The daily lighting time of laying hens has an important impact on the egg production rate. Scientific lighting management can significantly improve egg production performance. The following are the key points:
1. Recommended lighting duration
Laying period (after laying): 14~16 hours of light per day (including natural light + artificial supplementary light).
Brooding period (0~6 weeks): 24 hours of light for the first 3 days, and then gradually reduce to 10~12 hours/day.
Growing period (7~18 weeks): Control at 8~10 hours/day to avoid precocious puberty affecting later egg production.
2. Light intensity
The recommended light intensity for the laying period chicken house is 10~20 lux (about 2~3 watts of LED light per square meter).
The light is evenly distributed to avoid dark corners.
3. Notes
Stability: Once the lighting time is determined, it must be kept regular and cannot be increased or decreased suddenly (no more than 15 minutes per week).
Utilization of natural light: In winter, when the daytime is short, artificial light supplement is needed (such as turning on the lights earlier in the morning or turning off the lights later in the evening).
Dark period: Ensure at least 6 to 8 hours of continuous darkness every day to promote rest and hormone secretion in the flock.
4. Scientific basis
Light stimulates the optic nerve of the hen and promotes the pituitary gland to secrete follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which directly affects egg production.
Too long light (>17 hours) may cause prolapse and egg weight reduction; too short light (<12 hours) will reduce egg production.
Example plan:
In winter, natural light is only 10 hours, so artificial light supplement is required for 4 to 6 hours (such as turning on the lights from 5 am to sunrise, and supplementing the lights from sunset to 19 pm in the evening).
Reasonable light management can increase egg production by 10% to 20% and reduce feed waste. It is recommended to use a timer to automatically control the light , you can know more information for laying hens lighting on http://www.benweilight.com
