Intermittent lighting program does not hinder the performance of broiler chickens and promotes energy economy

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of broiler chickens in different lighting programs. Broiler chickens were fed on feeders of different colours at different breeding phases. In total, 240 Cobb500™ chicks mixed at 1 d of age were used. They were distributed in a completely randomized design. The treatments followed a 2 × 4 factorial design: two lighting programs (continuous and intermittent), and four colours of feeders (white, green, blue, and red). The birds were evaluated for weekly productive performance and the data were submitted to analysis of variance and later Tukey’s test for comparison of means. In the periods 1–7, 1–21, and 1–42 d of age, lighting programs and feeder colours affected weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion. Intermittent red feeders influenced positively the performance of birds. It is possible to replace conventional lighting programs for intermittent lighting programs. Red feeders exert a positive influence on the performance of broiler chickens.