Molting...or plucker in the making?

[Cindy215]

Originally Posted by Luann

I've been reading this thread with interest. Very informative. I have no problems with my linnie, yet, but I do have a question about light and dark. When you say, dusk to dawn, do you mean dusk to dawn in the winter and dusk to dawn in the summer, which would be two different schedules. My linnie is a baby, so she's getting about 12/12. She stays up a little later than dusk but is up at dawn. What about Summer....dusk is about 7:30, dawn is about 4:30. Just curious, since it was raised here.

Yes exactly...meaning following what it's doing outside where you live at every time of year. It's actually MANY different schedules as your schedule is following the sun. For example the winter solstice is this week the longest night of the year, then we will be moving to spring with the days getting longer (even though it wont feel like it lol).

So you are constantly adjusting with the seasons. I change my work hours depending on the season.

People say cover them more, add time whatever but that's not the point. YOu want a NATURAL life as IF they are living outside. You dont see birds flying around at night. LOL. MIne cant even see in their own cages well enough at dusk.

So people who think it's like "punishment" have to change that mindset IMO, to "healthier". NOW, if you're working long days etc, you have to of course do whatever you can.

But TWO THINGS you never do are BATHE them and stick the FULL SPECTRUM LIGHT on at NIGHT. LOL OMG talk about switching their nights and days.

Then people wonder why they arent really sleeping all through the night. It's reasons like this. I have friends with Congos that claim they're night owls just like them. I say , yeah I guess so they dont have any choice do they lol?

Following a strict natural daylight schedule means just no lights. THEY will grind their beaks and go to sleep on their OWN given the chance.

Also tv, music flashing lights human noise etc especially in a tough case. Mine are no problem they get mad if they cant go to sleep. LOL

Turning off ALL artificial lighting by about three and then they wind down. By dusk in winter 4:30 my birds are climbing to the roost just like the birds outside.

I never have dawn at 4:30 am here but YES our wild birds are outside making noise that time LOL.

My birds are up at sunrise if you want to be technical about it. But I dont go stare at them they may be semi awake with the outside guys and that's likely since I have a couple hens who call to the outdoor guys.

Sunset is 5:45 - 6 in the summer. They start calling during that half hour. I use black out drapes in one room where I have 2 Parrotlets and THEY need 11-12 hours even in short days. But that's for the evening not the morning. So you cant go by that for that species. They are climbing up to the roost by 6:30 come hell or high water on their own, so I figure the least I can do is give them the right lighting to sleep lol.

They have a sensor in the brain that triggers metabolism with light so even the dim dawn light is slowly turning on the brain. Which is why you hear wild birds at 4:30-5 am.

IT's a challenging schedule in some ways like for people who work long days.

It's the easiest thing in the world for others like me, no messing with lights missing your window of opportunity etc. All birds eat their main meals around 2 pm anyway given the option so I work around that concept. I work so it's tricky but I"m home around 3:30. But I get alot of time off lol. And frequently work 4 days.

I admit I run late in the pm in late fall after daylight savings and have to be organized. But I do anything to avoid lighting it's a pain. I think I posted before to move them to their sleeping room THEN put a lamp on the floor with a turning type not touch type dimmer and slowly simulate the dusk/dark over 15-30 minutes. And the angle of the sun.

I never lived in a country with 6 hour days etc and I'm sure if I did I would be using a schedule more like the country that the tropical bird came from. Or a schedule that my bird seemed BEST at.

Everyone says "oh they adjust" but some of us say "at what price ?"(no offense to anyone).

[Mike B]

On the lighting subject. I have to tell this one on myself. We had a very busy day, Barb, and I. A lot of running around the flock got neglected on Friday. We fed the babies around nine pm, and jumped in the bed. So laying there watching Lord of the Ring. I hear noise coming from up stairs. I'm thinking Oh Geeeeez who escaped. Then it was quiet. Oh cool no prob. Then noise again. It's after 10 now. I'm thinking well actually I don't know what to think. they never make noise at this time. I get 1/2 way there. I say to myself OH ya Dumb S. No wonder they are loud ya forgot to turn the lights off. Talk about confusion.

Mike

[Dayna]

Originally Posted by Cindy215

Yes exactly...meaning following what it's doing outside where you live at every time of year. It's actually MANY different schedules as your schedule is following the sun. For example the winter solstice is this week the longest night of the year, then we will be moving to spring with the days getting longer (even though it wont feel like it lol).

So you are constantly adjusting with the seasons. I change my work hours depending on the season.

People say cover them more, add time whatever but that's not the point. YOu want a NATURAL life as IF they are living outside. You dont see birds flying around at night. LOL. MIne cant even see in their own cages well enough at dusk.

So people who think it's like "punishment" have to change that mindset IMO, to "healthier". NOW, if you're working long days etc, you have to of course do whatever you can.

But TWO THINGS you never do are BATHE them and stick the FULL SPECTRUM LIGHT on at NIGHT. LOL OMG talk about switching their nights and days.

Then people wonder why they arent really sleeping all through the night. It's reasons like this. I have friends with Congos that claim they're night owls just like them. I say , yeah I guess so they dont have any choice do they lol?

Following a strict natural daylight schedule means just no lights. THEY will grind their beaks and go to sleep on their OWN given the chance.

Also tv, music flashing lights human noise etc especially in a tough case. Mine are no problem they get mad if they cant go to sleep. LOL

Turning off ALL artificial lighting by about three and then they wind down. By dusk in winter 4:30 my birds are climbing to the roost just like the birds outside.

I never have dawn at 4:30 am here but YES our wild birds are outside making noise that time LOL.

My birds are up at sunrise if you want to be technical about it. But I dont go stare at them they may be semi awake with the outside guys and that's likely since I have a couple hens who call to the outdoor guys.

Sunset is 5:45 - 6 in the summer. They start calling during that half hour. I use black out drapes in one room where I have 2 Parrotlets and THEY need 11-12 hours even in short days. But that's for the evening not the morning. So you cant go by that for that species. They are climbing up to the roost by 6:30 come hell or high water on their own, so I figure the least I can do is give them the right lighting to sleep lol.

They have a sensor in the brain that triggers metabolism with light so even the dim dawn light is slowly turning on the brain. Which is why you hear wild birds at 4:30-5 am.

IT's a challenging schedule in some ways like for people who work long days.

It's the easiest thing in the world for others like me, no messing with lights missing your window of opportunity etc. All birds eat their main meals around 2 pm anyway given the option so I work around that concept. I work so it's tricky but I"m home around 3:30. But I get alot of time off lol. And frequently work 4 days.

I admit I run late in the pm in late fall after daylight savings and have to be organized. But I do anything to avoid lighting it's a pain. I think I posted before to move them to their sleeping room THEN put a lamp on the floor with a turning type not touch type dimmer and slowly simulate the dusk/dark over 15-30 minutes. And the angle of the sun.

I never lived in a country with 6 hour days etc and I'm sure if I did I would be using a schedule more like the country that the tropical bird came from. Or a schedule that my bird seemed BEST at.

Everyone says "oh they adjust" but some of us say "at what price ?"(no offense to anyone).

Just a thought about day cycles. I live in Alaska. The longest day in the summer the sun sets at about 12am and rises at about 3am. In the winter on the shortest day the sun rises at about 10am and sets at about 2pm.

So all my days are something in between that. We gain/loose like 3 minutes of sun a day. We MUST have a schedule. It does change with the seasons, but in the summer the birds are outside chirping at 3am and don't die off till about 10pm. I cannot allow my inside birds to do that. :)

[Cindy215]

Originally Posted by Dayna

Just a thought about day cycles. I live in Alaska. The longest day in the summer the sun sets at about 12am and rises at about 3am. In the winter on the shortest day the sun rises at about 10am and sets at about 2pm.

So all my days are something in between that. We gain/loose like 3 minutes of sun a day. We MUST have a schedule. It does change with the seasons, but in the summer the birds are outside chirping at 3am and don't die off till about 10pm. I cannot allow my inside birds to do that. :)

Yes, that's what I was thinking with the 6 hr days but I said another country LOL I forgot about you up there. I cant imagine birds surviving Alaska winters with 4 hour days, and never really gave it much thought! I guess I forgot there's more than penguins there lol.

It was the same idea when I had my store I couldnt shut the lights out at dusk so they were on a fake schedule of 830 pm dusk, 9pm sleep and 9 am wake up. Except boarders and anybody cranky lol.

[Dayna]

Originally Posted by Cindy215

Yes, that's what I was thinking with the 6 hr days but I said another country LOL I forgot about you up there. I cant imagine birds surviving Alaska winters with 4 hour days, and never really gave it much thought! I guess I forgot there's more than penguins there lol.

It was the same idea when I had my store I couldnt shut the lights out at dusk so they were on a fake schedule of 830 pm dusk, 9pm sleep and 9 am wake up. Except boarders and anybody cranky lol.

Even further up north is worse. Some places have 24 hours of light in the summer and 24 hours of dark in the winter. YUCK! LOL