Effect of some light sources on broiler chickens performance under Assiut conditions, Egypt

This study aimed to compare the effect of three different light sources on the growth performance and carcass quality of broiler chickens. Birds were wing banded, individually weighed and randomly assigned to three experimental groups, each including three equal replicates each of 15 chicks. Birds in groups 1, 2 and 3 were exposed to light emitted from incandescent (INC), saving (SAV) and Light Emitting Diodes (LED) lamps, respectively. The studied traits included (BW), (BWG), mortality rate, (FC), (FCR), carcass traits and the economic efficiency. The average BW of broilers in (T2) was significantly higher (P≤0.05) at 2, 4, 5 and 6 weeks than those of birds in (T1) and the (control). The best average of the all experimental period FCR7 g (1.71) was recorded in T2 improving significantly (P≤0.05) than those 1.78 and 1.83 g of (T1) and the (control), respectively. In the same group, (T2) significantly (P≤0.05) increased the percentages of Carcass, Gizzard, Liver, Heart, Spleen, Giblets and dressing than those of the birds in (T1) and the control. Economically, the use of (LED) as lighting source decreased the costs of the lighting program by about 82.87% compared with the (INC) control. The results of this study indicated that the using of (LED) is highly recommended in the broiler production to achieve the best possible profit, especially with the progressive increase in the prices of feed ingredients and power cost.