Original: Article from the Poultry Times WeChat Official Account

When the uniformity is poor, the situation becomes even more serious.

The increase in body weight (muscle mass in the chest) leads to a higher maintenance requirement, resulting in a decrease in output and poor maintenance.

Now, it is more preferable to add light later.

When the adding light gets later, the time to see the first egg will be a little later.

However, when the chicken lays its first egg, it is already in a more mature state.

Due to their small size, there are fewer eggs that can be hatched (less than 48 grams).

The time it takes for the chicken flock start to produce to reach its peak production level has also shortened.

The peak value is even higher, and the persistence after the peak is better.

In addition, the meat characteristics of modern broiler breeder rooster are more pronounced.

Adding light too early, even if the hens lay eggs, the roosters haven't reached the mating condition yet.

Adding light later can wait for the rooster.

The sexual maturity of roosters and hens occurs more synchronously.

Optimal Lighting Time

Why is 13-14 hours better?

Problems of 11-12 hours

1.The lighting duration is too short. The chickens start laying eggs before the lights are turned on.

2. More ground eggs, broken eggs and dirty eggs

3.At 60 weeks of age, the chicken flock was overweight (due to shorter light duration and less physical activity of the flock)

Problems of 15-16 hours

1.Poor egg-laying consistency

2. The sperm production of roosters has decreased.

3. Total egg production is lower

4. Requires higher maintenance energy

5. Low fertilization rate and hatching rate

Advantage of 13-14 hours

1.Achieve an egg production rate of 50% at a faster pace

2. Total number of eggs (total number of offspring) is higher

3. Compared to 11-12 hours of lighting, the chicken flock has more time for mating in the afternoon, resulting in higher fertilization rate and hatching rate.

For poultry breeding, the impact of a one-hour change in light duration on production may be difficult to notice on-site.

However, these suggestions have been verified through long-term and extensive practical experience.

The conclusion is that 14 hours is still acceptable.

But it is not advisable to exceed 14 hours.Additionally, 13.5 hours or even 13 hours can also be attempted.