Author: Jo Ann
of Luv'N Chins
Lighting Affects Your Chinchilla
We are always discussing fresh water, a high quality chinchilla diet, fresh hay, fresh air, temperature control, clean bedding and regular baths for our little chinchillas, but, lighting is very important also. Lighting controls many things for the little chinchilla, as it does all living things.
Natural sunlight ... a full-spectrum white light with the proper balance of the visible colors and the invisible UV spectrum of lights ... is best for the healthy growth of your chinchilla. Many of the new window panes block out the UV spectrum of lights from the sun. If you are not sure if your windows block out this, ask yourself if your plants seem to thrive inside your house. If they do not, then you are not getting the full spectrums of all of the sun's life-giving light. NOTE: This does not mean you should allow your chin to be exposed to direct sunlight which will over heat him/her. Quiet the opposite ... the sunlight it receives needs to be indirect sunlight!
Proper natural lighting enhances the growth, reproductive system, health, internal organs and often, even the attitude of a chinchilla the same as it does with all living creatures. Chinchillas, as do all living creatures, thrive with a balance of light and dark as well as with a balance of good food, exercise and a normal schedule of activities.
It has been proven that the type of lighting you use may even help determine whether you will have mostly male or female kits! When incandescent lighting (emitting a high ratio of red and infrared lighting) is use, according to some studies, mostly male kits will be born. With "natural daylight" (blue) bulbs are used, mostly female kits should be born. This I can personally attest to. Last year I had about 80% males using incandescent lighting ... after changing to Vita-Lights (or natural light bulbs) the tide is turning and the amount of female kits being born is increasing drastically.
Vita-Lite, incandescent and/or florescent lighting is often used when natural lighting is hindered for what ever reason. Lighting of this kind needs to be uniformly defused throughout the area where your chin is housed. 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness is usually recommended for chinchillas. An automatic off and on switch is ideal for being consistent in this. Your chin/chins also need to be provided with a hut or an area of his cage where he can burrow or hide from the light when he wants to nap. If your chin lives in an area that is often used by you and/or another family member during the time the chin's area normally would be in the darkness ... a dark cloth, shielding the light from him/her is recommended as a rule. Chinchillas need constancy in their lighting as well as in their routine, food and play times. Their systems can be disrupted by a change in any of these.
When deciding which 12 hours the area is to be lighted, several things need to be considered ... 1. The lighted hours should coincide with the normal hours of daylight (especially if there are any windows in the room). 2. What time are you normally in the room with your chins with the light on? 3. When do you normally have the t.v. or computer on in this room? It should only be during the hours of the scheduled light-time for your chins. 4. When is it most convenient for you and your schedule for the chins to have their 12 hours of darkness?
I hope to elaborate on this in a future article.
|
|
