Poultry Lighting Welfare: How Light Affects Broiler and Layer Health

Lighting regimes in poultry housing profoundly affect bird welfare, influencing sleep, activity patterns, leg health, and eye development.

Key Facts

Continuous or near-continuous lighting in broiler houses was historically common to maximize feeding time and growth
Continuous lighting is associated with eye damage, chronic sleep deprivation, and behavioral frustration
Minimum dark periods of 6-8 hours per night are recommended by welfare scientists for broiler welfare
Lighting intensity affects fear responses, foraging behavior, and social interaction in poultry
Colored light environments, particularly blue light, can reduce aggressive pecking in laying hens

Welfare Considerations

Poultry lighting welfare has received growing research attention as evidence accumulates that near-continuous lighting causes measurable welfare harms. Broilers kept under constant light develop abnormal leg postures, reduced activity, and chronic sleep disruption. Providing appropriate dark periods allows recovery, reduces lameness rates, and improves immune function. Higher-welfare certification standards increasingly mandate minimum dark periods and appropriate light intensity. The industry shift toward natural or near-natural lighting regimes represents a significant welfare improvement at relatively low cost.

What You Can Do

Choose poultry products from higher-welfare certified farms with appropriate lighting standards
Advocate for mandatory minimum dark periods and natural lighting requirements in poultry welfare regulations
Support research into optimal lighting environments for different poultry species and production systems
Learn about the welfare differences between conventional and higher-welfare poultry production systems