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Under 50 dollars. I do not trust UVB or florescent lights, there are many incidents where birds were seriously hurt with them and I refuse to even risk that especially since budgies are so fragile.What are the parameters of affordable? I use an Avian Sun 5.0 UVB bulb made by ZooMed. Itβs true full-spectrum and I leave it on about six hours a day. It cost about $25 dollars for the bulb but then I just put it in a clip on utility lamp which is only about $6-7. If youβre looking for something cheaper, a basic fluorescent bulb ( not LED) could work. Probably equal to about 60 watts. It wonβt be quite full- spectrum but will still offer some benefits
Led White Christmas light are on great sales tight now. Just make sure they say cool white not warm
You should get an avian full spectrum bulb because they need the UV for vit. D daily, or they can get metabolic bone issues. You don't need to have that on all day-a few hrs. is enough daily. You can find them on amazon & other pet supply sites. Regular house lighting (like LED bulbs, etc.) will work fine for general light during the day if the area is too dark. Just be aware that the brighter the bulbs you get-like 100W & over, can be so bright that it stimulates hormones & mating behaviors can start, especially if you have very bright lights on for several hrs. a day.
I haven't heard of any reliable study showing they need it. Could you send me one if you have it? I'd love to learn.
I would suggest you consult with an avian vet to get more info. It is common sense though, as humans, dogs, cats, etc. all need UV sunlight for Vit. D & the natural body process of this is much better than any Vit. D any living creature can obtain by a vitamin supplement. This is simply a biological & physiological fact. I have pasted a link to the Merck veterinary manual for more info. More about it is under the "calcium, phosphorus, vit. D imbalances" section of this page. There is also much more info. on various things here too. Sunlight is important for all living things metabolically. However, it is not necessary to have a UV bulb on them for hours & hours. My avian vet said about 20 min. outside daily or at a window that is not filtered by coated glass or a screen that blocks UV, is all that is really needed. I only turn on my UV bulbs in the house for 1 hr. for my parrots.
www.merckvetmanual.com
I'm not wondering if they need sunlight, but I'm skeptical of the safety and effectiveness of UV light.I would suggest you consult with an avian vet to get more info. It is common sense though, as humans, dogs, cats, etc. all need UV sunlight for Vit. D & the natural body process of this is much better than any Vit. D any living creature can obtain by a vitamin supplement. This is simply a biological & physiological fact. I have pasted a link to the Merck veterinary manual for more info. More about it is under the "calcium, phosphorus, vit. D imbalances" section of this page. There is also much more info. on various things here too. Sunlight is important for all living things metabolically. However, it is not necessary to have a UV bulb on them for hours & hours. My avian vet said about 20 min. outside daily or at a window that is not filtered by coated glass or a screen that blocks UV, is all that is really needed. I only turn on my UV bulbs in the house for 1 hr. for my parrots.
Nutritional Diseases of Pet Birds - Nutritional Diseases of Pet Birds - Merck Veterinary Manual
Learn about the veterinary topic of Nutritional Diseases of Pet Birds. Find specific details on this topic and related topics from the Merck Vet Manual.
That's a very valid question. There are various brands of both bird & reptile UV bulbs on the market & the only way to truly monitor their out put is if you have a UV light tester. That's how you can tell if it's going bad & needs replacement. Most manufacturers suggest replacing every yr. or so with regular daily use, but depending on how many hrs. you have them on a day, this will obviously vary. The UV testers that look like credit cards can be helpful (they have a color strip that changes depending on the UV absorbed by them), also can go bad if they are old & aren't super accurate, but better than nothing. A real hand held digital UV measuring device would be much better, but they are more expensive. The distance of the bulb from the subject also is a factor. The bulb should be no more than 1 ft. away from where the bird typically sits for maximum UV, but that is also hard to control as they move around. Having said all that though, IF a person is not able to allow their bird's actual time in natural sunlight daily, using a UV bulb indoors is better than no UV at all, even if the UV is weaker than the real thing (which is will always be). It's important to provide something & not none at all for their health. Also being a lifelong reptile owner myself, I can attest that UV lights do have effect because I have always used them & not one of my reptiles have ever gotten metabolic bone disease like you see in lizards & tortoises with the malformed jaws & shells who haven't been exposed to them. It's a very common thing that vets see often with captive reptiles & birds are winged reptiles basically, so you get the idea. Oh, just for the record-I'm not just spouting off here w/no knowledge. I actually am a lifelong owner of parrots as well, worked as a zookeeper aide & have worked for over a decade at a wildlife hospital treating many different kinds of animals, but I specialize in raptors. I go to & work actively with a few vets & avian specialists out here all the time. This is where I get my knowledge from-from experience, from consultations with various vets (regular & specialists), & also all my own vet manual books & training I've had to do. So, my purpose on this forum is to simply give as much info. to people I can about birds which I know from my own experience, because the info. is so incomplete out there & there is SO MUCH to know that isn't really talked about. I am constantly learning new things from the vets out here which I never knew & they have accrued by their own experience with patients they have seen. The learning is never ending.
If you go to like a large pet store they sould have it there other wise you can buy one from amazon , they will have an entire lamp also so should ebay that adjusts like 80.00 does not come with the bulb..
