Intelligent Led Broiler Lighting System
On a small hillside in a suburban area of a certain city, there is a popular broiler farm that supplies broilers to a large hotel in the city. The owner, who has extensive breeding experience, has recently made a significant decision to expand the broiler house equipped with an intelligent LED broiler lighting system to five times its original size, successfully implementing large-scale breeding with this technology. The once skeptical owner has now become a firm believer in the system after experiencing its benefits firsthand. He was the first in the area to embrace this innovation and has reaped substantial rewards. The farm has adopted and promoted the research findings related to the intelligent LED broiler lighting system, resulting in notable improvements in feed efficiency, broiler growth rates, and overall broiler health compared to traditional incandescent lighting. The initial investment was recouped in the first year, leading to significant profits in the second year.
Research indicates that only 5% to 50% of broiler productivity is attributed to genetics, while 50% to 95% is influenced by environmental factors. Regulating the light environment is a crucial aspect of large-scale broiler production. Numerous studies have demonstrated that proper light regulation can enhance poultry growth and significantly improve feed efficiency. This not only boosts nutrient absorption but also reduces waste and harmful gas emissions, thereby improving the overall breeding environment. However, different poultry breeds require specific lighting conditions at various growth stages. By understanding the changing light needs of broilers throughout their development, the intelligent LED broiler lighting system has created a phased approach to light regulation that supports healthy, large-scale broiler production.
The LED lighting system offers high photoelectric conversion efficiency, a long lifespan, low heat output, and significantly reduces energy consumption in broiler farms. Most importantly, it allows for intelligent regulation, enabling the selection of different light colors, intensities, and photoperiods tailored to the growth needs of the poultry. This means that the introduction of LED lighting systems can provide two key advantages for poultry farming: first, by enhancing feed efficiency, broilers can gain weight while maintaining their health within the same growth cycle, directly boosting the farm's economic returns; second, it effectively promotes energy conservation on the farm.
Some broiler farms maintain bright lighting both day and night primarily to encourage broilers to eat more, which accelerates their growth. Broilers are constantly eating, leading to a prolonged state of sub-health. To boost production and profits, some breeding companies keep broilers in a state of constant dietary stimulation through extended lighting, preventing them from resting properly. This method disrupts the natural light requirements of poultry and resembles a "forcing growth" strategy, which can create a harmful cycle: increased eating → decreased immunity → reliance on medication, ultimately weakening the broilers' health and resistance to disease.
To address this, an intelligent LED lighting system for broiler breeding has been developed based on thorough research, prioritizing the natural light needs of broilers. This system employs scientific methods to intelligently regulate light color, intensity, and cycles according to the different growth stages of the broilers. It also incorporates a welfare lighting system that aligns with the EU's advocated welfare breeding practices. By using a gradual or intermittent lighting approach, alternating between light and darkness, metabolic and growth issues can be effectively minimized.
The initial step involves studying the light preferences of broilers and how these change as they grow. By building on previous research, appropriate LED light sources and traditional lighting arrays are designed and arranged randomly to avoid interference. The focus is on understanding the preferences and behaviors of broilers regarding light color and intensity at various growth stages. The broiler breeding cycle is segmented into key phases, such as the brooding and fattening periods, with different light control methods introduced at each stage. A comprehensive comparison of the light preferences for LED color and intensity at different growth stages will help identify patterns and establish preferred light control technologies, laying the groundwork for effective light environment management.
The next step involves examining suitable LED light environment control techniques that align with the lighting needs during the broiler brooding phase. Based on previous findings regarding the light requirements for broiler brooding, various control schemes for LED light source colors and intensities are chosen. The conventional lighting methods currently used in broiler production serve as a benchmark to analyze how LED light source colors and intensities affect the brooding period. This will help identify the optimal control strategies for LED light source colors and intensities during this phase. From the research on light color and intensity control during brooding, several effective control levels are identified, and the impact of different light cycle control methods on the brooding period is compared to determine the best lighting cycle strategy.
The following step focuses on investigating appropriate LED light environment control methods for the lighting needs during the broiler fattening phase. Utilizing the earlier research findings on the light requirements for this period, various control schemes for LED light source colors and intensities are selected. Through comparative experiments, the effects of LED light source color and intensity on the fattening period are analyzed, leading to the selection of optimal control methods for these factors. Based on the research results regarding light color, intensity, and photoperiod control during the fattening phase, the period is divided into several key growth stages. The primary light control methods for each stage are examined, and a combination of staged light control methods is developed to assess their impact on the fattening period of broilers, ultimately resulting in a structured light control approach for this phase.
The fourth step involves integrating and testing the phased LED light control techniques throughout the entire broiler breeding process. Based on the research findings, several effective LED light control methods for both the breeding and fattening periods are chosen, and these methods are combined. The conventional lighting method currently used in broiler production serves as a control to examine the impact of the phased LED light control approach on broilers throughout the entire process. Ultimately, this will lead to the development of a phased LED light control method that is appropriate for the entire broiler breeding cycle.
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People Also Ask
What is the lighting schedule for broilers?
1. Days 0–7:
23L:1D with bright light (20–40 lux) to ensure chick activity and feeding.
2. Days 8–Market:
Gradually reduce to 16L:8D or use intermittent lighting (e.g., 1L:3D cycles) with dimmer light (5–10 lux).
Avoid continuous light (>20L:4D) to reduce metabolic and skeletal stress.
3. Light Color:
Use red light early for growth stimulation (optional).
Switch to blue-enriched white light (~6.000K) in later stages to improve muscle yield.