Lighting conditions in broiler and layer houses profoundly affect bird welfare, with photoperiod, light intensity, and spectrum all influencing health, behavior, and stress levels.
Lighting management represents a powerful tool for broiler and layer welfare that is often underestimated by farmers focused on productivity metrics. Adequate dark periods are a biological necessity - chickens deprived of sufficient sleep develop chronic fatigue that compounds lameness and other welfare problems. Higher light intensities that allow normal visual behavior reduce fearfulness during handling. Natural light access, where available, appears to support multiple positive welfare outcomes. Advancing from compliance-based lighting standards to welfare-optimized lighting programs represents an achievable improvement for commercial poultry producers.