Impact of lighting color and duration on productive performance and Newcastle disease vaccination efficiency in broiler chickens

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Manipulating lighting colors and regimens is considered an effective mean for improving broiler productivity. The influence of red, blue, and white light-emitting diode (LED) was investigated using three different regimens of lighting and darkness; continuous 23 h light (L):1 h dark (D), continuous 18 h L:6 h D, and intermittent 16 h L:8 h D hours on the performance, carcass weight (CW), feed and water intake (WI), serum glucose (GLUCO), triglycerides (TG), and cholesterol (TC), intestinal bacterial load, growth and metabolic hormones, and efficiency of Newcastle disease (ND) vaccine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 252 1-day-old Ross broilers on deep litter were divided into nine groups. The 1(st), 4(th), and 7(th) groups were exposed to continuous 23L:1D, the 2(nd), 5(th), and 8(th) groups were exposed to continuous 18L:6D, and the 3(rd), 6(th), and 9(th) groups were exposed to intermittent 16L:8D (4L:2D, 4 times) lighting regimen using red, blue, and white LED lights, respectively. A total of 1350 samples (225 sera, 225 swabs, and 900 organ samples) were collected. RESULTS: Blue LED group revealed a highly significant increase (p<0.01) in live body weight, body weight gain, performance index, CW, spleen, heart, and liver weights, and anti-ND antibody titer, as well as a highly significant decline (p<0.01) of feed intake, WI, GLUCO, TG, TC, growth hormone, insulin, tri-iodothyronine (T3), tetra-iodothyronine (T4), total bacterial count (TBC), and total Enterobacteriaceae count compared to red and white LED lights in all tested lighting regimens. Continuous 23L:1D and 18L:6D regimens were significantly (p<0.01) superior to intermittent 16L:8D in their influence on the performance, CW, biochemistry, hormonal profile, and bacterial load. CONCLUSION: The blue LED light associated with continuous 18L:6D or 23L:1D h regimen is highly recommended in broiler houses for their enhancing the productive performance, growth, and immunity.