Let's talk about lighting (please).

[ProbablyHarrison]

Ooookay so I've read things here and there about full spectrum lighting and the positives it can bring to your bird's life, and I've also read that you have to be pretty careful that you get the right kind of bulb and setup for safety reasons.

What do you guys think about full-spectrum lighting? What lamps/bulbs do you guys use, or recommend?

I've had my eye on this kind of lamp:

but I'm not sure if it would work with a dometop cage. Do any of you use it? And if you do, do you know if it would work on my cage?

Also, that lamp is pretty pricey. Is it the best there is? Or is there a better, or cheaper, or both, that is just as acceptable for birds?

 

[mzkitty]

I was looking into this as well. I found this one that's a little bit cheaper. Link

It's been a month since you have posted. Please let me know if you have found anything useful since then. Thanks!

 

[weco]

Must be my day for controversial subjects, but if you are really interested in getting value for your $$$ you need to do some more reading...and...not the sales pitches & website ads from manufacturers & vendors...because all that they would have you believe is 85% wrong, 10% marketing spin & 5% valid information.

Start here & read through the links in the middle of the page.....the vita-lite link doesn't work any longer.....then take a look at soon to be posted topic: Full Spectrum Lighting - Do You Want It I get it up in a short while.

[FONT=&quot]Little Feathered Buddies Health & Nutrition[/FONT]

After you have finished all this extra reading, then make your decision on how much $$$ you want to pay the various peddlers for their way over priced wares.

 

[ProbablyHarrison]

Thanks for the links, Weco. I'll give them a good read! As for now I just got a couple of featherbrite bulbs from Mysafebirdstore and I'm using a nice clip-on lamp my dad had in the garage. It seemed like a reasonable substitute and it will be completely out of reach of my bird at all times. It stays on well and the light works just fine.

 

[weco]

All this advance work you're doing ahead of time may leave you with anticlimactic blues in a couple of months.....maybe you should just make a list & wait to do some of this for after he gets here.....during his acclimation period.....

 

[ProbablyHarrison]

I just don't want to leave anything undone that he might need or is important for him! Haha. Don't worry, I have some projects to work on after I get him, like building him a good playstand, a travel playstand, and some sprouting/garden projects, a swing/ladder, and several toy-making activities.

And he'll have plenty of interaction from the whole family... I have a feeling things will go well.

 

[weco]

Here's some more reading on the FS lighting controversy:

Additionally, there is a lot of info (question & answer) from a Yahoo group, going back some 17+ years, including this posting:

"A canary breeder in my local club used to put Vitalites directly on top of her breeding cages and after a couple of years, some of the hens developed cataracts. She called Durotest (the manufacturer of the full spectrum Vitalite) and they recommended that the tubes be at least 3 feet from a bird's eyes because the UV can cause cataracts. So this might also be true of other brands of full spectrum lights. By the way, Durotest just filed for bankruptcy."

The group's link is : https://groups.google.com/forum/?fro...rec.pets.birds

Once in the group, search their messages using full spectrum as your search parameters.....their message archives also have threads in which Patrick Thrush, a bird lighting expert, answered questions and offered insights not given you by lighting manufacturers or vendors, heck, I would venture that the majority selling "full spectrum" lighting have no idea what they are selling or that the term "full spectrum lighting" is nothing more than a marketing gimmick.....

 

[RockysMom]

I use the stand up Floor Lamps and just buy the replacement bulbs for them , I have 5 floor lamps I'am useing right now on all the cages and once a year I replace all the bulbs

 

[MonicaMc]

Too much of a good thing can be bad. Humans would probably have a lot of behavioral and health problems without the sun (vitamin D/calcium deficient, Seasonal Affective Disorder; aka SAD), but too much can lead to skin cancer, cataracts, possibly anxiety issues, etc.


When investing in a FS Bulb, you need to keep it at the right distance from the cage. Too close during or after the burn in period and you can cause "sun burn" to the eyes, and depending on the severity of burns may mean that the bird may require eye drops. Too far away, and the bird may not receive enough benefit from the light. Used for more than 4-6 months and the effectiveness of the bulb greatly dissipates.