Light is a powerful tool in a laying poultry shed

The aspects that have to be taken into account to achieve the optimum lighting climate include the following:

• Laying nests: lower light intensities draw the animals to the nests, avoiding them nesting outdoors.
• Spaces in and under the system: with the right light settings, ground-laid eggs can largely be prevented.
• Foraging area: lighting can encourage free-range behaviour and avoid animals getting trodden on and eggs being laid on the ground.
• Top of the system: at the end of the ‘daylight’ period, the animals should go and roost.

The lighting plan

De Heus recommends drawing up a lighting plan for achieving the above. Lighting system suppliers have software that does this, often free of charge. A lighting plan includes the following components:

Optimum distribution and light intensity

This keeps the chickens well distributed throughout the overall stall area. There are no ground-laid eggs because there are no shadow areas. Dimmable LED tubes are currently used in and under the system, providing good light distribution along the entire length. This is done instead of using individual fittings that leave shaded areas, potentially resulting in ground-laid eggs. A light intensity of 20-30 lux is often used when calculating the numbers and types of fittings.

Good dimmability

Dimmers for the lighting are needed so that the amount of light can be adjusted to the production period. Animals are more active at higher light intensities. They then use more energy and so the feed conversion ratio is poorer. Problems with feather pecking and cannibalism can also be reduced by dimming the lighting. The chickens then become calmer and exhibit less aggressive behaviour. To make the chickens start roosting peacefully at night, it is a good idea to dim the lights for a while just before the night. During that period, the hens can go to roost quietly without getting injured

Lighting at the right colour temperature

Warm white lighting with a colour temperature of no more than 3000K is recommended for laying poultry. It contains a considerable proportion of red, which promotes production. As well as the colour, the colour rendering index (CRI) is important. This value is a number between 0 and 100 that shows how true-to-life the colours are under that lighting. A minimum value of 80 is needed for laying poultry.

Flickering

Chickens are sensitive to flickering light; combined with other factors, this can influence their behaviour. Using flicker-free LED lighting is therefore recommended. Chickens can see the flicker in standard fluorescent lighting. Even with LED lighting combined with a PWM dimmer, some flickering can occur.

Efficiency and service life

Various lighting systems are available on the market. The table gives an indication of the investment and annual energy costs of the main lighting. The investment and energy costs are calculated on the basis of a poultry barn of 30,000 animals. The investment figure covers the fixtures and dimmers, but does not include any wiring or installation costs. A figure of €0.20/kWh has been used for energy. Taking account of the investment and energy costs, LED lighting is the best choice in the longer term.

Table 1: Investment and energy costs

Tips

• Have a lighting plan drawn up for every situation.
• Climate computers often have options for dimming the lighting when natural daylight is available, which saves on energy.
• Use LED light fixtures that can mix white and red. This allows a limited amount of red to be mixed in when feather-pecking behaviour starts.
• Check whether your new lighting system qualifies for an energy investment tax deduction.
• Avoid direct sunlight when using natural daylight and make sure the light is distributed evenly in the shed.

Our specialist knowledge of lighting and special measuring equipment (a spectrum analyser) lets us visualise the lighting climate. We can base advice about points for improvement on the measured values.