Fiber-optic light guides as secondary sources of light for hen keeping in cage batteries

Abstract

The method of local illumination of cage batteries with LED lamps, previously developed by us, made it possible to increase the livability and productivity of hens in comparison with the traditional method. In this case, the placement of low-power LED sources directly in each cage requires a large number of rather complex electronic devices across the whole metal structure of the cage battery and extended power transmission lines. This work compares the efficiency of local LED lighting and fiber-optic light guides when keeping hens of the productive flocks of cross SP-789 in traditional cages. The 120-day-old hens were divided by the method of analogs in 2 groups of 100 heads. In the control group, LED lamps were used for local illumination of hens, and in the experimental group, fiber-optic light guides were used with LEDs as the primary source of illumination. The color temperature of light-emitting diodes was 3000 K. Up to 260 days of age, hens were kept in triple-tiered cage batteries, 5 animals per cage. The results of the study showed that in the control and experimental groups, the livability of the livestock was 95.0 and 99.0%, the egg production per initial hen was 99.2 and 102.5 pieces. The weight of eggs was 57.9 and 58.3 g, the yield of the egg weight per initial hen was 5.81 and 5.98 kg, feed consumption for 10 eggs and 1 kg of egg weight were 1.37, 2.35 and 1.30, 2.23 kg, respectively, without significant changes in the morphological and chemical qualities of eggs.