What LED Lights Could Offer The Poultry Farming Industry

The poultry farming sector in the UK is continually faced with a number of factors that challenge production and price margins. From disease to bad weather to rising energy costs, poultry farmers need to consider different ways of improving their margins. We propose that light emitting diodes (LEDs) are one of the ways poultry farmers could make significant savings on their energy bills, as well as enjoy other key benefits that LED lights bring.

Understanding how chickens see the world

Before we look at how LEDs improve the world for chickens, we need to understand how chickens see the world. Chickens process light in a different way to humans, which influences their growth and behaviours. Unlike humans, chickens respond to different colours, intensities, and spectrums of light. Controlling the levels of lights can therefore directly impact on growth, egg production, and mating behaviours of chickens. As a result, It’s important to find the right solution that’s long-lasting and cost effective.

The pros and cons of other light sources

Natural sunlight will impact how the chickens grow, but it won’t necessarily be the most effective way to achieve high profit margins. Sunlight is the best form of lighting for chickens, but it isn’t reliable over the winter months and may not be available in the intensity required to get the best results. Other types of lighting include incandescent and fluorescent. These are typically cheap to install, but expensive to run. Replacing broken or flickering lights disturbs the chickens and creates inconsistencies in lighting, which can affect poultry’s development.

Practical and hardy, the long-lasting LED comes into its own

LED lights are known for their flexible range of uses for the industrial and farming sector due to their hardy features. LED lights can be made waterproof, which ensures they can stand up to the water and chemicals used to clean the barn between flocks of birds. LED lights also produce little excess heat in comparison to traditional lighting options. Where temperatures could easily get out of control or fans are needed, LED lights can help reduce these types of issues.

Control lighting levels to ensure the best levels of production

LED lights with dimmable options can help mimic daylight in a natural cycle for the poultry. This means that farmers can have extended periods of light during the winter, which make the poultry behave as they would in summer or when there are longer hours of daylight. High levels of egg production and growth could be achieved with the optimal use of LED lights for poultry.

Save money on energy

One of the key benefits for farmers is seeing how LED lights have vastly reduced energy bills for many farmers. This means that farmers can achieve  higher price margins and profits, so better investments or plans for expansion business can go through in the future. LED lights are a worthwhile investment for the poultry farmer.

There are many lighting options available for poultry farmers, but LED prove to be one the most sensible options to choose.