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Talk about light management methods for laying hens
Proper lighting control is crucial for the optimal performance of laying hens. If hens are exposed to light too early or too late, their egg production can be significantly reduced. Therefore, it's essential to manage lighting scientifically to ensure timely onset of laying and improved productivity.
**Lighting Principles**
During the brooding and rearing phases, the duration of daily light should remain constant or gradually decrease as the chickens grow older. It must never be increased. However, during the laying period, the light duration should first be increased, then maintained at a constant level, and never reduced.
**Lighting Systems**
**1. Lighting in Open-Ended Chicken Houses**
In open chicken houses, natural daylight affects the lighting schedule, making it difficult to implement precise light programs. To adapt, the lighting program should be adjusted according to local daylight conditions.
Here’s a suggested lighting plan (for reference only):
- **Spring Season:**
As daylight hours increase, it's important to prevent premature sexual maturity. At 18 weeks of age, determine the natural daylight duration and use that as the baseline from week 3 to week 18. No artificial light should be added during this time. After 18 weeks, gradually increase the light by 15 minutes per week until reaching 16 hours of light.
- **Fall Season:**
As daylight decreases, avoid delaying sexual maturity. Once the natural daylight reaches 8 hours, maintain a consistent light duration by supplementing with artificial light. Continue this until 16 weeks, following the closed house lighting schedule.
**2. Lighting in Closed Chicken Houses**
- Days 1–3: 24 hours of light per day
- Days 4–14: 1 to 13 hours of light per day
- Days 15–21: 0.5 hour per day, increasing to 9.5 hours
- Week 4: 9 hours per day
- Weeks 5–15: 8 hours per day
- Weeks 16–18: Increase by 1 hour per week (starting at the beginning of the week) up to 11 hours
- Weeks 19 onwards: Increase by 0.5 hours per week until reaching 16 hours, then keep it constant
**Light Intensity**
- Days 1–3: 20–40 lux – sufficient light is needed for chicks to see and access feed and water.
- Weeks 4–18: 5 lux – dimmer light is preferred for growth stages.
- Weeks 19+: 10–20 lux – adequate for laying hens.
**Important Considerations**
1. The lighting schedule from brooding to the point of layering must be strictly followed; changes should not be made arbitrarily.
2. When increasing light duration, do not exceed 1 hour at a time to avoid health issues like prolapse.
3. In open houses, if artificial light is needed, it's better to add it gradually, such as by half an hour or two.
4. Use timers or manual switches to control lighting time. Light intensity can be managed with a voltage regulator or by adjusting lamp wattage.
5. Lights should be installed at least 2 meters above the floor, with reflectors for better coverage.
6. Combining lighting with feeding systems can improve results—such as reducing light during brooding to control weight and sexual maturity, or increasing light in early laying periods to boost egg production.
7. The initial increase in light should be based on the flock’s average weight compared to breed standards.
8. Do not apply light stimulation until the flock has reached an appropriate weight. Stimulating underweight flocks may result in lower egg production and delayed peak performance.
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