Abstract
Abstract. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of fluctuate lighting on performance of laying hens. Two programs were applied with 16 hours daily lighting: step-up (normal) lighting program as the control treatment and a fluctuate lighting program of 2 W/m2 for 45 min and 6 W/m2 for 15 min. Egg weight, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, henday egg production and hen-housed egg production of the laying hens were recorded for 46 weeks. No significant difference for hen-day and hen-housed egg production between the step up and fluctuate lighting programs (P>0.05) were found. However, fluctuate lighting program resulted in a significant increase in egg weight (P<0.05). Moreover, hens in the fluctuate lighting program consumed significantly less amount of feed and had a better feed conversion ratio than hens in the step-up lighting program (P<0.01). The results of the present study indicate that fluctuate lighting can be used for a profitable egg production.
Highlights
Lighting is one of the important factors, which affects production efficiency in poultry production
Biomittent, French, Cornell and Reading intermittent lighting programs along with step up lighting program are used in hen husbandry today (MORRIS and BUTLER 1995)
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of fluctuate lighting program on performance of laying hens
Summary
Lighting is one of the important factors, which affects production efficiency in poultry production. The effects of hemeral (length of photoperiod=24 h) and ahemeral (length of photoperiod 24 h) lighting programmes on performances of hens have been determined. Biomittent, French, Cornell and Reading intermittent lighting programs along with step up lighting program are used in hen husbandry today (MORRIS and BUTLER 1995). The results of the studies investigating the effects of hemeral and ahemeral lighting programs on fertility, hatchability and chick weight of parent flocks demonstrated that lighting programs involving the use of a photoperiod for 26, 27 and 28 h provided better results than lighting programs with a photoperiod of 24 h (SHANAWANY 1993). Hens perceive light with a wavelength of 400-700 nm but the wavelength of light was reported to have a minor effect on production (LEWIS and MORRIS 2000)
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