Monochromatic light-emitting diode (LED) source in layers hens during the second production cycle

Rodrigo Borille,Fabiana R Caldara,Rodrigo G Garcia,Mayara R Santana,Irenilza A Nääs

doi:10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v19n9p877-881

Rodrigo Borille, Fabiana R Caldara + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v19n9p877-881

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Abstract

ABSTRACTLight is an important environmental factor for birds, allowing not only their vision, but also influencing their physiological responses, such as behavioral and reproductive activity. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the impact of different colors of monochromatic light (LED) sources in laying hens production during the second laying cycle. The study was conducted in an experimental laying house during 70 days. A total of 300 laying hens Isa Brown® genetic strain, aged 95 weeks, in the second laying cycle were used in the study. The artificial light sources used were blue, yellow, green, red and white. The light regimen was continuous illumination of 17 h per day (12 h natural and 5 h artificial) in a daily light regimen of 17L:5D (light: dark). The Latin Square design was adopted with five treatments (five colors) divided into five periods, and five boxes, with six replicates of ten birds in each box. The production and egg quality were evaluated. The different colors of light source did not affect production parameters or egg quality (p > 0.05). The monochromatic light source may be considered as an alternative to artificial lighting in laying hens during the second production cycle.

Highlights

Light is an environmental factor extensively used to improve poultry production as it influences the physiological responses related to hens’ reproduction and behavior (Rossi & Pompei, 1995; Freitas et al, 2005; Deep et al, 2010)
No change in egg production was found (p = 0.53) when layer hens were exposed to different Light-emitting diode (LED) colors (Table 1)
Mobarkey et al (2010) show that the peak sensitivity on the yellow-green bands of the light spectrum (545 to 575 nm) might responsible for the growth and behavior of birds; it does not directly influence egg production. The effect of these different colors was not found in the present study, probably because layer hens in the second production cycle are already adapted to the light stimulus produced by the light source, which emits a broad spectrum of lighting

Summary

Introduction

Light is an environmental factor extensively used to improve poultry production as it influences the physiological responses related to hens’ reproduction and behavior (Rossi & Pompei, 1995; Freitas et al, 2005; Deep et al, 2010). Reproductive performance of hens is dependent on the proper management of light, involving the quantity, the color and the frequency spectrum (Gongruttananun & Guntapa, 2012). Artificial lighting system for laying hens using light emitting diodes is beneficial to the reduction of production costs (Gongruttananun & Guntapa, 2012). Light-emitting diode (LED) has been used worldwide in various areas, since it represents a financial benefit in reducing the costs (Taguchi, 2008). LED is a semiconductor device that emits spatially incoherent light at a relative narrow frequency spectrum generated by an electroluminescence effect. LEDs may be used up to 50,000 h, which much longer than incandescent and compact fluorescent lamps, whose life is 1,000 and 8,000 h of use, respectively (Taguchi, 2008)

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