Effects of a two-phase mixed color lighting program using light-emitting diode lights on layer chickens during brooding and rearing periods

Yongxiang Wei; Weichao Zheng; Baoming Li; Qin Tong; Haipeng Shi

doi:10.1016/j.psj.2020.06.072

Effects of a two-phase mixed color lighting program using light-emitting diode lights on layer chickens during brooding and rearing periods

Poult Sci. 2020 Oct;99(10):4695-4703. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2020.06.072. Epub 2020 Jul 31.

Authors

Yongxiang Wei¹, Weichao Zheng², Baoming Li¹, Qin Tong¹, Haipeng Shi¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Agricultural Structure and Environmental Engineering, College of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Beijing 100083, China; Beijing Engineering Research Center on Animal Healthy Environment, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China.
² Department of Agricultural Structure and Environmental Engineering, College of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Beijing 100083, China; Beijing Engineering Research Center on Animal Healthy Environment, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China. Electronic address: weichaozheng@cau.edu.cn.

Abstract

The behavior, growth and development, and production performance of poultry are affected by the light environment. The influence of light results from a combination of light sources, light intensity, light color, and the photoperiod regimen. With light-emitting diode (LED) lamps applied in poultry housing systems, specific light colors are desired for each time period for layer chickens. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a 2-phase mixed color lighting program (phase 1: blue-green, 1 D-13 wk; phase 2: yellow-orange, 14-20 wk) using LED lights on the blood parameters, skeletal development parameters, and sexual development parameters of caged layer chickens during their brooding and rearing periods. Fifty-two chickens were raised from 1 D to 20 wk of age in each of the 4 treatment groups with 3 replicates, with white (400-700 nm) light at phase 1 and phase 2 (WL treatment as the control); blue-green (435-565 nm) light at phase 1 followed by yellow-orange (565-630 nm) light at phase 2 (BG-YOL treatment); yellow-orange LED (565-630 nm) light at phase 1 and phase 2 (YOL treatment); and blue-green (435-565 nm) light at phase 1 and phase 2 (BGL treatment). The results showed that the serum Ig concentrations of the layer chickens in the BG-YOL treatment and BGL treatment were higher than those in the WL treatment at 13 wk of age (P < 0.05). At the age of 20 wk, the serum glucose concentration levels of the pullets after the WL and BGL treatments were lower than those after the YOL treatment (P < 0.05). Compared with the WL treatment, the YOL treatment significantly increased the bone mineral density of the layer chickens (P < 0.05), and BG-YOL treatment promoted the development of the sexual organs (oviducts and ovaries) of the laying hens at the age of 20 wk (P < 0.05). For the 50% egg production age, the YOL treatment was earlier than the other 3 treatments. This study demonstrated that appropriately staged spectral control using LED lights could have positive effects on the immune performance, bone development, and production performance of caged layer chickens during their brooding and rearing periods.

Keywords: growing period; growth and development; light-emitting diode; pullet; spectrum.

MeSH terms

Animals
Behavior, Animal* / radiation effects
Chickens*
Color
Female
Growth and Development* / radiation effects
Housing, Animal* / statistics & numerical data
Light*
Lighting / statistics & numerical data