Abstract
Red light (RL) marked higher weight gain (WG) and preference of broilers compared to other light colors. This study aimed to investigate how different intensities of RL affect the performance, behavior and welfare of broilers. RL treatments were T1 = high intensity (320 lux), T2 = medium intensity (20 lux); T3 = dim intensity (5 lux), T4 = control/white light at (20 lux) provided on 20L:4D schedule and T5 = negative control; 12 hours dark: 12 hours day light. Cobb strain broilers were used in a Complete Randomize Design with 6 replicates. WG, water/feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), mortality, behavior and welfare were assessed. At 35 d, significantly (p<0.05) highest body weight (2,147.06 g±99) was recorded by T3. Lowest body weight (1,640.55 g±56) and FCR (1.34) were recorded by T5. Skin weight was the only carcass parameter showed a significant (p<0.05) influence giving the highest (56.2 g) and the lowest (12.6 g) values for T5 and T1 respectively. Reduced welfare status indicated by significantly (p<0.05) higher foot pad lesions, hock burns and breast blisters was found under T3, due to reduced expression of behavior. Highest walking (2.08%±1%) was performed under T1 in the evening during 29 to 35 days. Highest dust bathing (3.01%±2%) was performed in the morning during 22 to 28 days and highest bird interaction (BI) (4.87%±4%) was observed in the evening by T5 during 14 to 21 days. Light intensity×day session×age interaction was significantly (p<0.05) affected walking, dust bathing and BI. Light intensity significantly (p<0.05) affected certain behaviors such as lying, eating, drinking, standing, walking, preening while lying, wing/leg stretching, sleeping, dozing, BI, vocalization, idling. In conclusion, birds essentially required provision of light in the night for better performance. Exposed to 5 lux contributed to higher WG, potentially indicating compromised welfare status. Further researches are suggested to investigate RL intensity based lighting regimen that favors for both production and welfare of Broilers.
Highlights
Color is an important aspect of light that has been considered as a management tool in poultry production. Prayitno and Phillips (1997) observed a Ross strain of broiler that was reared in red, blue, green and white color light
Birds were placed in a water proof test pen marked significantly (p
As chickens do not prefer to sit in water, flooding the pen reflects that there is a beneficial effect of reducing intensity motivates the birds to stand up
Summary
Color is an important aspect of light that has been considered as a management tool in poultry production. Prayitno and Phillips (1997) observed a Ross strain of broiler that was reared in red, blue, green and white color light. Hand, the highest preference was recorded for RL especially Light treatments; T1 (320 lux; high intensity red [HR]), T2 in the night compared to green, blue and white color lights (20 lux; medium intensity red [MR]), T3 (5 lux; dim (Senaratna et al, 2010; 2012). There are many potential welfare benefits of improving white [WT]) at night including 12 h of day light and T5; the activity of broiler chicken. Illumination was provided by 5W (Prayitno et al, 1997) It is relatively well researched with normal incandescent light intensities (LIs) with a primary emphasis on production and health (Lien et al, 2007; Blatchford et al, 2009) where the impact on production traits has found to be incandescent bulbs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of incandescent RL at different intensities (high, medium, dim) on production performance, behavior and welfare status of broilers. The undisturbed behavior of the birds was recorded for 3 consecutive hours in the morning, evening and night sessions for 4 days a week by adopting scan sampling
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