Lighting After much research, I have come to the conclusion that the U.V. light emitted from expensive tubes is not intense enough and/or required to be of any use in the bird room. Nevertheless, I feel that I must judge my birds color quality under a light that mimics natural light. I do use full spectrum bulbs that are much cheaper than Vita-Lites. They are 35 watt Phillips F40 SPEC35/RS/EW purchased at a home center for about $4.00 per tube. I have four two-tube fixtures that are four feet long. They are spaced evenly, perpendular to the long 16-foot wall. Each has a pull-chain just in case I want individual fixtures to be off. The room lights are controlled by a heavy-duty day/night timer that I can adjust the day length automatically. About 20 minutes before these bright lights come on, a small 20 watt tube attached to a separate inexpensive household timer comes on to warn the birds that "full sun" will be coming up shortly. I also have three nightlights that come on with a sensor. I have installed sockets near the ceiling for the night lights. These are essential since total darkness can be deadly if a bird loses its perch and panics at night.
|
