location for aviary??

[hugs28]

hi all, I have a full basement, unfinished, but there is a seperate room. Only thing is this room, I wanted to make an aviary out of, has no window for outside light. As long as I provide lighting all day, do you think it would be ok to make myself and avairy in this room? what kind of lights do you think would be ok? thanks

[Nazir's]

My birds have their own room. I open the blinds daily but from my understanding, not enough rays would come in through the windows, even with them open. Therefore, I supply full spectrum UV lighting in their room. I was advised, that alone would be sufficient. However, on nice days I still try to take them out because there is nothing that can replace all natural, if you know what I mean.
For a fluorescent lamp to be properly termed full spectrum it must have a CRI (color rendition index) of greater than 90, and a Color Temperature of greater than 5000K.

"It is recommended to install a lamp with a CRI of 92 or greater in order to achieve the longest period of use between tube change-outs. Due to the process of ageing, lamps need be changed out approximately every 9000 hours (two years) of use for most devices. Some 24" devices (such as the Chroma 50) must be changed out every year. Shifts within the output of the device have skewed them considerably away from their initial parameters. These old lamps are not useless, however. They may be used for quite some time in general home and shop illumination fixtures.

Whatever length lamp you use, it should always be in pairs. Single source fixtures simply do not provide enough light output to be truly beneficial to your bird. Whenever possible, mounting from the ceiling is the best and most natural method. Only mount from the sides when it is impossible due to cage construction to suspend the fixture overhead. In addition, the fixture optimally can be suspended 1'-1½’ from the top of the cage. The concept of placing it closer to the cage is an artifact of reptile keeping, and is unnecessary and possibly detrimental for the captive bird.

Overhead suspension accomplishes two things. First, the light is directed downward, as it would appear in the outdoors. This ensures that your bird perceives the light as coming from a natural direction. In this manner, light direction cues are delivered consistent with what the avian brain expects to experience. It also makes for a good saturation of light, both visible and invisible into the cage area. Objects are illuminated equally in this fashion, and are placed into proper visual perspective. Secondly, it is easier to control the intensity of light reaching cage areas. Too bright a light is not a good thing. If the area looks over-lit, it probably is. The same rules of visual comfort that apply to humans apply to your bird. Use them.

The final basic consideration of artificial lighting concerns photoperiod. It has already been noted that photoperiod adjusts the biological clock within the bird. The need for this pattern is not diminished when birds are kept indoors, or after successive generations of breeding. Therefore, providing your bird with a regular schedule of light is of great importance. This is why all lighting should be connected to a timer system. Such a setup guarantees that your bird receives the proper amount of light every day. Most keepers will note that after several weeks on a timer, the bird is able to anticipate when the light will come on, and when it will go off.

On the average, birds will require between 10-14 hours of light per day. A median for non-breeders is 12 hours. It is always best to set the timer to turn the lamp on about an hour after sunrise, and shut it off about an hour before nightfall. This enables your bird to “get up to speed” in the morning, and “wind down” at night. It also more closely matches the graduation of light throughout the day as experienced naturally. Of course, the timer settings must be adjusted for seasonal changes in sunrise and sunset, and also for daylight savings time. If covering your bird, it is recommended to use a thin material which will transmit part of the light when it comes on. Covers should be removed soon after this time, and placed on the cage only after the light has turned off.

While most full spectrum lighting supplies sufficient middle range ultraviolet for Vitamin D synthesis, much of this wavelength is lost as the device ages. It becomes of more importance from this perspective to ensure that your bird is receiving a quality diet which supplements Vitamin D intake. This may be confirmed by finding either calciferol or cholecalciferol listed in the ingredient list of packaged or pelletized foods. Provision of green vegetables and fish oils will assist in this process. All the lighting in the world will not offset the effect of poor diet. Do not expect any lighting source to uniformly and completely meet your bird’s Vitamin D needs.

When first using full spectrum, the amount of light produced may not seem “enough” to you when applied as directed. Beware comparing this illumination to what would be expected from a standard flourescent tube. We humans do not see as well into the blue and violet range as we possibly could, or nearly as well as our birds can. Because full spectrum lighting has a well distributed blue output, it appears as an ‘optical illusion’ to us of decreased brightness when using these tubes. You will note however that colors are more vivid, visual acuity increased, and eye fatigue reduced. Be aware that your bird sees this environment much brighter than you do.

Your bird depends on you for the majority of its needs, both physical and mental. By following the recommendations given in this article, you can rest assured that you are doing the very best to provide your companion with a balanced lighting environment. Research indicates that light plays an important role in the longevity of captive birds. In practicing sound lighting management, you are working toward spending many more enjoyable and healthy years in the company of your feathered friend."

Good luck!

[hugs28]

the birds that will be going down there are my breeders. My pets are staying up stairs with me. I don't have a room upstairs to put my breeders, and being told that they may not breed with all the human/bird interaction. This is why I chose to put them downstairs. I was going to just use a power saver lightbulb since I know, it will have to be on so long each day. I guess I can't use that kind lol, is there something that won't make the electric bill go sky high?

also, my basement gets very damp in the summer time and cooler then normal. Do you think this would create a problem? thanks for the reply

[Sue Powell]

I also want to use my basement for my breeding birds, I heard that a basement is not a good place. My fear is tornados, we live in the mid south and I have a phobia of tornados, my birds would already be protected somewhat. I have a evacuation plan but they can come so fast. My basement has the small windows and can get damp too. I thought I could fix the dampness and enlarge the windows. Anybody else have any good ideas. Sue

[parrotluv]

my breeders are in my basement, always have been. My basement is not completely under ground and there are 2 huge windows. I have been raising birds about 7yrs.
I do using lighting & a humidifier but I am in the dry west! LOL

[huntress]

You can use a Dehumidifier but if there is any mold it wont work at all. You WILL need large full specs esp if your breeding. They are very energy saving flourescent and dont take much. You will also want them on timers (again, esp for breeders) Window light wont matter thru glass anyways and with the right lights and timers you will have better control for breeding seasons. What type of birds are you planning on having down there and will it be seperate sections or one big aviary.

[hugs28]

well if you are talking about me lol, I only have small stuff right now, lovebirds and parrotlets, but I am looking to get hahns macaws and a few others once it is done, I don't have the room in the house right now for them. It will be one big aviary, don't have the room to seperate into rooms.

[r2rusmc]

Originally Posted by hugs28

the birds that will be going down there are my breeders. My pets are staying up stairs with me. I don't have a room upstairs to put my breeders, and being told that they may not breed with all the human/bird interaction. This is why I chose to put them downstairs. I was going to just use a power saver lightbulb since I know, it will have to be on so long each day. I guess I can't use that kind lol, is there something that won't make the electric bill go sky high?

also, my basement gets very damp in the summer time and cooler then normal. Do you think this would create a problem? thanks for the reply

My scarlets are in the family room where we watch TV. I bring them out for perch time quite often and they'll breed multiple times not six feet away from me. (What do you think they are doing in my signature photo?) They also breed regularly in their cage. When it is quiet time, they come over to the closest spot they can get to me and make a bunch of soft noises. Mine still like the human interaction as long as it is on their terms. They are currently sitting on their second clutch of eggs since coming home with me around Christmas.

My other pair prefers being left alone and run for the nest box when anyone invades their space. They will come out and take goodies from my hand though. They too are sitting on a new clutch of eggs. This pair is in my basement with their own lighting and humidifier. They get checked on and talked to several times a day. I must be doing something right as this is their second clutch for me since I got them around Christmas and before coming to live with me they hadn't laid in over two years.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

[huntress]

Originally Posted by hugs28

well if you are talking about me lol, I only have small stuff right now, lovebirds and parrotlets, but I am looking to get hahns macaws and a few others once it is done, I don't have the room in the house right now for them. It will be one big aviary, don't have the room to seperate into rooms.

You absolutely CANNOT put all those species together. As breeders esp. They will kill each other. Parrotlets cannot be housed with other breeder parrotlets. They will have to be divided and the parrotlets should not be allowed to see other pairs as they are known to even kill there own mates in Jealousy battles if they can see other pairs during breeding. This is factual FYI.

[hugs28]

I am sorry for the misunderstanding it will be one big room, but everyone in there own cages. The parrotlets are in my room right now, no other birds around them, and they can't see the other birds, they are doing nothing for me. I was told I have to get another pair, if they hear another pair they may breed for me? By all means, they will not be run together, I am sorry if I said that wrong.