Poultry Lighting:
LED Bulbs Provide Energy Savings and Durability
01 August 2012
Tips on the best use of LED lighting for poultry from Professor Susan Watkins, Extension Poultry Specialist at the University of Arkansas.
Lighting significantly impacts poultry production. Too little lighting during brooding or too much during grow–out can result in lost performance and profits. Solid side wall, tunnel–ventilated poultry barns are more energy efficient to operate but do require artificial lighting sources. The expense of lighting a poultry barn with 60–watt incandescent bulbs can be as much as 30 to 40 per cent of the electrical operating cost (US$100 to $250 per flock or barn, depending on barn size and flock age to market). Therefore, lighting improvements should not only be beneficial for the birds but also energy efficient to minimize production costs.
Examples of LED bulbs for poultry lighting
Bulb photo credits: Luma Vue bulb (left), NextGen bulb (right) Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) are commonly used as replacements for incandescent lighting. While this source can save as much as 60 per cent of the lighting cost compared to incandescent bulbs, industry wide, CFL bulbs in poultry barns experience high failure rates due to bulb sensitivity to power fluctuations. A second common problem with CFL bulbs is dirt accumulation on the spirals which reduces bulb lumen light output, plus the bulbs naturally lose light output over time (lamp lumen depreciation, LLD). The bulbs also contain mercury, which is considered an environmental risk factor, so they require special disposal procedures. Cold cathode compact fluorescent bulbs (CCFL) are a second energy–efficient light source, but they are also sensitive to power fluctuations, contain mercury and lose light output over time.
LED, light–emitting diodes, have entered the market for poultry production in the last three years. LED technology involves light emitting from electrons, and this light source is now being used in broiler, turkey, layer and breeder production facilities with success. When brood lighting is adequate, bird performance with LED bulbs is proving to be as good as, if not better than, performance under traditional light sources. The LEDs are 80 to 85 per cent more efficient than incandescent bulbs, and the well–designed technologies have had no failures and are maintaining 70 to 80 per cent of their light output two years after installation in broiler barns. Since this technology is a growing field with new bulbs hitting the market at a rapid rate, poultry producers interested in LEDs should do their homework before purchasing.
Tips on the best use of LED lighting for poultry from Professor Susan Watkins, Extension Poultry Specialist at the University of Arkansas.
Lighting significantly impacts poultry production. Too little lighting during brooding or too much during grow–out can result in lost performance and profits. Solid side wall, tunnel–ventilated poultry barns are more energy efficient to operate but do require artificial lighting sources. The expense of lighting a poultry barn with 60–watt incandescent bulbs can be as much as 30 to 40 per cent of the electrical operating cost (US$100 to $250 per flock or barn, depending on barn size and flock age to market). Therefore, lighting improvements should not only be beneficial for the birds but also energy efficient to minimize production costs.
Examples of LED bulbs for poultry lighting
Bulb photo credits: Luma Vue bulb (left), NextGen bulb (right) Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) are commonly used as replacements for incandescent lighting. While this source can save as much as 60 per cent of the lighting cost compared to incandescent bulbs, industry wide, CFL bulbs in poultry barns experience high failure rates due to bulb sensitivity to power fluctuations. A second common problem with CFL bulbs is dirt accumulation on the spirals which reduces bulb lumen light output, plus the bulbs naturally lose light output over time (lamp lumen depreciation, LLD). The bulbs also contain mercury, which is considered an environmental risk factor, so they require special disposal procedures. Cold cathode compact fluorescent bulbs (CCFL) are a second energy–efficient light source, but they are also sensitive to power fluctuations, contain mercury and lose light output over time.
LED, light–emitting diodes, have entered the market for poultry production in the last three years. LED technology involves light emitting from electrons, and this light source is now being used in broiler, turkey, layer and breeder production facilities with success. When brood lighting is adequate, bird performance with LED bulbs is proving to be as good as, if not better than, performance under traditional light sources. The LEDs are 80 to 85 per cent more efficient than incandescent bulbs, and the well–designed technologies have had no failures and are maintaining 70 to 80 per cent of their light output two years after installation in broiler barns. Since this technology is a growing field with new bulbs hitting the market at a rapid rate, poultry producers interested in LEDs should do their homework before purchasing.