Artificial lighting technology for broilers

For broiler chickens to maintain a fast growth rate and a high feed conversion rate, scientific feeding and management measures are required, including artificial lighting technology. The purpose of artificial lighting for broilers is not to control sexual maturity, but to extend the intake time, increase feed intake, promote growth, and achieve rapid weight gain. The vast majority of chicken farms in the production of broilers nowadays use a continuous light method that connects 23 to 24 hours of light every day and night. There are lighting conditions in the open chicken house, so it is necessary to add light during the time between sunset and sunrise, and there is no need to add during the day. Keep a dark time of 1 hour every day and night. The dark period of 1 hour should be fixed so that the chicken can adapt to the dark environment and prevent the stress caused by the panic of the chicken during a sudden power outage. This method consumes a lot of power and raises the cost. However, this method is relatively simple and easy to manage, so it is used in general broiler establishments. According to relevant data, it took 1 to 2 hours of light for broilers, followed by 1 to 2 hours of dark intermittent light to significantly increase economic efficiency. In production practice, two hours of light and two hours of dark alternation or one hour of light and two hours of darkness can be used. In this way, chickens engage in feeding activities during the light and do not eat or move during the dark period. This allows the chickens to rest well, reduce energy consumption, improve feed utilization, and increase weight gain. With this approach, broiler chickens have a fast production rate, low power consumption, and low feed costs. This method requires attention that every dark time cannot exceed 2 hours because the chicken does not eat during the dark and the food in the crop is basically empty after 2 hours. If it exceeds 2 hours, the chicken will feel hungry and this will seriously affect the meat. The growth rate of chickens is used. Intermittent illumination is generally only used in closed houses, and open houses can be used, but it is more expensive. In order to use intermittent lighting for open chicken houses, daytime windows and doors must be shielded from light. During the day, when the hen house needs darkness, the door must be closed tightly, and the windows must be covered with cloth or other things, not through light. If light penetrates during darkness, the effects of intermittent light will be lost. To give full play to the effects of intermittent light, it is necessary to establish a strict lighting system for the broiler farm, when to turn on the lights each day, and when to turn off the lights. When the open chicken house is shaded during the day, it must be fixed and cannot be changed overnight. Suddenly short or long, otherwise it will reduce the effect of intermittent light. Correct artificial illumination of broilers also requires that the light intensity of the house is appropriate. Light intensity in meat broiler houses can be stronger in the initial stage. For young hatchlings that have just hatched for 3 days, due to weak eyesight, the light intensity is preferably 2 to 3 watts per square meter for ensuring food intake and drinking, and gradually decreases. To 0.75 watts per square meter, the chicken can freely eat and drink the brightness on it. Light can not be too strong and too weak, too strong will cause the chicken's nervousness, easy to panic, but also easily cause spasms; too weak will affect drinking and feeding, is not conducive to weight gain. In addition, the light bulb should be evenly distributed, so that the light evenly shines on the ground. The light bulb should be about 2 meters from the ground. The wattage of bulbs in the early period of raising chickens is higher, and then the wattage of bulbs is gradually reduced, thereby gradually reducing the light intensity of the house.

Posted on June 22, 2018