PERFORMANCE OF HENS EXPOSED TO VARYING LIGHTING COLOURS AND INTENSITIES AT THE EARLY LAYING PHASE

Résumé

The implications of lighting colour and intensity on performance of laying hens at the early laying phase were assessed in this study. Isa Brown pullets (n=390), aged 18-week, were randomly allotted to four lighting colour (Blue, Green, Red, and White) and three lighting intensities (9, 13.5, and 18 lux) in a (4×3) +1 augmented factorial experiment (daily exposure to extra four hours of artificial lighting and the natural day length) of a completely randomised design. Each treatment was replicated five times, and a replicate comprised six hens. Eggs production was recorded daily, while the body weights record was weekly. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA, and means were separated at α0.05. Hens exposed to green and blue colours had similar feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 2.97 and 3.00, respectively which were significantly lower (p<0.05) than 3.02 for Red, 3.21 for white, and 3.82 (control). Also, control hens had significantly higher (p<0.05) FCR than in other treatments for lighting intensity. Effects of interactions of lighting colour and intensity on FCR differed significantly (p<0.05). Lowest FCR (p<0.05) was in hens on blue colour × 9.0 lux. Control × 0 hens had least hen-day egg production (HDEP) (p<0.05) of 61.43%, than in other treatments. Therefore, varying lighting colour and intensity for the laying hens could be a vital tool for the enhancement of economic returns and increased productivity as obtained in hens on green and blue colours in this study