LED poultry lighting: optimising growth and welfare in poultry farming

LED poultry lighting is not simply an energy-saving item: it is a zootechnical lever. Light acts directly on the biological rhythm of poultry, their behaviour, their feed intake and their growth. Well controlled, lighting improves farm performance and animal welfare; poorly designed, it generates stress and feather pecking. In a poultry environment, the luminaire must also withstand an aggressive environment (humidity, washing, ammonia). Here is how to design an installation suited to chickens as well as ducks.

Why light matters so much in poultry farming

Poultry are very sensitive to light. Intensity, duration of lighting (photoperiod) and spectrum influence activity, appetite, growth and reproduction. A suitable lighting programme promotes regular growth in broilers, supports laying in layers and limits problem behaviours such as feather pecking and cannibalism. The ability to finely dim the intensity is therefore essential, which LED allows much better than the old sources.

Light spectrum: a zootechnical parameter

Poultry perceive light differently from humans and react to wavelengths. Farm feedback shows that certain shades have distinct effects: blue or green tones are often associated with a calming effect and with supporting the growth of young birds, while warmer or reddish atmospheres are used during other phases. The choice of spectrum, colour temperature (K) and the possibility of changing it must be considered according to the species (chickens, ducks), the physiological stage and the production objective.

Dawn/dusk dimming: respecting the natural rhythm

An abrupt transition between darkness and full light stresses the animals. Gradual dimming simulating dawn and dusk (dawn/dusk dimming) reproduces the natural cycle: the birds calmly return to their resting area, which reduces crowding and injuries. Controllable LED makes this dimming simple to programme, with continuous variation of intensity, whereas traditional technologies coped poorly with deep dimming.

Withstanding the poultry environment: IP66 and ammonia resistance

The livestock building is a hostile environment for a luminaire. Humidity is permanent, cleaning is done with pressurised water jets between two batches, and the air is laden with ammonia from droppings, which is particularly corrosive. Reliable poultry lighting must therefore combine several protections:

• A high ingress protection rating, IP66 as a minimum, which guarantees dust-tightness and resistance to the powerful water jets needed to wash the building.
• An anti-corrosion design resistant to ammonia, to preserve the housing, seals and electronics over time and avoid premature failures.
• A smooth, washable tubular shape, without recesses, which makes hygiene and compliance with health protocols easier.

This is precisely the purpose of our REXSHOCK TUBULAR IP poultry tubular range: a sealed anti-corrosion tubular luminaire, designed for laden atmospheres and the intensive cleaning of livestock buildings. Find all our solutions in the poultry range, with versions suited to chickens and ducks.

Energy savings as a bonus

Beyond zootechnics, LED greatly reduces the building's energy bill, with savings of up to 80 % compared with incandescent sources, and a much longer lifetime (high L70/L80 lifetime) that limits interventions in an environment where every entry into the building must respect biosecurity. Control of luminous flux and efficacy (lm/W) contributes directly to the economic balance of the farm.

FAQ

What ingress protection rating for poultry lighting?

IP66 as a minimum. It guarantees dust-tightness and resistance to the pressurised water jets used to wash the building between two batches. To this is added an anti-corrosion design resistant to ammonia.

Does the colour of the light have an effect on poultry?

Yes. Poultry react to wavelengths: according to farm feedback, some shades calm and support the growth of young birds, others are used during other phases. The spectrum is chosen according to the species and the physiological stage.

Why simulate dawn and dusk?

Gradual dimming avoids the stress of an abrupt light/dark transition. The animals calmly move to their resting area, which reduces crowding, feather pecking and injuries. Controllable LED makes this dimming easy to programme.

Why a tubular shape in livestock buildings?

The smooth, sealed tube is easy to clean, with no recesses where dust and droppings accumulate, which makes it easier to comply with hygiene and biosecurity protocols while providing even light along the length of the building.

Need a photometric study?

The audit and the photometric study are the work of a lighting design office: we recommend the expertise of the Luminance Consulting agency, the lighting design office that contributes to developing our ranges of luminaires based on an in-depth analysis of the needs of the most demanding customers. Luminance carries out the audit of your installation, the DIALux study and the compliance check. Rexylum, for its part, designs and supplies the prescribed luminaires and lighting solutions: for the choice of equipment, contact us.