Hi, I'm planning to breed budgies through the year indoors, I was wondering if there were any good stats re amount, intensity & duration of providing UV lighting?

 

thanks

The argument for UV light is concerned with Vitamin D as I understand. Natural lighting is the best. Lighting that is not inhibited or has to pass through plastic or glass, as this lessons the benefits of the light. You can provide Vitamin D in different ways, such as through products added to the drinking water.

 

If you are breeding them inside then the water additivies are a must.

 

You can also buy some UV lights that generate UVA and B. You can purchase these from a shop that caters to reptiles. These globes are more expensive than regular globes, but the benefits can be very good. I have one of these in my breeding room. The bigger the room, the more that are needed.

I breed mainly in winter so I provide artificial light to my budgies. I prefer fluorescent tubes made specifically for birds so I know that they are getting the best spectrum of light necessary for good breeding results, the type I buy are from Arcadia Lighting - it's an international brand and I know for sure it's available in the UK, if you can't source them locally you can try Ebay.

 

As for supplements, well yes I have been providing seed that does contain added Vit D and the Calcium supplement my birds get in their soft food daily does contain Vit D3 and magnesium too - the brand I prefer is Calcivite Plus from the Knox Bird Vetinary Clinic, tel no 03 9800-5311.

okay thanks for the replies, I wonder if anybody is using mercury vapour uv flood lamps in a breeding room?