Light management in broiler chicken houses affects growth rates, activity levels, and welfare outcomes, with extended dark periods improving rest and reducing leg problems in fast-growing birds.
Lighting management in broiler production illustrates how relatively low-cost interventions can improve welfare outcomes for billions of birds. Continuous or near-continuous lighting that maximizes feed intake and growth rate comes at welfare cost: sleep deprivation, leg disorders from continuous activity on growing skeletal frames, and heightened fearfulness. Providing adequate dark periods for rest — now legally required across the EU — improves leg health and reduces chronic stress without major production losses. Higher-welfare broiler standards go further, requiring natural light access and additional dark periods beyond regulatory minimums.