How do different light conditions affect chickens?

Factors such as light intensity, light duration, and light color of visible light can affect the reproductive function of chickens, which in turn have an important impact on the reproductive system development, laying time, laying duration, egg weight, and other production performance of laying hens.

The main principle is: Visible light stimulates the chicken optic nerve and hypothalamus to make the hypothalamus secrete gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which acts on the pituitary gland to cause the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone and ovulation hormone. Follicle-stimulating hormone stimulates the development and maturation of follicles, and estrogen is formed in the follicles. Estrogen and ovulation hormones affect the production performance of laying hen stogether through the blood.

Studies have shown that different colors of light have different effects on the production performance of laying hens. In production practice, it is best to choose warm light (that is, mainly yellow, orange, and red).

Red light: It can enhance the sexual maturity of chickens, increase egg weight, promote stability, and reduce the fertilization rate of roosters.

Blue light: It can promote the growth of chickens, delay sexual maturity, and increase the fertilization rate of roosters.

Orange light: It plays a role in enhancing the sexual maturity of chickens and increasing egg weight.

Yellow light: It can enhance the sexual maturity of chickens, increase egg weight, and reduce egg production.

Greenlight: It can promote the growth of chickens, delay sexual maturity, and increase the fertilization rate of roosters.

Light is an important factor affecting the growth of chickens, and it is equally important as water and feed. Appropriate light can stimulate the secretion of sex hormones in hens, enhance the activity of ovaries and fallopian tubes, and accelerate the formation and discharge of eggs, and the development of fallopian tubes, thereby improving the production capacity of hens.

If the light is too strong, it will make the chicken restless, causing pecking, prolapse, and nervousness. If the light of laying hens suddenly increases, the quality of eggshells will decrease, the number of damaged eggs and deformed eggs will increase, and the sudden death rate will increase.

1. Brooding period: Both chicks and brooding chicken sare in the growth period. The light at this stage should promote the healthy growth of chicks with a high survival rate, but prevent hens from reaching sexual maturity prematurely. Chicks can grow well under low-intensity weak light, but in order to make them eat and drink more food and water as soon as possible, the light time can reach 12 hours a day in the first week, and the light intensity can be larger. , the light intensity gradually decreases. This not only saves electricity, but also makes the chicks quieter, and prevents pecking from happening.

2. Breeding period: The light time should be short, not gradually extended, and the intensity should be weak. The main purpose of this stage is to control growth and development and reach sexual maturity at an appropriate age. In premature sexual maturity, not only the egg weight is small at the beginning of laying, but also because the body is not mature enough, the production will stop shortly after the beginning of laying, and then the production cannot be stable and high.

3. Laying period: Make the hen start laying at the right time and reach the peak, and give full play to its laying potential. Therefore, the light time should be long and should not be gradually shortened. The light intensity cannot be weakened either. Egg laying generally uses increasing or constant light, but not less than 16 hours of light per day. The laying period is very sensitive to light and can only be increased or maintained, not decreased.

When supplementing light, the power supply should be reasonable and stable, and the bulb settings should be evenly distributed without dark areas. Two rows of light bulbs are arranged in a staggered manner, and it is advisable to use about 3 watts per square meter of ground in the house. The artificial lighting time that needs to be supplemented can be filled in half before dawn and half after sunset, and a lighting timer can be installed, or an automatic light controller can be used to control the switching time of the lights every day.

1. We must formulate a sound lighting plan and put it into practice, and we must not give up halfway.

2. During the growing period, the daily light time should be kept constant or gradually reduced, and should not be increased. But the daily light time should not be less than 6 hours.

3. During the laying period, the daily light time should be kept constant or gradually increased, and should not be reduced, but the daily light time should not exceed 17 hours.

4. During the laying period, it must be noted that the increase in light time should be gradual, not a sudden increase, otherwise it will easily cause prolapse of the chicken and other diseases.

5. Do not change the light color and lighting time at will, otherwise, it will cause production stoppage. Generally, red or white light is used. As a result, both egg production and egg quality are improved, and it can prevent or reduce the occurrence of feather pecking, anal pecking, and fighting. At the same time, it can also receive better effects on chicken growth and feed consumption.

6. The light intensity should be uniform. And the light should be gradually brightened or darkened, otherwise, it will cause a shocking group stress response. Suddenly turning off the light or shortening the light time too quickly will cause adverse consequences such as molt, deformed eggs, or even stop production.

7. It is necessary to strengthen comprehensive feeding and management measures and do a good job in the prevention and control of chicken diseases to ensure the effect of artificial light.

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