Lighting in poultry production
Time : 2013-11-06

Basic information

Lighting is one of the most essential things in a poultry farm. It is necessary for the development and functioning of reproductive system and growth. It is a powerful exogenous factor in control of many physiological and behavioral processes. Cold Cathode and Fluorescent bulbs are mostly used as light and it affected by variables like lamp type, reflectance of the floor, walls, ceiling and height intensity of affect. Incandescent or fluorescent lights may be used

Lighting patterns for broilers are aimed for stimulating and controlling feed intake. Light as an environmental factor consists of three different aspects like intensity, duration, and wavelength, broiler behavior is affected by light intensity. Lighting duration is largely dependent upon the age of chickens involved and type of housing in use, colour of light dictated by wavelength and it exerts variable effects on poultry performance. It is hypothesized that short photoperiods early in life will reduce feed intake and limit growth

Light is an important parameter of poultry production. Currently, there are a wide variety of lighting programs (wavelength, intensity, and duration) and devices available to poultry producers, each possessing its own characteristics and applicability to rearing poultry, the potential for changing photoperiods to influence broiler productivity and health is receiving considerable investigation, some lighting programs have a central purpose of slowing the early growth rate of broilers thus allowing birds to achieve physiological maturity before maximal rates of muscle mass accretion, the aim of this review is to update research on lighting programs for broiler production and to give direction for future lighting research

Lighting in poultry production


Features

1. Role of light on egg production

Egg production is associated with the length and intensity of the light received by the bird daily. Light stimulates the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland through optic nerve for the release of FSH and LH.  Light energy also penetrates through the skull, skin and feathers, the FSH increases the growth of the ovarian follicles.  Upon reaching maturity, the ovum is released by the action of LH

2. Light management

The manner in which lights are installed in the poultry house has a role on their efficiency, some of the important points regarding fixing bulbs in poultry houses are, the distance between bulbs should be 1½ times the distance from the bulb to the bird level. The distance from the bulbs to the outer edges of the house should be only ½ the distance between bulbs. In cage system, the bulbs should be placed in such a way that their rays fall on the feed and on the birds. Clean reflectors increase the light intensity at bird level by 50%, compared with no reflector. Then avoid cone shape reflectors since they confine the light rays to limited area.  Better to use flat type reflector with rounded edge, In case of deep litter system, the bulb is to be placed at 7-8’ height whereas in cage house, keep in aisle. Avoid hanging bulbs by a cord in open houses. Very dirty bulbs emit about 1/3 less light than clean bulbs. Light bulbs should be cleaned once in two weeks

3. Light effects during growing period

1. Decreasing the length of light day during growing period will lead to slow growth of the chicks

2. Increase the age at sexual maturity

3. Increase the number of eggs laid during the first half of the egg production (but not in total number of eggs laid)

4. Increase the size of the first eggs produced

5. Light restriction alone delays the sexual maturity at the maximum of 3 weeks.  If feed restriction is combined with light restriction we can delay up to 4 weeks period

4. Light effects during laying period

Birds reared under increased day-light produce more eggs due to the release of FSH and LH from the pituitary, brightness of light also has influence on egg production.  On practical conditions, 1 ft. Candle light intensity is needed in layer houses.  In multi-duck cage system, minimum of 0.5 foot candle light intensity is needed at the lower deck. For maximum egg production, 16 hours light is needed during peak egg production period.  Reducing photoperiod during laying period seriously affects egg production. The artificial light can be given either in the morning, evening or both morning and evening


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Types of light

1. Incandescent 

It is cheap and has necessitates such as reflectors, short bulb life (750-1000 hrs.)

2. Fluorescent 

It is 3 to 4 times more efficient than incandescent bulbs; 10 times longer life than incandescent bulb

3. Mercury vapor

It has long life (24,000 hrs.) And requires several minutes to warm up; cannot be used in houses with low ceilings

4. Compact fluorescent lighting

More energy efficient and one-fifth energy of fluorescent light is needed to provide same light intensity (lumen)


Important points regarding light

1. Wavelength between 400 and 700 million-microns (nanometer) visible to the eyes

2. The longer wavelengths (red) of visible light are more capable of reaching the brain than shorter wavelengths

3. The intensity of sun’s light rays varied due to

4. Position of the sun

5. Cloudiness

6. Dust and moisture in the air

7. Length of day light varies ® due to the relative position of the earth to the sun

8. Day light occurs from 15 to 30 minutes before sunrise and darkness occurs 15 to 30 minutes after sunset is due to the curvature of earth’s surface and thus the length of light day is somewhat longer than the hours between sunrise and sunset. But the time between sunrise and sunset is usually considered as the light day


Two important points to be consider regarding lighting 

1. The length of the light day should never increase for growing pullets

2. The length of the light day should never decrease for laying pullets


Benefits

1. Increase development and weight gain

Lighting has been showing to be a key input in healthy chicken development. Light fixtures promotes the growth and feed conversion in the poultry farm

2. Increases flock uniformity and feed conversion

Light fixtures can improve bird weight, flock uniformity, and feed conversion. With this fixture it is crucial to have a proper production dimmer and a well-thought-out lighting program. The dim-blue light is used to calm the birds and reduce condemnation. The full spectrum with enhanced red gets birds up and moving, promotes weight gain, and increases long term of living

3. Regulate reproduction cycles and faster maturity

Lighting makes it easy to provide natural daylight simulation for improved productivity, dim–red light fixtures have proven to decrease the time to peak production by stimulating ovulation via the release of reproduction stimulating hormones, sunrise/Sunset simulation eliminates the stress inputs of switching lights on and off abruptly which can lower mortality and support immune response. The red spectrum helps maintain circadian rhythms and promotes sexual maturity. Light fixture was built to help regulate reproduction cycles and generate faster maturity for the poultry

4. Provides an animal welfare friendly environment & Increase feeding

Animal welfare audits measure availability of feed for the birds and monitor flock uniformity in order to determine the overall welfare of the flock. The feeder control pan light is designed to attract birds to the main or control feeder pans. This fixture generates light at poultry specific wavelengths and draws in the birds to encourage feeding. The increased feeding activity at the control pan keeps the feed lines full resulting in evenly distributed feed for the entire line. The uniform access to feed throughout the house promotes daily weight gain and bird uniformity which equals higher yields for the poultry farmer. By having a well-thought-out lighting program and using led lighting you could tremendously increase your Poultry production. Not only will it lower in lighting costs, it will increase development, weight gain, flock uniformity, feed conversion, and reproduction


Principles

1. In-season flocks

Birds grown during a period when the length of the natural light day is decreasing, at least during the last part of their growing cycle are called in-season flocks. As a general rule, chicks hatched between March 1st and August 31st in the Northern Hemisphere is called in-season flocks. No artificial light is needed up to 20 weeks (in case of meat-type breeders 22 weeks).  At 20 weeks of age increase the light to 13 hours.  Then add 1 hr. Per week until it attains 16 hours light

2. Out-season flocks

Chicks hatched between September 1st and February 28th are called out-season flocks since their growing period falls on increasing light-day, the following features are as follows

1. Constant light-day program which determines the length of the longest natural light day before the pullets reach 20 weeks of age.  Maintain this period of daily light hours from the 3rd day until 20 weeks by supplementing artificial light with natural light.  Then increase 1 hour of light at this stage and increase 1 hour every week until it reaches 16 hours total light period

2. Decreasing day-light program which determines the total natural day-light hours when the pullets reach 20 weeks of age.  Then add 7 hours.  This represents the length of the light day from the 3rd day.  Thereafter reduce the length of light day by 20 minutes per week.  At 20 weeks of age increase the length of the light day by 1 hour.  Then increase 1 hour per week until it attains 16 hours light per day

3. Photo-refractoriness

Photo-refractoriness is a condition in which the bird is not capable of responding to long day lengths.  Greater the stimulatory day length, the sooner and more pronounced the reduction in egg production due to photo-refractoriness

4. Ahemeral lighting programs

When the total period of light and dark are equals to 24 hours we can call it as ahemeral lighting cycle, there are two types of this lighting which is longer day (14 hr. Light + 14 hr. Dark) and shorter day (11 hr. Light + 11 hours dark).  Longer day cycle increases egg shell quality whereas shorter day cycle increases the egg production by 2%.  However, these cycles are not compatible with normal working schedule and needs light proof houses


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Frequently ask questions

Q: Why is lighting important in the poultry house?

A: Lighting is one of the most important parameters in a poultry house because it helps in the stimulating and controlling of feed intake by the chickens

Q: What effect does light has during growing period of a chicken?

A: It increase the number of eggs laid during the first half of the egg production but not in total number of eggs laid

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