FINCHforum

I have built a flight onto the front of a converted shed.
Can anyone advise me on what lighting in the shed should i use.
Is LED or flourascent best

Chunty

I've been using this LED shop light for the past 3 months and it works great. It provides bright lighting for a 4' x 1.5' x 4.5' tall flight, only uses 40w, doesn't get hot when in use (good for free-flight birds since they like to hop under it), and has a lifespan of about 12 years. The birds' behavior has not changed since I switched from florescent to LED.

Florescents don't last nearly as long (0.5-2 years), use more power, and get hot. Florescents can be full-spectrum, but birds don't need UV-B since they can get vitamin D from their food. UV-A isn't fully blocked by glass, so it can still come in the windows and help them see ultraviolet light. If they have no access to sunlight, then supplementing UV-A may be useful. I use a 365nm wavelength 7w LED bulb for this, but it does not seem to impact the birds' behavior, although they do notice when it is turned on/off.

Breeding ratios may be skewed toward males without UV light; I am unsure whether UV-A or UV-B is responsible of this, but will see if the UV-A LED I am using helps. If the LEDs do not yield a good sex ratio, then you may want to consider switching to florescents during breeding season, adding low-power UV florescents in addition to normal LEDs, or perhaps using solely florescents year-round. But LEDs are cheaper and more efficient, so starting with a few of those and seeing if they work well may be a good option.

Any lights you use should have a color temperature of about 5000K. Higher K/cooler light may lead to plucking and poor feathering, and lower K/warmer light may lead to excessive aggression or breeding behavior.

Here's a good article on avian lighting: Importance of Avian Lighting

Thanks for that information.
I will most properly be asking a few more things in the near future

As a guide, I've been using 1 watt of LED light per square foot of cage area. That is, a cage that is 4'x2' (122 cm x 61 cm), I am using 8 watts of LED light. That has been plenty to easily see the birds without adding too much light.