LIGHTING PROGRAMME FOR BREEDER – INTENSITY – DURATION - COLOR

OBJECTIVE:

To achieve optimal reproductive performance through appropriate illumination (day length and light intensity) and photo stimulation (increase in day length) at the correct age and body weight.

LIGHTING DURING BROODING:

* For the first 2 days placing of birds should be given 23 hours of light and 1 hour of dark a day. This will help appetite development and promote feeding activity. Where close housing (controlled environment) is using during rear, day length should be gradually reduced to 8 hours by 10 days of age.

* Light intensity in the brooding area during first few days should be 80 – 100 lux to ensure that the birds find feed and water. But 6th days of age this should be reduced to between 30 – 60 lux in controlled environment housing and 60 – 80 lux in open sided housing.

LIGHTING PROGRAMME AND HOUSING TYPE:

There are 3 different types of housing are such as,

1) Closed rearing house (controlled environment) and closed laying house (controlled environment).

2) Closed rearing house (controlled environment) or Blackout rearing house and open sided laying house (natural environment).

3) Open sided rearing house (natural environment) and open sided laying house (natural environment).

LIGHTING PROGRAMME

* In control environment housing during rear permits greater control over day length. The ability to control day length so that birds receive a constant short day length from 10 days of age.

* This resolves many production problems like delayed sexual maturity, high female body weight, poor flock uniformity, high feed consumption and gives better control of desirable behaviors

* Also minimized the proportion of abnormal eggs and the risks of prolapse, broodiness and egg peritonitis.

Chart 1: Closed rearing house (controlled environment) and closed laying house (controlled environment).

AGE

BROODING DAY LENGTHS (HOURS)

LIGHT INTENSITY

DAYS WEEKS

1 23 80 – 100 LUX IN BROODING ARE

(10 -20 LUX IN THE HOUSE)

2 23

3 19

4 16

5 14

6 12 30 – 60 LUX IN BROODING ARE

(10 -20 LUX IN THE HOUSE)

7 11

8 10

9 9

REARING DAY LENGHTS (HOURS)10 – 147 8 10 – 20 LUX

DAYS WEEKS

LAYING DAY LENGTHS (HOURS)

147 21 11 30 – 60 LUX

154 22 12

161 23 13

166 24 13

175 25 13

CHART 2: Closed rearing house (controlled environment) or Blackout rearing house and open sided laying house (natural environment).

NATURAL DAY LENGH LIGHT INTENSITY9 10 11 12 13 14 15

AGE (DAYS)

BROODING DAY LENGH (HOURS)

1 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 80 – 100 LUX IN

BROODING AREA (10 -20 LUX IN THE

HOUSE)

2 23 23 23 23 23 23 23

3 19 19 19 19 19 19 19

4 16 16 16 16 16 16 16

5 14 14 14 14 14 14 14

6 12 11 11 11 11 11 11 60 – 80 LUX IN

BROODING ARE

(10 -20 LUX IN THE HOUSE)

7 11 11 11 11 11 11 11

8 10 10 10 10 10 10 11

9 9 9 9 9 10 10 10

AGE (DAYS)

REARING DAY LENGHTS (HOURS)

10 – 146 DAYS 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 – 20 LUX

AGE LAYING DAY LENGTHS (HOURS)DAYS WEEKS

147 21 12 12 12 13 14 14 15 ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING 30

-60 LUX154 22 13 13 13 13 14 14 15

161 23 14 14 14 14 14 114 15

CHART 3: Open sided rearing house (natural environment) and open sided laying house (natural environment).

NATURAL DAY LENGH LIGHT INTENSITY

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

AGE (DAYS) BROODING DAY LENGH (HOURS)

1 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 80 – 100 lux in brooding area2 23 23 23 23 23 23 23

3 19 19 19 19 19 19 19

4 16 16 16 16 16 16 16

5 14 14 14 14 14 14 15

6 12 12 12 12 13 14 15 ˃ 60 -80 lux in brooding area7 11 11 11 12 13 14 15

8 10 10 11 12 13 14 15

9 9 10 12 12 13 14 15

AGE (DAYS) REARING DAY LENGHTS (HOURS)

10 – 146 days NATURAL LIGHTING Natural light intensity

AGE LAYING DAY LENGTHS (HOURS)

DAYS WEEKS

147 21 12 13 14 14 14 14 15 Supplementary artificial light 30 – 60 lux but

60 lux for spring hatched

flock

154 22 13 14 14 14 14 14 15

161 23 14 14 14 14 14 14 15

ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS AND LIGHTINTENSITY:

* In open sided housing, it is important that the light intensity provided during the period of artificial lighting is bright enough to ensure photo stimulation. The target light intensity in the house is 30 – 60 lux.

* During times of the year when flock have been reared in high intensity natural light, higher intensities of artificial light will need to be provided in the laying house. This is essential to ensure satisfactory reproductive performance.

CLASSIFICATION OF MONTHS OF PLACEMENT AS IN-SEASON OR OUT-OF-SEASON:

IN-SEASON OUT-OF-SEASON

Northern Hemisphere Southern Hemisphere Northern Hemisphere Southern Hemisphere

September March September March

October April October April

November May November May

December June December June

January July January July

February August February August

LIGHT COLOR AND LAMP TYPE:

* In broiler breeder there is no need to provide with anything other than white light.

* Lamp type does not have an effect on the reproductive performance. So lamps choice will depend on availability, capital outlay, running costs.