Hi

Our safe house tiel Lady came to us as a plucker, she's been with us a couple of months and over the last few days I've become fairly sure she's still plucking.  Last week I was advised to try UV lighting with her.  I'd thought about it before for Chirpy anyway because of our long dark winter months however the price of the bird specific ones is a bit steep.  I wondered if I could use ones for reptiles?

Any thoughts/advice particularly from those that use UV lights would be appreciated.

Thanks

Michelle

Shaz sent me this reply to a thread I started last year about the same issue and I quote:-

I use the 6500k broad sprectrum lighting in my living room and bird room. i buy from BLT direct and they do make a difference!!! The birdies know when the side lights come on its 'chill out'' for bed time lol.

http://www.bltdirect.com/products.p...ni+Spirals

ps Haven'tt forgotten your glasses Michelle - been really busy!

Thanks Sharon!
Don't worry about the sunglasses, it's hardly the weather for them!!!

I must admit I was looking at some of the wild ringnecks here which spend all day in really bright sunlight and their colours are almost luminous

Ever since I moved North (well North for me that is to Sheffield) I suffered from SAD every winter and as an artist really felt the 'gloom' of the Peak District. I bought a light box which consists of two daylight tubes with a diffused perspex front in a rather chunky box which sits on my mantlepiece. It's also where our cockatiels live in their indoor aviary. Every time it's dull I put on the lightbox and the two of them perk up no end. I call it 'switching on the sunshine'. In fact, I say something along those lines when I go over to the box and as soon as the two of them hear the word  'sunshine'  they're piping and tweeting away like mad.

As soon as the box goes on, they go to the end of the aviary nearest the light and sit and bathe in it.

Rather think they love it....

Rainie

 

Rainie,

Lovely to hear from you I hope you, Robert and 'The Odd Couple' are well x

Hi, I use a uv bulb for my cag, whether it is actually beneficial is debatable, I believe it is but there is no doubt he likes it, I always use it when the weather is dull and chilly, during really nice warm and sunny days he is lucky to be with me at work and spend his time by an open door getting good daylight and dappled sunlight which again he loves.
The lamp is an avian specific by Arcadia, we also keep reptiles, both lizards and snakes and their requirements are very different, its all to do with the amount of the light spectrum they need being cold blooded overall know as uv (ultra violet) this is split into 3 - uva, uvb and uvc and are different wave lengths, uvc rays are completely filtered out by the earths atmosphere so we don't need to worry about them! this leaves us with uva and uvb Lizards need more uvb than birds (can't remember about uva) so their lamps are geared up for this, typically 5% or 10% uvb, birdy lamps are 2.4% uvb and 12% uva, half the uvb of reptiles so, after all this waffling reptile lamps are not good for birds and can actually cause sunburn!

Hope that's clear!

cheers, Nigel.

Thanks everyone for your input. I'm now convinced that reptile lamps are no good after the same advice on 4 forums!!
I am planning to get the arcadia light set once they are back in stock, found the set for £63 which I think is worth it for our long winter nights. I can set it up on a timer so it's on from when I leave in the morning to their bedtime or a bit earlier.
Thanks again
Michelle

Hi Michelle, if I can make a suggestion, I bought an Arcadia kit,this is the one with the compact lamp, not a tube of any sort, same as the energy saving bulbs we now use in the house, the lamp holder and reflector bits are really not worth the cost (and i get them trade!), also they have to be attached to the cage which means birdy takes great delight in trying to undo it from the inside and if like mine yours spend time on the outside of the cage they then have access to the flimsy plastic and electric cable! so I bought a floor standing lamp from B & Q, I think, cost about £10/£15 has a bendy neck so you can adjust the position, the Arcadia bulb fits perfectly (make sure you ordert the right bulb fitting for whatever lamp stand you use - bayonet or screw in) and this can be positioned and angled out of reach of inquisitive beaks! Works really well for us!

Nigel.

Nigel, does this mean you can buy the lamp from any old place and you just need to make sure you use the right bulb?

I'm thinking of whether I could put one in the ceiling of my bird room rather than using a lamp BUT the lamp would be good for the boys not in the bird room, so may look to get both.

Cheers

 

Hi Victoria, yes, as long as its got a good reflector, unfortunately the bulb (compact lamp) I believe, has to be within something like 20cm of the bird, Arcadia also do the same but as a tube and I understand that this is recommended for aviaries and bird rooms but do need the ballast and starter kits.

Found this which might help.

http://www.avequip.co.uk/arcadiabird.html

That's great thank you Nigel. I think I get what you mean!! Will be looking into it more tomorrow!

 UV lighting and arcadia lamps....

 

I'm getting the compact lamps, holders and reflectors.

Another issue that I've come across now is the use of supplements. I understand we should be careful of providing synthesis supplements when also providing UV lighting as you're in effect providing extra supplements?

Would this include products like Calcivet and Avimix?

 

i bought the lamp from ebay recently for £13.99, the bulb was £25 from scarletts