Eating, drinking and locations of broiler chickens reared under commercial conditions with supplementary feeder line lighting

Abstract

The study examined the distribution of Cobb 700 broiler chickens in large (1.524 m × 6.096 m) pens under commercial conditions with 2 nipple waterer lines and a single feeder. The light intensity in the house was 4 lx provided by light emitting diode lighting but with supplementary lighting along the feeder line. There was a gradation of light intensity from 100 lx at bird level by the feeders to 4 lx at the edge of the pen. In addition, a limited time budget was estimated. A video system was employed to record the number of birds eating, drinking, standing close (within 30 cm) to the feeder line, standing close (within 30 cm) to the nipple waterers, sitting close to the feeder line and sitting close to the nipple waterers. Numbers were determined by direct observation. The number of birds that were neither close to the feeders nor nipple waterers was calculated by difference (total birds minus number of birds close to feeder plus those close to waterers). Birds congregated close to the feeder: Eating or standing or sitting. However, 56% were situated neither close to the lit feeder line or the nipple waterers. The percentage of the broiler chickens that were feeding and drinking was 12.8 and 8.2%, respectively. There were shifts in bird behavior during the day with more broiler chickens eating and drinking during the first hour of the photophase and fewer birds eating increasing age.