Any birdkeeper out there that works full-time will be only too aware of the problems associated with balancing their work, and family commitments with the needs of their birds. Dare to be held up in traffic or to be called upon to work 'earlies or lates' and your birds will, invariably, suffer and, on occasions, nests will be lost. Not to mention the egg bound hens that COULD have been saved IF you hadn't returned home in pitch-black darkness! As every finch breeder knows to be late with the livefood means nesting disasters and it's a bit late trying to place it in the cages with a torch!!

Combine this scenario with a colder than normal spring and/or winter and you have the making of rediscovering an interest in stamp collecting!!!!!!! It was for just such a potentially devastating combination of events that I started to search for a lighting system that would allow me to feed and care for my birds on my terms. But I didn't just want a set of light that 'appeared and disappeared' I was after something that approximated the natural daybreak and sunset.

Fig.1 The 'Old System'.

Fig.2 The 'New System'.

After a few false leads and yet another disinterested electrical company later I was ready to admit defeat when a fellow breeder, Mick Hanrahan from South Australia, took up the challenge. "But what do you REALLY want it to do?" became our first challenge.

Well, we gave it some thought and decided upon a system that would fit these criteria: · It must be able to be set to allow the light to AUTOMATICALLY dim. · It must GRADUALLY go from dark to 'normal' sunlight in the morning. · It must GRADUALLY go from 'normal' sunlight to dark in the evening. · It must contain a timer that will allow us to program the lights to stay on for a set period in the morning AND the evening. · It must be idiot proof so that I could use it without a nervous breakdown!

As you know, "things" never progress at a rapid pace and we patiently waited for prototypes and an endless array of 'tests' to be completed. Like every good impatient aviculturist I engaged an electrician to install a number of lights, dimmers and timers (see Picture1) that at least made it possible for me to gain some control over the dark after work. Dimmers are great but you have to physically be there to use them!! So, my birds went from dark to sudden bright light in the morning and from bright light to nothing in the evening - woe betide the bird that stayed too long at the feed bowl too close to 'shut down time' - at least my timer worked well!

The great thing with the Automatic Daylight Extender is that everything can be set to happen while you are not there. Plus the way the lights brighten and dim is far more natural than my old system where birds could become stranded at the feeders when the lights cut out in the evening. So my trusty electrician was recalled and the Daylight Dimmer installed and, guess what, Mick was right, ANY idiot COULD and DID program it!!!

The system is capable of running up to 60 x 40watt light bulbs or 40 x 60watt bulbs - or any combination up to 2400watts. The system cannot be used on fluorescent lights. It allows you to select from four dimming times - of either 30, 45, 60 or 75 minutes duration. Which means that the lights gradually fade or brighten over the time interval that you program into the unit.

Fig.3 The Birds Enjoy It!!

Fig.4 Inside the Extender!

As most readers would be aware I live in a 'temperate' area with a highly 'variable' temperature range and the addition of this unit to my finch aviaries has been fantastic! If you are contemplating installing such a unit I can tell you that mine paid for itself within the first 3 months. "How?" In hens saved from egg binding and the odd sick bird that was found before it was too late! However, despite these obvious benefits, the greatest advantage to me was the ability to be able to feed and clean my birds at times that I could 'arrange' around work commitments. No more waiting outside aviaries with feed bucket in hand waiting for the sun to come up enough so that my presence wouldn't scare the daylights out of the inhabitants!!

So if you would like to gain some control over the daylight duration grab one of these units and get your electrician to install it, neither you nor your birds will ever look back!!

INFORMATION:
Unit has 2400watt maximum load.
Approved Standards AS/NZS4051: 1998

## Sorry Folks!! Owing to unprecedented rises in components it is no longer possible to manufacture these units. We apologise for any inconvenience. ##