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Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

DOI

10.3906/vet-2009-23

Abstract

The present study was aimed to evaluate the influence of incandescent, fluorescent, and light emitting diode (LED) lights on the productive efficiency and economic aspects of laying hens. For this, 216 laying hens were distributed into three groups of light sources with six replicates each. Each replicate consisted of 12 birds. The data were analyzed in SAS 9.1 (SAS InstituteInc., Cary, NC, USA) by applying one-way ANOVA technique, and significant means were compared through least significant difference test. In the present study, LED light significantly improved the body weight, body weight gain, percentage of egg production, FCR per dozen and FCR per kg egg mass. All parameters for egg quality (excluding egg yolk index and Haugh unit) and egg geometry (including egg shape index, egg surface and volume) were affected by light sources at 24th week, while significant effects were recorded at egg quality (excluding egg Haugh unit and yolk index) and egg geometry (excluding egg volume) at 32nd weeks. Physiological norms (except heartbeat) and welfare aspects (except footpad score) were not affected by light sources; however, footpad score at 32nd week and heartbeat at 17th and 32nd week were significantly better in the pullets under LED lights. Reproductive hormones and metabolic enzymes (T3, T4, GnRH, LH, FSH, and cortisol including catalase enzyme) were significantly better in the birds kept under LED light at the 20th and 32nd weeks. The present findings suggested that productive parameters and reproductive traits, welfare aspects, hormonal profile as well as overall economics of layer production varied significantly based on light sources, and LEDs positively exceeded the fluorescent as well as incandescent light sources.

Keywords

Light sources, productive performance, egg quality, hormonal profile, welfare aspect

First Page

176

Last Page

190

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