Duh. Shoulda checked that first. I will speak to Mike. Sorry for confusing you!

Thank you all for the info. I feel a trip to BP coming on

me three....wonder where i got it from!!!!

I could be mistaken on something I think I remember: I believe I heard that a T8 tube has to be used in a fixture with an electronic ballast (which is great). The T12 tubes are used with a magnetic ballast which is not good for birds. I need to check that though or you can - whoever is buying the tubes/fixtures.....

So if the higher CRI rating = better, why not get the better/best instead of settling for less - just purchase the 98 CRI. ...

you are right Joel. T8 is for electronic ballast and T12 for magnetic but both will work in either fixture.

Thanks Jim!

Okay, Camille, I think I have an answer for you! I spoke to Mike today from Featherbrite at length. I hope I remember everything, since I was driving while we were talking, but here goes:

The CRI can be anywhere from 91 to 98. He said if he wanted, he could put 98 on his bulbs. There would be no difference. You can never put 100 on a bulb, as that is the equivalent of natural sunshine at high noon with no clouds in the sky. There is no such bulb. He stated that many companies will list the CRI as 98 when it really may be 91. The difference is so slight that nobody would be able to tell. Because he is honest, he chooses to put the correct CRI. All the CRI is the color of the bulb - nothing more; nothing less. He further said that the Kelvin number is what is important. A 5000 Kelvin bulb is not sufficient. The Kelvin is what produces or emits the ever important UV rays. His bulbs are 5500 Kelvin. The core of the FeatherBrite line of products revolves around a very special source of light. The FeatherBrite Bulb emits light that is very close to that of natural sunlight. Sunlight and artificial sources of light are measured by color temperature and rendering. If you were to consider the intensity of the sun at noon daylight, it is about 5500 degrees Kelvin (K). He went into more detail, but I unfortanately lost it during the day. This is what I remember. I asked him to email a full explanation. So, the CRI is basically the COLOR of the light. If you go below, let's say 90 or 89, the color changes to blues and yellows. He also talked about the flicker value in many of these F/S lightbulbs on the market. Apparently the birds can see the flicker but with the 5500 kelvin bulb, there is none.

He also stated that hanging the bulbs may not be giving the birds the full benefits of the light, which is why he developed the "cage" that sits right on top of the bird's cage. It allows the light to be better absorbed (through the eye). Lights that are too far away reduce the benefits of the F/S lighting.

I hope this explains it better. If you met Mike you would know that he is an honest person who has spent tons of money researching this bulb. I totally believe he is telling me the truth. When I get his email, I will cut and paste it for you. He can give you much more detail that I can remember.

I don't know what the correct answer is, but I figured I would share with you the education I received today.

I am just getting so fed up with this stuff! There are is so much conflicting information out there that I'm just about ready to throw the light in the trash and just forget about it. Some places I've now been reading say that f.s. lighting does nothing whatsoever for our birds. It just makes their feathers appear brighter to our eyes. And now this guy says its the Kelvin that matters, and that it should be 5500 to be beneficial. So my bulbs that are CRI 98 and 5000 K are no good, but the FeatherBrite lights that are CRI 91 and 5500 K are beneficial...

I think this paragraph addresses this issue, but I'm so tired and upset with this issue that I'm not even understanding what its saying. Would somebody translate? If anybody else is confused, there is a chart on the website I provided that should help.
http://users.mikrotec.com/~pthrush/lighting/kinds.html

It can't harm them, but does it actually do anything really beneficial?? Is it worth paying 30 bucks every 10 months to keep up with properly working tubes (everything I've read says the beneficial stuff is gone before the bulbs quit working and that you should replace at least once a year).

I can't translate it for you, Camille - sorry! It's easier to ask Mike. If you want, why don't you call him. You can ask him anything you want. He is very knowledgeable and sincere. If you want, I can give you his number. He would be glad to answer any questions you may have.

There are a lot of ploys out there for sure. The level of help or good the FS lighting does I don't know for sure. But they are good and do help. I have read somewhere the info the Kathie has posted as well. There are offices that use these lights to improve worker attitude and performance and it worked. I know my birds like the light. High CRI and high Kelvins. But not so high that it fades my furniture and gives me a sunburn..................