The Effect of High and Low Intensity Cool-White Fluorescent Lighting on the Reproductive Performance of Turkey Breeder Hens

Abstract

Large White turkey breeder hens were exposed to incandescent or cool-white (CW) fluorescent light of either high or low light intensity as the sole light source. Light treatments were quantified in both photometric and radiometric units for the entire visible spectrum as well as the 600 to 700 nm range of the visible spectrum. Photostimulation with these light sources occurred at 32 weeks of age and the subsequent effects on body weight, feed intake, and reproductive performance were observed over a 20-week egg laying period. Body weights and feed intakes were similar among the treatments. There were no significant differences in early season egg production (0 to 10 weeks) or fertility, hatchability, egg weight, and egg specific gravity due to light intensity or light source over the 20-week test period. However, CW fluorescent light delayed the onset of egg production from that of hens exposed to incandescent light (20.7 vs. 19.3 days, respectively) and significantly depressed late season (10 to 20 weeks) egg production from that observed in hens on incandescent light (23.9 vs. 31.9 eggs per hen, respectively). As a result, total egg production was significantly lower in the CW fluorescent (67.9 eggs/hen) than the incandescent treatment (75.2 eggs/hen). No significant differences in total eggs per hen occurred between the low and high light intensity treatments. In summary, with energy levels used in this study, turkey hens exposed to CW fluorescent light maintain normal body weights and have a reproductive performance comparable to that observed in incandescent light except for a delay in onset of egg laying and a depressed rate of egg production during the last 10 weeks of a 20-week production cycle.