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Old 06-18-2008, 05:38 PM
Koki Koki is offline
Certified BirdBoard Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 29
The 'full-spectrem' provided by any bulb, though it has numerous benefits, has not been shown to have any positive effect on vitimin D3 synthesis. My CertAvian Vet told me, and I have yet to read any research that says it does. Everything I read that says it does is based on a light bulb salesmans website.

UVB outdoors certainly does turn precursors into D3, but what you have in the bulbs is completely inadequate. It's like trying to start a car with a thimble full of gasoline. Yes, it's the right stuff, but there just ain't enough of it.

I do use, and recomend, full-spectrum bulbs. They have numerous benefits, but vitimin D3 synthesis is not among them.

If your bird eats a formulated (extruded) diet, it should get all the D3 it needs. D3 is found in almost no foods in a usable form, other than egg yolk, fish oils, and some seaweeds.

If you feed a seed-based diet, add a chopped up boiled egg once or twice a week and that should be sufficient. Yes, natrual is better. The incredible edible egg! It's got everything you need to make a bird:)
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