Light management in poultry houses affects sleep, activity levels, growth, and health in broiler and laying hen flocks. Getting it right is essential for both welfare and performance.
Light management is a deceptively simple welfare lever with significant impacts. Providing at least 6 hours of darkness per day allows poultry to sleep and recover, reducing chronic fatigue and its associated immune and physical health consequences. Continuous lighting — previously standard in some fast-growth broiler systems — is now recognised as a welfare violation, causing sleep deprivation, eye damage, and elevated leg disorder rates. Gradual light dimming before dark periods reduces startle responses and injury risk. Appropriate spectrum and intensity affect foraging behaviour, fear responses, and aggression. Light management is low-cost and often overlooked as a welfare intervention, making it a high-impact opportunity for improvement across the sector.