FINCHforum

It is getting dark so early in the USA now that winter is coming. How long do you keep your lights on? I have full spectrum lights over their cages and cut them off a bit after dark, but that seems so soon now.
Somebody please in the USA tell me your lighting schedule.
Airlyn

I keep them on natural light, and yes the lights turn off around 4 pm. This works for me, although I miss watching my birds in the evening.

I also keep to the natural lighting schedule. Some bird behaviors are triggered by light so they need the "break" for their well being.

I would agree with the above, natural schedule is always best as it doesn't confuse the birds and if you intend to breed or if the have to start molting the seasonal cycles will tell your birds when it's time.

Thank you all for the info. I was worried since they are laying eggs if the short days would mess them up. Now I know they will be fine
Airlyn

Airlyn
Hi Stacey.
Since my guys are in my kitchen, natural light is not really practical for us.
My lights get turned on at 8am and get turned off at 7pm or there abouts. There is a small over the oven light left on until around 11pm, but they ignore it and go to sleep around 7:30 pm.

~Elana~

I hadn't thought about this at all. Guess I need to invest in a timer I work second shift, so I leave around 2pm and don't get home until 11pm I turn their light off when I get home, and they're always fast asleep. Anyone have a recommendation for a timer?

I just use the wheel-type timers. I have several of them. I have moonlights that come on just before the overhead lights go off, and vice-versa.

It is now getting dark here by 6:00, but I have the lights going off about an hour and a half later than that so I can still enjoy them in the evenings. In the mornings it is still dark until about 7:00, so I have lights coming back on a bit later now than they were in summer. I guess 12 total hours of light now. So in the summer, I lengthen that time on both ends to where they come on around 5:30 and go off around 9:00.