Poor lighting conditions

[djdancer]

Hello All.

I just bought stackable (3 high) cages for my Conures due to a move and space. I’ve had the birds in the cages for 3 days now and am not happy with how dark it is inside each cage. I am not breeding them, they are my companions.

I noticed that breeding cages have space in between each cage where these cages don’t have any space between each at all.

Is there an “affordable” lighting that I can put in or around each cage that will not cause cataracts or throw them into breeding mode? I’ve looked on different sites and looks like it would cost me about $70 “per cage”. I really can’t spend that as the cage was pretty expensive. I am an experienced owner/trainer and my birds do get out of the cages each day and whatnot and do know the importance of lighting. I do have a sunlight UVfor them but cannot have them all day long.

I have attached a picture of the cage but when all setup these cages look like it’s nighttime all the time.

Thank you for reading!

 

[SailBoat]

Yup, common problem with stacking style cages!

UV lights are a waste of money.

For best case in a bad situation, consider a couple of table lamps (with shades) place either side of the cage. Target a lamp that has the ability to dim the light bulb!!! Purchase two, 100 watt LED 'Day Light' 'dim-able' light bulbs. If you cannot find a table lamp with a dimming system as part of it, use 60 Watt LED, Day Light Bulbs.

This will place the light at a level that will bring more light into the cages.
Do not place the lamps next to the cages as there is not advantage to bring too much light to the cage area. As the evening process, turn off one and a bit later the other. Kind of like the Sun setting...

Another is to set the stack cages in a window that will allow light into all three cages.

 

[djdancer]

Thank you for your response!! I’m wondering if I can put LED strip lighting of some sort. I found some very expensive strip lights but wondering if I can do something much cheaper? I think they have a stainless steel hardware cloth (screen) around their and I have plenty of stainless steel hardware cloth.
Expensive lighting can be seen here: https://breedingcage.com/products/ez-petlight.php

 

[SailBoat]

Hey, its your money...

To me, you need to add 'some' lighting, your statement... Why go the expensive way that makes your place look like my garage. Strip /plate lighting is not for use in your home or apartment.

FYI: Too much light can cause blindness... With the lamp suggestion above, you can simply go to 40 watt LED bulbs to reduce the level of light, what do you do with strip /plate lighting?

 

[djdancer]

I am a bit offended by you saying that my wanting strip lights was trashy. I am trying to provide the best for my birds while someone who wouldn’t know any better might just live with it as is.

If you look at the cages in the picture, they go all the way to the floor. Should I put lamps on the floor? No. Your suggestion may have been fine for top two cages. I love all three birds. So should I pick and choose who gets light and who doesn’t? The “LED” strip lights for each cage would work if I knew what is safe and what isn’t. While also not spending a fortune per light.

I do have a full spectrum lighting that I only put on for 2 hours each morning at same time because anything more than that and they want to lay eggs, which I don’t want. They are in a room with skylights that provide plenty of light to the room and even with their cage being out in the open the two lower cages are dark.

Unfortunately these cages do not have space between the upstairs neighbor and downstairs neighbors cage. These were not cheap cages but offered the most square footage per bird in a stackable cage.

 

[SailBoat]

I am a bit offended by you saying that my wanting strip lights was trashy. I am trying to provide the best for my birds while someone who wouldn’t know any better might just live with it as is.

If you look at the cages in the picture, they go all the way to the floor. Should I put lamps on the floor? No. Your suggestion may have been fine for top two cages. I love all three birds. So should I pick and choose who gets light and who doesn’t? The “LED” strip lights for each cage would work if I knew what is safe and what isn’t. While also not spending a fortune per light.

I do have a full spectrum lighting that I only put on for 2 hours each morning at same time because anything more than that and they want to lay eggs, which I don’t want. They are in a room with skylights that provide plenty of light to the room and even with their cage being out in the open the two lower cages are dark.

Unfortunately these cages do not have space between the upstairs neighbor and downstairs neighbors cage. These were not cheap cages but offered the most square footage per bird in a stackable cage.

Okay, apparently my garage is much different than yours as it is far above trashy and the LED panels are set to provide extensive lighting.

 

[djdancer]

Sailboat, I’m wondering what kind of lighting you are talking about? Can you send me a link to something that could brighten the cages? There isn’t a space between each cage and they can’t be separated so that’s why it’s so dark. I’m very sorry we purchased these particular cages now but they gave each Conure a bigger space to move around and play, forage, etc..

 

[SailBoat]

I'm unsure what you are asking of me, as I believe that I addressed your question with table lamps using LED bulbs, which can be moved to provide different levels of light as needed.

 

[Jottlebot]

I don't think there was an intention to comment on the 'tastfulness'of the strip lighting. My immediate thought when I read the garage comment was that they could potentially be very harsh, false light, like in a garage where you need everything to be illuminated, but it isn't a very pleasant, calming light. I think the picture in the link with the finches in the cage is very harsh.

I much prefer Sailboat's suggestion of getting lamps with daylight bulbs, it will give your birds nice, comfortable light with no glare.

In terms of one of the cages being on the floor, you can get standard lamps with lighting at different heights, maybe one of these stood on the floor next to the cages would work? Especially if you could move the arms to position them? I don't have any recommendations, but I know they exist.

I know you've said you cages don't have space between them, but I'm not sure if they have the trays shown in the picture. If they do you could remove these and replace with something else? Just sheets of card the right size should be enough, you'd probably have to replace them every so often, but getting rid of some of the black might help lighten things a bit?