I know that natural light is really important for birds. I'm not very good at giving it too them though mainly because i don't feel comfortable taking them outside. Last week i put Cookie in her flightsuit (much to her disgust) and Blinkie and Ozzie in my little cage and took them outside. Within about 5 mins a big black bird came along and was eyeing them off (despite me being only a couple of feet away) so i rushed them back inside. How often do birds need to be in natural light and for how long each time? What is it that they're getting from the natural light and what does this do to benifit them? How else can i give them this other than taking them outside (i really am a nervous wreck about them when they're out, i hate it)?

I think it's 10minutes per day. I take all my inside budgies (4) lump into a small cage (the cage is about 8 inch by 10inch by 14 inch I know it's small, but they are only in it for a very brief period of time). I take them outside for a half an hour or so every two to three days.

 

They get vitamin D from natural sunlight, and this help with the absorbsion of calcium. so very important to breeding females.

 

If you can't get them outside, you can get full spectrum light that stimulates similar ray to sunlight. but not as good as normal natural sunlight.

Edited January 10, 200718 yr by Cheeta

So it's vitamin D they're getting...i was told on another forum that Vetafarm has a product that supplies this which you put in the water. Have you heard this? It was brought up when someone mentioned that vitamin D was important to breeding hens and when i asked how to provide they recommended the Vetafarm product.

 

Is full spectrum lighting expensive? Do you just put it on for a short while each day?

I don't really know about products that provide vitamin D... I think the best and easiest way really is to take them outside, or even just leaving them by an open window or door (with screen of course) when the sun is shining in. That's how my cockatoo gets his sunlight everyday, his cage is positioned by the door so that in the afternoon when I get home, I open the door and sunlights comes through. Oh make sure that there are there are no glass in between. sunlight through the glass is useless for birds.

 

as with full spectrum lighting, I'm not too sure how much they are, I hear they can get quite expensive pending on what you're looking for? and I think a lot of people actually leave it on all day long? I'm not sure. don't quote me on that one as I haven't looked into it myself since I don't use it.

yes you can get products that you put into the birds water for vitamin D but it is only a supplement and isnt as good as the natural form. the most common form of spectrum lighting is in aquairium lights and they can be very expencive at around $120 for a 2ft set up.

Sco-tie

15 minutes of pure, unfiltered sunlight at least once a week would be good (even screens will filter the beneficial rays of sunlight). Vitamin D is what budgies get from their food (or supplements) but the body uses sunlight to turn this into Vitamin D3 within the bird's body.

 

If using supplements for vitamin D, you have to be extremely careful as it is considered quite toxic in high doses. Egg yolks and dark leafy greens are more natural sources of D but there are pellets which include a D3 supplement (Harrison's for example).

Edited January 10, 200718 yr by eterri

15 minutes of pure, unfiltered sunlight at least once a week would be good (even screens will filter the beneficial rays of sunlight). Vitamin D is what budgies get from their food (or supplements) but the body uses sunlight to turn this into Vitamin D3 within the bird's body.

 

If using supplements for vitamin D, you have to be extremely careful as it is considered quite toxic in high doses. Egg yolks and dark leafy greens are more natural sources of D but there are pellets which include a D3 supplement (Harrison's for example).

I could do 30mins every weekend no probs so i think i'll do that. I feed harrisons pellets and dark laefy greens so it's good to know they're getting something!

well because it is so cold, rain and there is no way I could put them outside I do put mine next to our sliding glass doors. Terri do you use UV lighting? As you live in the same time of weather I do. I know Ann does.