Nufarmer Africa
Chicken Production – Management
Lighting in the poultry house
The lighting requirements of broilers change as
they get older. For the first few days the chickens need fairly intense light in order to find the
feeders and water dishes. As they get older, the
light must be dimmed as it keeps the chickens
calmer. Provide 20 lux at floor level for the first
four days and then reduce it to 10 – 15 lux.
From 15 days the lights should be dimmed to
1,5 – 2,5 lux at floor level in closed houses and
three to four lux in open houses. Do not dim
the lights to less than three or four lux in an
open house as the chickens’ eyes will not be
able to adjust properly from the bright daylight
to such a dim light.
If a house does not have a dimmer switch,
the light intensity can be reduced by removing globes. This requires a little planning in the
layout of the lights.
The diagram gives guidelines on how far
apart lights should be placed to give the correct light intensity.
Do not use bulbs that are stronger than 60
watts. With a smaller number of stronger bulbs,
the chickens are inclined to huddle t