Light is an important environmental factor affecting chickens. It is necessary to know that suitable light can stimulate the secretion of sex hormones in hens, enhance the activity of ovaries and fallopian tubes, accelerate the formation and discharge of eggs, and the development of fallopian tubes, thereby improving the production capacity of hens. We should pay attention to these techniques when using chicken poultry cage equipment to raise chickens.

Do not reduce the lighting time during the laying period. The first time of adding light is 18 to 19 weeks old, and the light is generally started by the standard weight of 18 weeks old. For example, the standard weight of 18 weeks of age is 1.55 kilograms, that is, the light stimulation is started with the weight of 1.55 kilograms, but no later than the end of 19 weeks. The addition period is determined according to the weight of the chicken group, and it is generally preferred once a week. The time for adding light shall not exceed 1 hour, and the period of addition shall not be more than twice a week, nor less than two weeks. According to the light cycle to determine the duration of the light, generally the first two light stimulation is better, if the light is applied once a week, it is recommended to add light for the first two times, and then increase by half an hour every week until 14~16 hours; If you add twice a week, split the one-week addition time into two. The peak lighting time must not be less than 15 hours. The upper limit of the illumination time is 16 hours, and constant illumination is applied when the upper limit is reached.

Be sure to consider the consumption and increase of the flock before adding light. The increase in illumination is mainly due to the fact that the chicken population does not meet the standard and needs to stimulate the flock to feed, thereby increasing the weight of the chicken population. Lighting management must take into account the effects of natural light length and seasonal factors to develop a reasonable lighting program. When supplementing the light, the power supply should be stable, and the floor area should be about 3 watts per square meter.

Brooding period. Both chicks and broiler chickens are in a growing period. At this stage, light management should promote the healthy growth of chicks and have a high survival rate, but prevent hens from reaching sexual maturity prematurely. Chicks can grow well under low light intensity, but in order to make them eat and drink as early as possible, the first week of light can reach 12 hours per day, and the light intensity can be larger.

Breeding period (7-20 weeks old). The main purpose of light management is to control growth and development, and to achieve sexual maturity at the appropriate age. Premature sexual maturity, not only the egg weight is small at the time of opening, but also due to insufficient maturity, it will be discontinued shortly after the start of production, and then it will not be stable and high yield. From the stage of young chicks to 10 weeks of age, the length of light duration does not have much effect on sexual maturity, while the age of 10-18 weeks is critical.period. The lighting time is short during this time. Chickens raised in closed houses are completely artificially illuminated, and the duration and intensity of light can be controlled.

Laying period. The principle of light management during laying period is to enable hens to start production and reach a peak at the right time, giving full play to their egg production potential. Therefore, the illumination time should be long, and it should not be gradually shortened, and the illumination intensity should not be weakened. During the laying period, it is generally used with increasing or constant illumination, but not less than 14 to 17 hours of light per day. Laying hens are very sensitive to light hours. Generally, they start from 21 weeks of age, and give chickens 13 to 14 hours a day. After that, they increase by 30 minutes per week and increase to 17 hours to maintain the peak of egg production.

After determining the addition period, do not change it at will. In the process of adding light, if there is a large difference between the actual body weight and the standard body weight, the lightening interval can be appropriately extended, but it must not be longer than two weeks at the latest. From the beginning of the light to the peak of the egg production, it is generally better to stimulate it continuously for more than eight times. The light intensity should not be arbitrarily changed during the addition of light, which has an effect on the growth and development of the chicken in the automatic poultry farming cage.

Light is one of the necessary environmental conditions for laying hens. The intensity, time and color of light are very important for chicken activities, metabolism, growth and productivity, especially for laying hens raised in layer battery cage equipment. Reasonable control of light can improve the production capacity of laying hens and the economic benefits of farmers.

1. The effect of light on laying hens

Light stimulates the hypothalamus directly through the skull or light through the nerve pathway of the nerve lobe. After the hypothalamus is stimulated, it secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which reaches the anterior pituitary through the pituitary portal system, causing follicles The secretion of stimulating hormones and ovulation hormones promote the development of follicles and then ovulation. The developing follicles produce estrogen, which promotes the development and function of the hen’s fallopian tubes. At the same time, estrogen also promotes calcium metabolism to facilitate the formation of eggshells. Ovulation hormones Causes hens to ovulate. In a closed chicken house, no matter how nature changes day and night. The laying of eggs by hens is mostly concentrated in the first 2-7 hours of artificial light.

2. Control of lighting technology

1. Lighting time. The length of lighting time is closely related to the age of sexual maturity of chickens. Too short light time during the rearing period will delay sexual maturity, and too long time will lead to early sexual maturity.

2. Light intensity. Appropriate light intensity is conducive to the normal growth and development of chickens. Excessive light can make chickens irritable and cause severe pecking, prolapse or nervousness. The sudden increase in light intensity during the laying period can significantly increase the rate of cracked eggs, soft-skinned eggs, deformed eggs, and sudden death; low illumination can accelerate the deposition of body fat, but the illumination is too low. It will reduce the chicken's feed intake, reduce drinking water, hinder growth and development, and reduce egg production.

There are four ways to control the light intensity: one is to control the intensity by increasing or decreasing the number of bulbs; the other is to adjust the intensity by changing the bulbs of different power; the third is to control the intensity by adjusting the voltage; the fourth is to control the intensity by adjusting the spacing. But no matter how you adjust, each time you turn on and turn off the lights, you must gradually change from dark to bright, from bright to dark, to give the chickens an adaptation process to prevent frightening the flock. The distance between the bulbs should be 1.5 times the height of the bulb from the ground; the distance between the lamp and the wall should be half the distance between the bulbs, and the lamps between rows should be arranged in a staggered manner to obtain a more uniform lighting effect.

3. Light color. Laying hens are more sensitive to color. Chickens have better vision under red, orange and yellow light. Under red light, it tends to be quiet, with very few pecking habit, a little later in maturity, high feed reward, and egg production slightly increased; yellow light reduces feed reward, delayed sexual maturity, increased egg weight, decreased egg production, and increased pecking ; Green light can make sexual maturity earlier and weight gain faster; blue light can reduce hen egg production.