Improving Productivity With Automated Poultry Lighting
Jan 8, 2024
Automated lighting helps maintain the amount of light your chickens get during the shorter days of the year, making this a must for poultry farms to keep a consistent supply for demand.
Does this facility upgrade actually increase productivity? In this blog we’ll cover the health benefits, the types of lighting systems, and the advantages it brings for your overall return in investment.
The Role of Lighting for Poultry Farmers
Poultry house lighting helps sustain healthy poultry year-round. During winter, automated lighting is especially important, as it can help stimulate growth in chicks as well as brooders at a time when natural light is less abundant.
Here are other reasons adequate lighting is important for productivity:
●Egg Production: Setting your lights on a schedule helps continue the output of eggs.
●Healthy Growth: Lighting helps set the tone for proper growth and development of chicks.
●Safe Environment: Tension between your poultry is reduced leading to less aggressive chickens improving the mortality rate.
●Nutrition: Proper lighting helps regulate your poultries water and food consumption, lowering the chances of over/under eating.
Which Lighting System is Best for Your Poultry?
With advancements in lighting, there are many options for your poultry farm, below are the common lighting systems:
●Incandescent Light Bulbs: Your standard, commonly used lighting system. One characteristic about this source is that this isn’t as energy efficient as the other choices. The lifespan, too, is typically shorter than Fluorescent or LED lighting.
●Fluorescent Lighting: A pricier option than incandescent but requires less lamps to cover a specific area for your poultry, making this option more energy efficient.
●LED Lighting:The use of LED lighting has grown in popularity for farmers because of energy efficacy and savings that comes with it.
Need to update your poultry lighting systems? Shop our full inventory of light bulbs and fixtures today!
Further Precision: Poultry Light Dimmers
The integration of poultry light dimmers into automated systems represents a significant leap in precision and efficiency. Dimmers play a crucial role in fine-tuning the lighting environment, which is vital for optimizing poultry health and productivity.
●Mimicking Natural Light Patterns: These dimmers can simulate natural sunrise and sunset patterns, ensuring a more natural and less stressful environment for the poultry. This feature is crucial in maintaining the circadian rhythms of the birds, thereby enhancing their overall well-being.
●Additional Energy Efficiency: Dimmers contribute to significant energy savings. This efficiency is particularly beneficial in large-scale operations, where energy costs are a major concern.
●Reduced Stress and Aggression: Proper lighting, achieved through dimming, can reduce stress and aggressive behavior in poultry.
Integration into Automation Systems
Dimmers can be remotely controlled and adjusted, providing farmers with real-time data and the ability to make immediate changes as needed. This integration not only saves time but also ensures a consistently optimal environment for poultry production.
Automation also allows for realistic lighting environments, with light cycles that mimic the optimal day and night cycles for growth or egg production.
Shop the latest in dimmers and automated light systems at Farmer Boy. See our inventory of dimmer switches and systems available online.
Advantages of Automated Lighting
Adding automated lighting to your poultry farm provides a number of benefits that surpass traditional lighting. Below are a few ways that can help you save time, and money:
●Lighting Programs: An automated lighting schedule provides your chickens with lighting that mimics natural daylight conditions and can be further customized to the different needs at each stage of poultry growth. Automated schedules therefore help with the overall health and stress levels of your poultry.
●Reduces Labor Costs: Automation helps cut down managing time schedules. Outside of routine maintenance and minimal oversight, an automated lighting system allows for the reallocation of labor to other tasks, like animal health checks.
●Decreases Energy Usage: When paired with modern lighting technology like LEDs, automation can vastly reduce your energy costs, helping save significant funds that can be reinvested into additional technology upgrades.
●Data Collection and Analysis: Many automated systems come with the ability to collect and analyze data on the lighting and its effects, helping farmers make informed decisions and adjustments for improved productivity.
●Consistent Light Distribution: These systems ensure consistent light distribution across the poultry house, eliminating dark spots that could negatively affect the birds' behavior and well-being.
Selecting the Right Lighting System for Your Poultry Farm
Making the right investment into your lighting system on your poultry farm will not only save you money, but can increase productivity across your farm. Explore our latest electrical and lighting inventory today to find the needs for your latest farming needs.
If you need assistance finding the right lighting for your poultry farm, please give our team a call at 1-800-845-3374.