Impact of Different Monochromatic LED Light Colours and Bird Age on the Behavioural Output and Fear Response in Ducks

Abstract

This study was performed to observe the effect of monochromatic light emitting diode (LED) light colour and bird age on the behaviour and fear response of ducks. A total of 200 1-day-old ducklings were used in the experiment (two replications, 25 ducklings/pen), and lighting was set up as follows: white (W, control, 400-770 nm), yellow (Y, 600 nm), green (G, 520 nm) and blue (B, 460 nm) LED lights. Ducks were subjected to 23L: 1D h lighting with 0.1 Watt/m2 light intensity. Video was recorded twice per day (2 h in the morning and 2 h in the afternoon) and observed five consecutive days per week. Duration of feeding, drinking, sitting, walking, standing, preening, wing flapping, wing stretching, tail wagging, head shaking, body shaking, ground pecking, peck object, and social interaction behaviour were recorded. At 3 and 6 weeks of age, 10 birds per treatment were subjected to the tonic immobility (TI) test (three times/duck). Ducks reared in Y and W light were more active, as expressed by more walking, ground pecking, drinking and social interaction activities than those of ducks under the B light treatment (P<0.05). Ducks showed more time sitting, standing, and preening under B light (P<0.05). Feeding, sitting, standing and drinking behaviours increased, and walking and social interaction behaviours decreased with age of the ducks (P<0.05). Differences in behaviours among different light colours were observed. In addition, the TI test results indicated that B and G light reduced the fear response of the ducks.