Light

[bluefinch]

My Dad wants me to move my birds out of the room I have them in now so he can use it for storage. We have a full basement and he wants to use dividers to divide the large room into a family room, his office and then a section by the window for my birds. This gives me more room to keep birds . The one problem I have is that my dads office and my birds would share the same overhead light. My Dad often works in his office late into the night and early in the morning. Do's anyone think this would cause problems for nesting birds? I do have florescent lights that I keep on a timer above the bird cages and a night light that go's on when it gets dark. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[tammieb]

I'm concerned the overhead fluorescents will keep them up late and get them up to early. They need at least 12 hours of undisturbed sleep when not breeding. It wouldn't be as big a concern when not breeding as the days are normally longer for that period. But year around it could be a bit stressful.

You could always wait and see how much light the birds receive when the cage lights go out. It might not be enough to keep them awake.

[bluefinch]

The fluorescent lights I have set so they come on at 8am the birds normally get up before that when the sun lights up the room. Right now I have them so they go off at 8:30pm. Do you think I should decrease that time?

I was looking at how the room would be divided up again, and was thinking we could put a desk lamp in my Dads office. That way he wouldn’t have to turn on the big overhead light. A desk lamp would also be more practical be cause he wouldn’t have to walk over to the bird section to flip the switch. The dividers he is looking at are 5' or 6' high so it would let some light form a lamp get over.

[tammieb]

My birdroom lights come on at 6:15am. They get a thirty minute settling down period in the evening, as the cage lights go off at 6:30pm and then the room light goes off at 7. There's a dim nite light that remains on til morning. I fudge a little on the 12 hours as I want to check on them before I leave for work in the morning.

Are you breeding any of your birds at this time? If so then I wouldn't reduce the daylight hours any as they are at the bare minimum now.

The desk lamp sounds like a terrific solution. I don't believe the light it would emit would be enough to keep them awake. Does your dad listen to radio or tv while working?

[bluefinch]

Thanks for the advice tammie, none of my birds are breeding at the moment. I have my lights set to go off at 8:30pm because I work till 8 and I like to check on them before lights out.

I was talking to my Dad some more and he was thinking it will be awhile before we get dividers . So the move wont be any time soon.

[vetbridge]

My Dad often works in his office late into the night and early in the morning.

Perhaps this is the impetus your dad needs to cut back on burning the midnight oil!