Pictures Featherbrite directly under the lamp measures 0 uvb

[saroj12]

i bought this accurate uvb meter. It's cloudy out today, meter registers 13.00 micro watts per sq cm. But under the 1 month old featherbrite lamp almost touching the bulb, it measures 0.00! I have an avian sun lamp that arrived yesterday and when we open it I'll check its output. The featherbrite guy did say their lamps have very little uvb, which means no vitamin d production.

 

[WendyN]

 

[DQTimnehs]

Wow that's awful! Thanks for sharing, Saroj.

 

[saroj12]

i'll let you know about the Avian Sun lamp this weekend. And I need to research about what level is considered beneficial for birds.

 

[Clueless]

i bought this accurate uvb meter. It's cloudy out today, meter registers 13.00 micro watts per sq cm. But under the 1 month old featherbrite lamp almost touching the bulb, it measures 0.00! I have an avian sun lamp that arrived yesterday and when we open it I'll check its output. The featherbrite guy did say their lamps have very little uvb, which means no vitamin d production.

View attachment 253505

Wow.....bless you for doing all this hard work. I'll follow along (like I've done with your other items....travel cages, wood to chew on....I'm feeling like a stalker, but I assure you I'm harmless.....it's all for the birds).

 

[JLcribber]

I already knew that. All artificial lighting does very little to nothing for vitamin production. There's some things you can't replace and sunshine is one of them.

Since you've got this fancy meter now. Take a measurement of sunshine through a glass window say 1 foot away from the glass and see what kind of reading you get. I'm very curious.

 

[JLcribber]

i'll let you know about the Avian Sun lamp this weekend. And I need to research about what level is considered beneficial for birds.

The amount is determined by the body. It absorbs what it wants and then shuts down until it requires again. It is a surprisingly short amount of "time" in the sun.

From everything I've read over the years (as well as some doctors advice concerning my own vitamin D) that after as little as 10 minutes to about 45 minutes the body stops absorbing UV. There are other factors such as how much sunshine one gets on a regular basis. For example I work outside. My body basically stopped absorbing it because of over exposure.

If your birds get 30 minutes in the sun a couple times a week they're absorbing everything they need. JMO.

 

[jmfleish]

Yep, this has been known for years! Angela Herschel did this test years ago! I've been trying to tell you guys this but no one listens to the crazy bird lady!

 

[Tiel Feathers]

My vet said 15 minutes of outdoor time, even in the shade, a few times a week is perfect. Of course in the winter this doesn't work. That's disconcerting that it read 0. I'm also curious about the light through the window.

 

[MiniMacaw]

My avian vet told me not to bother with the avian bulbs when I asked about them. She said, as others have said, that a bit of time outside a few times a week is all they need.
Very curious to see the results of the window light too.

 

[Clueless]

@saroj12

You're my hero......

Besides the reading inside a window glass......can you get a reading inside a screen?

I have a screened in porch I could take the amazons to but I thought it was useless to get sun in.

 

[Jan]

Saroj ... that's pretty interesting to know!

 

[jmfleish]

@saroj12

You're my hero......

Besides the reading inside a window glass......can you get a reading inside a screen?

I have a screened in porch I could take the amazons to but I thought it was useless to get sun in.

Boy I'm really starting to feel like chopped liver...

 

[iamwhoiam]

Interesting @saroj12 Thanks for posting. Will be watching for your through the window reading.

 

[saroj12]

lol @jmfleish ! hey folks i just got home and it's overcast and gloomy o ut, so no sunny window till tomorrow hopefully. it's reading 16 outside. my mistake t here are no decimal points, just integers. The precision is in the units! microwatts/cm squared.

 

[JLcribber]

I'd also be curious to know what the reading is behind window "screen" (window open). There's also two kinds of window screen. Metal and plastic. I think some might get through plastic screen but I don't have a neato gadget.

 

[saroj12]

I'd also be curious to know what the reading is behind window "screen" (window open). There's also two kinds of window screen. Metal and plastic. I think some might get through plastic screen but I don't have a neato gadget.

It's going to be sunny at some point in the day, punctuated by rain, so I'll gather all the readings tomorrow. I have fiberglass screen without glass. This gizmo is sold to reptile owners who want to save on constant new bulb purchases every six months. Some people find the uvb sufficient beyond the expiration period.

 

[JLcribber]

I have fiberglass screen without glass.

That's three kinds of screen. There's also vinyl screen.

 

[saroj12]

Ultraviolet Meters and UVB requirements for Reptiles

 

[iamwhoiam]

There are also different kinds of windows: single pane, double pane, triple pane.