Full Spectrum Lighting

[Kiwibird08]

Good to hear they are replacing it.

Post a pic when you get it working and set up I'd like to see it.

I will. I am curious to check the replacement bulb with a UV meter to see if it is in fact putting off the UVA/UVB it claims, which will aid in vitamin D production or if it is a overpriced full spectrum bulb, in which case I will not reorder when it goes out and will just buy regular full spectrum bulbs. Either way, for my bird, I needed the specialty cage-top, bird safe light fixture. A gooseneck lamp would last about 2 minutes lol. I'm thinking I'm going to have to lock him in his cage for an hour or 2 a day while the lamp is on the cage then remove it so he can come out. I just see no way it could safely remain on the cage when he was out of the cage. This is the company though if your interested They do sell just the bulbs:

FeatherBrite Full spectrum lighting for birds

 

[Mr Peepers]

I will. I am curious to check the replacement bulb with a UV meter to see if it is in fact putting off the UVA/UVB it claims, which will aid in vitamin D production or if it is a overpriced full spectrum bulb, in which case I will not reorder when it goes out and will just buy regular full spectrum bulbs. Either way, for my bird, I needed the specialty cage-top, bird safe light fixture. A gooseneck lamp would last about 2 minutes lol. I'm thinking I'm going to have to lock him in his cage for an hour or 2 a day while the lamp is on the cage then remove it so he can come out. I just see no way it could safely remain on the cage when he was out of the cage. This is the company though if your interested They do sell just the bulbs:

FeatherBrite Full spectrum lighting for birds

Yikes that's an expensive light and bulb.. I only had a couple of small budgies that aren't chewers like the larger birds that's so I didn't have to worry about their lightbulb in the gooseneck option I posted.

It will be interesting to see how this light works with your larger bird.

 

[Kiwibird08]

So the replacement bulb arrived on Friday, and I started using it Saturday. He seems to like it a whole lot! For a big bird, the fixture is great! Keeps the cord out of the way and can be placed over the birds favorite 'spot' in the cage.

 

[pajarita]

Please, please, please do not place the light so close to the bird. It can burn its corneas (I know of two birds that went blind because of this) AND give him skin cancer (there are now reports of birds coming to vets with squamous cell carcinoma on their backs and tops of wings and the only thing that causes it is excessive UV exposure).

 

[Mr Peepers]

So the replacement bulb arrived on Friday, and I started using it Saturday. He seems to like it a whole lot! For a big bird, the fixture is great! Keeps the cord out of the way and can be placed over the birds favorite 'spot' in the cage.

very nice looking light and fixture it looks good on the cage

 

[Kiwibird08]

Please, please, please do not place the light so close to the bird. It can burn its corneas (I know of two birds that went blind because of this) AND give him skin cancer (there are now reports of birds coming to vets with squamous cell carcinoma on their backs and tops of wings and the only thing that causes it is excessive UV exposure).

I can tell from a few threads we don't see eye to eye on avian care. But don't think for a second I don't make informed decisions about my birds care. I just don't necessarily agree that certain risks outweigh the benefits. I know several people who have used the lamps for several years with no issues, for a couple hours a day (not bombard the bird with the lamp 24/7). I also know of a bird who lost an eye in an accident and one who's old and got cataracts. Birds can loose vision from lots of things. My bird did have a noticeable change in his activity level last winter (our first here in Oregon) when the sun basically was gone for a few months. He perked up in front of my SAD lamp, presumably because he is a tropical animal that benefits from daylight or simulated daylight. As for "UV paranoia", these are birds, not bats and they experience UV exposure naturally as they are awake and active during daylight hours. I would have a tendency to blame other dietary and environmental factors PAIRED with UV exposure as a trigger for cancer, not UV rays themselves. Birds are exposed to many unnatural things in most homes as well as pelleted diets chock full of preservatives and additives not found anywhere in nature, but no one blames those things for cancer. I very much try to eliminate any unnatural chemicals and processed foods for his diet and environment (and ours!) even if it's a ton extra work to prep foods from scratch or to not use cosmetics, beauty products, cleaning products, saps ext... because they aren't healthy, natural and I do not feel they are safe. I find those more of a risk than sunlight. I appreciate the concern, but I just don't agree with the viewpoint it per se.

 

[Kiwibird08]

very nice looking light and fixture it looks good on the cage

Thanks. I think it will help him cheer up in the winter. He seems to like it already It's very gloomy here in Oregon in the winter, and we humans seem to cope much better than a tropical bird!

 

[Karen]

As for "UV paranoia"

What is "UV paranoia"? I have never heard of this term.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I have the same lights for my two birds. They love them. I decided on them after I did a ton of research and the vet recommended them. If they are farther away they don't get the benefit of the UV. I also ordered a swag type to hang from the ceiling for my BE2. Like you, I will also have to figure out playtime on top of the cage for him!

 

[Mr Peepers]

I have the same lights for my two birds. They love them. I decided on them after I did a ton of research and the vet recommended them. If they are farther away they don't get the benefit of the UV. I also ordered a swag type to hang from the ceiling for my BE2. Like you, I will also have to figure out playtime on top of the cage for him!

My vet suggested 6 - 8 inches away from my birds was the distance needed to provide the vitamin D they needed. I've seen an improvement in my birds with FSL and swear it helps them especially with molting time.

 

[Kiwibird08]

So we have been using this a few times a week and he's loving it! Especially after a bath, he'll get up there on his platform, back his butt up under the lamp and dry off in the "sun" as he takes his afternoon nap His mood and energy has been noticeably better since starting the lamp. I don't plan to use it year round, as he comes out in the real sun when the weather is good, just during the winter when it's too gloomy and cold for a parrot to come out.

"UV paranoia" is slathering every inch of exposed flesh in unnatural and potentially carcinogenic chemicals, er, I mean "sunscreen" before sticking one toe out the door in the morning even if you won't be in the sun for a long period of time, then transferring that fear to animals, who if born in nature, would spend an uncontrolled amount of time daily exposed to the "big bad sun". I agree theres a thing as too much sun exposure, obviously, but I think people are starting to take this "fear" of UV rays to an unhealthy extreme. I'm willing to bet spending an hour or two a couple times a week under a sunlamp to boost his vitamin D levels during the winter when he can't go outside is a lot less likely to cause him harm than becoming vitamin D deficient due to chronic lack of sun exposure for months on end every year.

 

[Mr Peepers]

I'm glad to hear your bird has picked up with the use of the lamp I especially lol'd at him getting rays on his rump after a bath.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I also just use mine in the winter. I'm already counting the months when we can go outside again! At least four more months-yikes!