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Related Experiment Videos

New intermittent lighting programme (the Reading system) for laying pullets

T R Morris1, E A Butler

  • 1Department of Agriculture, University of Reading, England.

British Poultry Science
|September 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary
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A new lighting system for laying hens improves egg size and shell thickness while reducing feed intake and mortality. This intermittent lighting strategy offers benefits for both egg production and hen welfare.

Area of Science:

  • Animal Science
  • Poultry Husbandry
  • Chronobiology

Background:

  • Intermittent lighting programs for laying hens aim to optimize egg production and hen welfare.
  • Existing systems like Biomittent and symmetrical lighting offer trade-offs in egg quality, quantity, and feed efficiency.
  • Reducing total activity time through lighting can decrease feed intake and potentially improve welfare.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and evaluate a novel intermittent lighting system combining benefits of different patterns.
  • To assess the impact of a new 24(0.25L:0.75D) lighting pattern on egg characteristics, feed consumption, and mortality.
  • To compare the new system against conventional Step Up and Biomittent lighting programs.

Main Methods:

  • Two trials were conducted to test the efficacy of the new 24(0.25L:0.75D) intermittent lighting pattern.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Key performance indicators measured included egg number, egg size, shell thickness, feed consumption, and mortality.
  • Results were compared to those obtained from hens under conventional Step Up and Biomittent lighting programs.

    • Main Results:

    • The new system resulted in approximately 2% fewer eggs but a 2% increase in mean egg size and a 3% improvement in shell thickness.
    • Feed consumption was similar to Biomittent lighting and 6% lower than Step Up lighting.
    • Mortality rates were lower with the new system compared to Step Up lighting, though not significantly.

    Conclusions:

    • The novel 24(0.25L:0.75D) lighting system effectively enhances egg size and shell thickness while reducing feed intake.
    • Intermittent lighting programs with less than 8 hours of total illumination per 24-hour cycle may reduce laying house mortality.
    • This lighting strategy shows potential for improving both production efficiency and hen welfare.