|
 Many livestock farmers still use incandescent lamps in their
barns, but these are designed for human eyes. Optimal light
conditions are especially hard to achieve in poultry farming; too
much light will cause stress to the birds, whereas if it's too dark
in certain areas they are more likely to lay eggs on the floor
instead of nest boxes, making them harder to collect.
According to John Matcham from Greengage Lighting Ltd., the
chicken's superior eyesight isn't taken into account by traditional
lighting that is better suited for human sight.
"We're only seeing about 40 percent or so of what the chicken
actually sees. They see much, much more detail," Matcham told
Reuters, adding: "It's not just about how bright the light is; it's
about light saturation, image saturation."
Edinburgh-based Greengage Lighting Ltd spent several years
developing its AgriLamp Induction System - known by the acronym ALIS
- which uses up to 60 percent less energy than other common forms of
agricultural lighting. The induction technology in each LED fixture
means it is simply clipped onto the power cable in order to turn on.
The patented system is shatterproof and water resistant, with the
bulbs lasting at least 60,000 hours, according to the company.
 Crucially, ALIS delivers an even spread of light to minimize
'hotspots' and shadows.
"Today for humans in an office we have to have between 5 and 7
hundred lux [units of illumination] of light on a desk and it must
be a minimum of 200 hertz. What we've done here is have a system
that's operating on a system of 50,000 hertz; so there's lots and
lots of frequency, no risk of any flickering effect. And we've got a
saturation right across the spectrum of light that enables a bird to
see more detail," added Matcham.
The ALIS lamp has a light spectrum that is much closer to that of
sunlight which, Matcham said, makes it ideal for mimicking the
natural influence that daylight has on a hen's ability to produce an
egg.
"We need about 14 hours a day to keep the birds thinking it's spring
and summer so they keep producing eggs for us," he said. "So the
right type of light has to do a multitude of tasks; it has to keep
the birds calm, it has to stimulate all of the different glands
inside of the body that work to produce the hormones that says 'I'm
going to lay an egg'; and then we get a nice egg."
This made it a perfect option for Woodcock Farm in Derbyshire, which
has been using the ALIS system for two years in its hen barns.
"I can definitely say that the chickens are moving around a lot more
even; the way they perch and sleep at night, and when they move
around in litter areas. And also for my staff, we're walking the
birds every day, checking them for stock and floor eggs etc. So it's
a lot easier for them because they see an even light and they see in
a better light as well. So I seem to have a better, happy staff as
well as happy chickens," said farm owner Andrew Watson.
[to top of second column] |
"By manipulating and moving the light - giving them the intensity
and the detail of information - they don't need to struggle for it.
So there's less stress. And the types of things we start to see and
benefits are in some cases reduced quantities of water, which is
often an indicator if the birds are stressed if they're drinking an
excessive amount of water," added Matcham.
ALIS has been tested by the UK's national measurement institute, the
National Physical Laboratory (NPL), with its performance
subsequently verified by an EU Environmental Technology Verification
(ETV) pilot program. Greengage Lighting Ltd. says this shows that
ALIS gives a high luminosity for low power consumption through a
safe current.
AgriLamp says its bulbs are significantly more energy efficient than
all other traditional bulbs and energy saving bulbs such as CFLs
(compact fluorescent lamp) and halogen bulbs. While the LED lamps
cost slightly more to buy, AgriLamp says the savings over time
vastly outweigh the initial cost.
At Woodcock Farm, however, it was the effect it had on the happiness
of the brood that was most enlightening.
"The difference between outside and inside is a lot more balanced.
So even inside when they're in the scratching areas; they're very
happy, they're scratching, natural behavior from there and they
enjoy it. Their eyesight is far better than ours and so they must be
clearly enjoying it because they can see better," said farmer Andrew
Watson.
"And if the chickens are happy, I'm happy - it wins for everybody."
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
