Calcium Deficiency

Mel · Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:36 am

tielfan wrote:

If you get the Feather Brite or the Avian Sun it screws in like an ordinary light bulb. There are some other bulbs that are long fluorescent tubes and you need a fluorescent light fixture for those. I bought a cheap brooder clamp lamp from Walmart and turned it into a swag light that hangs over the cage. Feather Brite has a nice swag light fixture but it's expensive.

Most of the birds leave it alone but one of the chicks was a goof who liked to hang off of it. So you need to keep an eye out for safety if you go with a "do it yourself" fixture.

That would so be zorro.

He hangs like this up to 30mins lol. N if u take him down he jumps back up.

JessiMuse · Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:40 am

tielfan wrote:

Most of the birds leave it alone but one of the chicks was a goof who liked to hang off of it. So you need to keep an eye out for safety if you go with a "do it yourself" fixture.

I love how even Shodu is questioning Sophie's sanity, judging by her expression on the bottom of the picture. :lol:

Anyways, you could probably get grit made from oyster shells. That'll help the calcium problem.

If he eats it, that is.

tielfan · Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 12:38 pm

Yes, mineral grit (including oyster shell) is another way to provide calcium in the diet.

I think vets usually use a blood test to diagnose calcium deficiency but I won't swear to that.

tielfan · Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 12:43 pm

The Featherbrite light fixture screws a wire screen across the bottom - light gets through it but birds don't. You're handy at making toys and things so you could probably figure out a way to make your own. I just put lightweight plastic bird netting on mine since the birds don't mess with it, but now I'm thinking that maybe I should put a piece of hardware cloth across it instead. I don't have any solid ideas yet on exactly how I would go about doing that.

Brandon's-Fids · Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 3:48 pm

My mam wants to get one of those lights for Tiko because she only goes outside a few times in the summer.

tielfan · Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 4:21 pm

Full spectrum lights are great for providing illumination and letting birds use their full visual spectrum. They're not as great as you expect for filling the Vitamin D need, and you need to provide enough shelter that the bird can get out of the glare if it wants to.

The biggest warning is DO NOT get a reptile bulb that's rated 10.0 (this is a US power rating, and I think the system might be different in Europe but I don't remember what it is). This is too strong for birds and can damage their eyes. The 5.0 strength is appropriate for birds.

Brandon's-Fids · Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 3:31 am

tielfan wrote:

Full spectrum lights are great for providing illumination and letting birds use their full visual spectrum. They're not as great as you expect for filling the Vitamin D need, and you need to provide enough shelter that the bird can get out of the glare if it wants to.

The biggest warning is DO NOT get a reptile bulb that's rated 10.0 (this is a US power rating, and I think the system might be different in Europe but I don't remember what it is). This is too strong for birds and can damage their eyes. The 5.0 strength is appropriate for birds.

Well she will be getting one thats for birds

Jan · Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 5:10 am

My UV light to the cage.. had it from amazon
early last year around 40 pounds to buy... works well

JustCoco! · Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 9:19 am

My brother used to have a chameleon, but Charles died (the chameleon). So we were left with this reptile light, though I'm not sure if it's a UV light or not, or if it will work with birds.

tielfan · Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 1:48 pm

I'm not sure what kind of light that is but I think it might be a heat lamp. You need a fluorescent light to get UV (either a long tube or a compact fluorescent which looks like a twisted light bulb). That light doesn't look like a fluorescent bulb to me.

Calcium Deficiency

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