The Effect of intermittent lighting in open houses on Some Productive parameters of Laying Hens

Abstract

The research was conducted at a private poultry house in Homs between10 August, 2020 and 10 January, 2022. A total of 412-one day old chicks of an egg laying hybrid (Hy-Line), producing white shell eggs, raised from one day old until 74 weeks old: chicks were randomly distributed into four groups with three replicates of 35 birds in each. All groups were under the natural decreased day light during rearing phase until first week, at the nineteenth week different lighting regimes were applied (during production phase), The first group (control) was subjected to an increased lighting system, the second group was subjected to an intermittent lighting system so that the period of darkness between two periods of illumination is two hours, the third group was subjected to an intermittent lighting system so that the period of darkness between two periods of illumination is three hours,  the fourth group was subjected to an intermittent lighting system so that the period of darkness between two periods of illumination is four hours, the following productive parameters for were studied each replicate, the average of mortality, age at sexual maturity, average of egg production, number of eggs produced per hen (H.D), average of egg weight, and egg mass produced per hen, average of feed consumption, feed conversion factor. Results showed that the application of the intermittent lighting system of the fourth group in comparison to the control group Showed a significant earlier sexual maturity (four day), higher egg production per hen, significant increase (9.1 eggs) in the number of egg produced, significant increase (0.3g) in the average egg weight, significant increase (680g) in the average egg mass produced per hen. Results also showed no significant effect on the averages of mortality and feed consumption, and also no significant effect on the feed conversion factor