Jopalis Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I understand that Tobie needs a certain amount of UV rays to utilize calcium in her bodies. A secretion on their wings, etc. Apparently window glass blocks the rays they need. My question is how direct should the sun be? Sun is strong here in So. California. In just a few minutes Tobie can get overheated. Will placement under a table umbrella work for uv absorption? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 You can take them out in direct sun. Just watch them and note if they are over heating. You can tell because they will open there beak a little and keep it that way as they become hot. I normally place my Greys Cage out in the direct sun, he plays for an hour or two, then I roll it so it is 1/2 in the sun and out so he can travel back and forth as he wishes. I live in California too. I take him out mid mornings and bring him in after a few hours depending on the temperature. Here i the San Joaquin Valley, it is already hitting 90 and will soon be in the 1008 to 110 zone. At these higher temps, early morning outside adventures are all they will get. Also, if you are feeding you Grey Red Palm Oil, Foods that contain vitamin D3, calcium etc. The sunlight is not needed purely for Calcium absorption. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jopalis Posted May 15, 2008 Author Share Posted May 15, 2008 I tried that today.... It was around 11 a.m. within a few minutes her wings were out and she was panting. I brought her inside and she was panting hard. With her heart problems I was scared. She seems ok now. I am thinking that even if not in direct sun, maybe she will get what she needs. We can even get burned on a cloudy day... The sun was just so hot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madisimmons Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I asked the vet yesterday about taking Sammie out in her cage for direct sunlight and she told me that 30 minutes a couples times a week is plenty. She said they come from the rainforest and live below the canopy, ie. shaded and do not need much more than that. She said they do not have sweat glands and can overheat very easily. I live in Oklahoma where we get pretty hot weather in the summer. 90's to 100+, she said that would be to hot. While the weather is mild she said it's fine, just make sure you keep an eye on them because they can overheat very fast. She also said they should always have a place to get in the shade. Maybe 9am would be much better when it is cooler.<br><br>Post edited by: madisimmons, at: 2008/05/14 23:41 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jopalis Posted May 15, 2008 Author Share Posted May 15, 2008 Thanks.. I put her on the patio table that has an umbrella over it. The umbrella filters out most of the direct sun but I'm sure she must still get some. She did overheat really fast. It was scary! She was panting and it took her a while to stop. Poor thing.... dumb owner.... It was only a few minutes.... Strong sun... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tycos_mom Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 my birds have full spectrum lighting I bought them each a lamp and a full spectrum light bulb they do go out in the summer time for about an hour a day but during the winter months its far to cold this way they get the light they need all year round you can buy full spectrum light bulbs at most pet stores that are strong enough to do the same job as the sun so why take chances of overheating or sun burn or even miscito bites Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jopalis Posted May 15, 2008 Author Share Posted May 15, 2008 I will definitely get one of those bulbs and only put her out when it is not too hot or strong. Also give her an out of the sun option in her cage. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 Jopalis - I forgot about your greys health issues. Anytime a bird or person has health issues, hot weather, direct sun exposure is never a good idea. Under the umbrella shaded will provide more indirect UVA and UVB in 5 seconds than an indoor lighting setup could provide in 24 hours. Theres just no comparison. So shaded areas are fine. The receive tons of the reflected Full Light spectrum and enjoy "seeing" all of nature in the UVA range. No Bird has sweat glans, healthy birds can take extreme heat and do quite well. They just need the option of moving into a shaded portion of there cage or area you have them in outside. African Greys do not live in "Rain Forests". The Conures, Macaws etc in South America live in the "Rain Forest". Africa is a very HOT dry climate in the zones Greys live in. They do have plenty of trees to shelter in during the peak heat if they get hot though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyboop Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I also use full spectrum lights on my birds and they love it , when I turn it on they hurry to it and sit and preen . Bettyboop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jopalis Posted May 15, 2008 Author Share Posted May 15, 2008 Yes Dan... I am sure you are right. She is just not up to handling the heat and when I saw how hard she was panting I was so upset with myself. I am sure that was not great for her already heart problems. I had been watching her but it happened so quickly. It's the umbrella table for her from now on. I'm glad she can get enough UV indirectly. I was wondering. Also it's going to get hot today so I want to go have my coffee and sit out with my birdy for a bit.... Have a wonderful day! Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madisimmons Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 danmcq wrote: Jopalis - I forgot about your greys health issues. Anytime a bird or person has health issues, hot weather, direct sun exposure is never a good idea. Under the umbrella shaded will provide more indirect UVA and UVB in 5 seconds than an indoor lighting setup could provide in 24 hours. Theres just no comparison. So shaded areas are fine. The receive tons of the reflected Full Light spectrum and enjoy "seeing" all of nature in the UVA range. No Bird has sweat glans, healthy birds can take extreme heat and do quite well. They just need the option of moving into a shaded portion of there cage or area you have them in outside. African Greys do not live in "Rain Forests". The Conures, Macaws etc in South America live in the "Rain Forest". Africa is a very HOT dry climate in the zones Greys live in. They do have plenty of trees to shelter in during the peak heat if they get hot though. Actually there is rainforest in Africa it is called the "Congo Rainforest" where Congo Arican Greys reside from. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_Parrot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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