LED Light Applied to the Feeder: Impact on Growth Performances of Chickens under Productive Conditions

SIMPLE SUMMARY: One of the major problems in broiler production management is the lack of uniformity in the size of meat chickens. In this study, we assessed the use of feeders equipped with light-emitting diodes and their effects on the productivity of broiler chickens under productive conditions. This particular feeder has been installed at the end of each feeding line to attract broilers and stimulate feed distribution along the entire line. At the end of the cycle, the improvement in uniformity in the poultry house where this equipment was tested, compared to the control poultry house, encouraged the use of this system to improve the production of meat chickens. ABSTRACT: This study assessed the use of feeders equipped with light-emitting diodes and their effects on the productivity of broiler chickens under productive conditions. A total of 87,200 ROSS 308 chickens, 1-day old, were housed in two poultry houses (CONTROL, F-LED). In CONTROL, 20,000 females (mean body weight 41.12 ± 3 g) and 25,000 males (mean body weight 41.56 ± 3 g) were housed, while 19,200 females and 23,000 males of the same genetic make-up and mean body weight were housed in F-LED under the same environmental conditions. In F-LED, to encourage chickens to feed and to redistribute more feed down the feeding line, a feeder equipped with a LED light has been installed at the end of each line. In CONTROL, no light was located on the feeders. At the end of the cycle, the average body weight never showed significant differences both for females (1345 g in CONTROL; 1359 g in F-LED) and for males (2771 g in CONTROL; 2793 g in F-LED). Uniformity improved in F-LED, at 75.2% in females and 54.1% in males, compared to CONTROL, at 65.7% and 48.5%, respectively, for females and males. The feed conversion ratio followed the same trend, being more favorable in chickens reared in F-LED (1.567) compared to those raised in CONTROL (1.608). The application of a single F-LED at the end of each feeding line demonstrated its utility in improving size uniformity and feed conversion.