed that, although i haven't had a bird lamp on him consistently for years, just have him in a bright & sunny location in the house.