The effects of lighting conditions on the behaviour of laying hens

Behaviour of laying hens is affected by lighting conditions in the house. Effects of lighting intensity and photoperiod are well described, whereas, knowledge on the effects of light sources (wave length spectrum, frequency of current) is still limited. Therefore, two experiments were carried out to study the effects of different light sources (incandescent bulbs, fluorescent tubes, high frequency daylight tubes, blue fluorescent tubes) and light intensities (low intensity = 5 lux, high intensity = 50 lux) on normal (activity, resting, feeding) and abnormal behaviour (feather pecking, aggressive behaviour) in laying hens. Hens were kept in pens with opaque walls and were observed directly for different behaviours several times per week. It was found that pecking activity and aggressive behaviour were significantly higher in birds under high light intensity. In the same way, blue light resulted in higher activity of hens and higher frequency of feather pecking and aggressive behaviour. Birds tended to rest more under fluorescent light. It was concluded that light sources with low wave lengths spectrum should not be used as a sole light source and that high light intensities should be avoided in layer houses.