Intermittent Lighting Improves the Efficiency of Artificial Insemination in Cage Housed Laying Hens
Kavtarashvili A.Sh., Kolokolnikova T.N.
Federal Scientific Center “All-Russian Research and Technological Poultry Institute” of Russian Academy of Sciences
Omsk Agrarian Scientific Center
Summary: The effects of different lighting regimes on the oviposition schedule, productive performance, and reproductive efficiency in cage housed laying hens of layer parental flock (Hisex White-R) were studied; the reasonable regime of artificial insemination (AI) under intermittent lighting is proposed. It was found that intermittent lighting regime 1L:4D:4L:1D:4L:10D compared to the constant lighting significantly alters oviposition schedule: under this regime 82.3% of all daily eggs were laid until 9 am (vs. 66.6% in control). This regime and AI at 10 am improved the productive and reproductive performance compared to control (constant lighting 16L:8D and AI at 12 am): mortality by 1.9%, egg production per initial hen by 3.8%, egg weight by 1.1%, percentage of eggs suitable for incubation by 1.9%, egg fertility by 0.9%, hatchability by 2.3%, hatch of chicks by 2.9%, feed conversion ratio (kg of feed per 10 eggs) by 5.3%, the expenses of electric energy for lighting (per 1000 eggs suitable for incubation) by 54.5%.
Key words: INTERMITTENT LIGHTING, CAGE HOUSED LAYERS, ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION (AI), OVIPOSITION SCHEDULE, AI TIMING, PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE, REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE
