Lighting

[Dave31842]

I don't have our button quail yet but will be putting their cage next to the east exposure. West exposure in Florida is too hot. So the question, what type of full spectrum bulb should I use for birds health, growth and laying? I have use reptile full spectrum lights but birds are different. Please give me your experience. We had an aviary in California which was outside so never had to worry about lighting. Will chick starter work for quail. Thanks for all your comments.

Dave

 

[DK newbie]

Hi Dave
Most of my buttons neither have sunlight nor full spectrum light and they do just fine. What they get from the sun is vitamin D3, but this can be supplied through their feed. Read the label and make sure it's there. I use a pheasant starter with 24.4% protein. You'll want something that is above 20% protein. And laying females need extra calcium, I use powdered oyster shell.

 

[Dave31842]

Thank you DK. Good info on lighting and food. The high protein for chicks I know about but have another question, most of the feed comes in 50 # bags so can I mix the starter when the chicks mature and start laying or do I need to use a growing and egg lay feed only. I am starting with two pair.
Thanks DK, I appreciate your knowledge and feed back.
Dave

 

[DK newbie]

I'm using the pheasant starter their entire lives. Just add a separate, small bowl with the oyster shell when they start laying. Layer and grower feed usually don't have enough protein. Though adults are supposedly able to survive on budgie seeds, which probably don't have more than 15% protein, mine seem to do well on the pheasant starter.

 

[Dave31842]

Thank you DK. That is what I will do. Thanks.
Dave

 

[Dave31842]

DK,
What kind of light (s) do you use and what wattage. Thanks.
Dave

 

[DK newbie]

Well.. Whatever uses the least amount of power but still gives a reasonable amount of light. Just a regular saving bulb, I don't remember exactly, could be something like a 15 W, supposedly giving the same amount of light as a 25 W or something like that. I'd like a bit more light, but the birds don't seem to mind at all. It turns on at around 9 AM and off at 6 PM and they are laying just fine with that (and whatever light gets through the small windows in the building they are in).

 

[fishforbrains]

I use full-spectrum reptile bulbs and feed the adults 20% protein chicken layer feed (but I buy it in 50 pound sacks and feed it to birds other than the buttons).