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How many hours of full spectrum lighting . . .

noelmac

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Rosemary
for a female cockatiel? I have limited her daylight hours for the last several years. It has so far been successful in her not laying eggs. (Noel is 16.)

However, this year we closed in our patio and added a roof even further out -- both of which reduced the natural light in the house. We have noticed the reduction on light, so we know she is not getting as much natural light as she did. I just bought a full spectrum lighting system, but don't want to over do it. If she gets approximately the same number of hours of "sunlight" as she is used to, is that ok?

Thanks for your advice.
 

Tiel Feathers

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My vet said that my parrots only need about one hour a week of full spectrum light, either outside or under a bulb. So it's not very much, but I give my birds 1 hour a day. Too much can cause breeding behavior. The light should be placed no more than 12-18" from the cage. The windows in your house block most of the beneficial light, so the light coming in your house dosent really count. Hope this helps! :)
 

JLcribber

@cockatoojohn
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There's no such thing as overdoing good light. Not for anyone. It's not the spectrum of the light that produces breeding behaviour. It is the photoperiod. Every moment they are awake should be spent in good full spectrum light. Color correctness is a big part of FSL. There is also more activity/awareness/energy under good light.
 

pajarita

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Well, actually, spectrum does play a part on breeding behavior (as well as other behaviors - redder light makes them broody while blue light makes them anxious -plucking has been observed). And it is the change in spectrum during twilight that sets their circadian cycle which, in turn, sets the circannual cycle (photoperiod) they use to know when to breed, when to molt, etc. But a good full spectrum light (CRI 94+ and Ktemp 5000-5500) does not make them broody or anxious so it's just a matter of getting the right bulb or tube. I keep the full spectrum lights on from the time the sky is completely lit (8:00 am this time of the year) until the sun is halfway down to the horizon (3:00 pm this time of the year), before and after they get the natural light through the windows so their endocrine system is attuned to the seasons. But I don't use lamps clamped to cages, I use the ceiling fixtures. I know of 3 birds going blind and 2 getting squamous carcinoma from been exposed to the so-called 'avian lights' in lamps so I play it safe - and, so far so good so, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
 
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