Broiler Chicken Lighting Programmes: Welfare Benefits of Appropriate Light Management

Lighting management in broiler chicken houses significantly affects bird welfare. Provision of adequate light intensity, appropriate dark periods, and natural light improves activity levels, health, and reduces leg disorders.

Key Facts

Conventional intensive broiler production often uses near-continuous low-intensity lighting (23 hours of light) to maximise feeding time and growth rate, at significant welfare cost
Broiler chickens kept under near-continuous light show higher rates of leg disorders, contact dermatitis, and eye problems compared to those given adequate dark periods
EFSA recommends a minimum of 6 hours of continuous darkness per 24-hour period for broiler welfare; higher welfare standards require 8 hours of darkness
Light intensity matters significantly: broilers kept under very dim light (below 20 lux) are less active, show more fear responses, and have higher rates of leg problems than those given brighter light (above 50 lux)
Natural light provision or enriched lighting (including UV-A wavelengths) improves broiler activity levels, reduces fearfulness, and enables more natural foraging and social behaviour
UK law requires minimum 6 hours darkness; EU Broiler Directive sets similar standards — but global production outside these jurisdictions often uses welfare-compromising lighting regimes
Dimmable LED lighting systems allow producers to provide diurnal light patterns at low cost, with evidence of improved welfare and sometimes reduced mortality

Welfare Considerations

Lighting is an often-overlooked but highly influential determinant of broiler welfare. The near-continuous light regimes historically used to maximise feed intake contribute directly to the physical inactivity and leg disorders that affect a significant proportion of commercial broilers. Chickens kept in dim, constant light are effectively living in a state of sensory deprivation — unable to engage in appropriate dawn/dusk behaviours or diurnal activity patterns. The welfare improvements from providing appropriate light periods and intensities are measurable, achievable at low cost, and represent a meaningful improvement in the daily experience of billions of birds raised annually in global poultry systems.

What You Can Do

Support broiler welfare certification schemes that require minimum light intensity standards (above 50 lux) and adequate dark periods
Choose higher-welfare chicken products from farms meeting European Chicken Commitment or equivalent standards
Advocate for global baseline broiler welfare regulations including lighting requirements to apply to all production destined for major markets
Ask your retailer or food service provider what broiler welfare standards their suppliers must meet, including lighting
Support research into the welfare benefits of UV-A supplemented lighting for broiler chickens
Encourage poultry producers to adopt dimmable LED lighting systems providing diurnal light patterns
Back campaigns by the Open Wing Alliance and Humane League for global adoption of the European Chicken Commitment