Performance of laying hens subjected to intermittent lighting initiated at 24 weeks of age.
Leghorn pullets of a commercial strain were subjected to a conventional light program of constant photoperiod or an intermittent programming involving, during the house of conventional "lights-on", 45 min light (L): 15 min dark (D) from 24 to 27 weeks of age; 30 min L:30 min D from 28 to 35 weeks; and 14 min L:45 min D from 36 weeks to the duration of the trial. Each light treatment was tested with 12 replicate groups of 14 individually caged birds housed in adjacent rooms, with all birds fed a standard 15% crude protein, 2750 kcal ME/kg diet.  Intermittent lighting resulted in a significant (P less than .05) reduction in feed intake and a consistent but nonsignificant (P less than .05) reduction in egg production. Egg size, egg shell quality, and albumen quality, as assessed by Haugh units, were not affected by light treatment. Due to the effect on egg production, it is concluded that intermittent lighting programs should not be initiated close to time of peak egg production.
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008029:Lighting; D010058:Oviposition