Effect of LED flicker on the welfare, health, productivity, and condemnation levels in turkey hens reared to 11 weeks

随着加拿大农场白炽灯的淘汰，家禽生产商已经转向其他照明解决方案。由于其出色的能效、单色照明的可用性和寿命，大多数人将重点放在发光二极管系统(LED)上。然而，在许多情况下，当使用这些LED照明系统时，谷仓中会出现闪烁(灯光亮度的快速连续变化)。这可能是由于不正确的能源电压、灯泡选择或不兼容的调光系统。这种闪烁可能会对家禽物种的健康、福利和生产力产生负面影响，因此可能是加拿大家禽业的一个担忧。特别是，加拿大生产商表示有兴趣确定闪烁对鸟类行为的影响。显著的闪烁可能会增加反复无常的行为，并导致抓痕、疾病水平和禽群谴责的增加，导致鸟类福祉和生产力的显著下降。因此，这项拟议的研究旨在提供科学证据，以确定闪烁是否对火鸡的生产力、健康或福利产生负面影响。每个治疗总共8个房间的重复(高闪烁与低闪烁)将在2个试验中进行测试。收集的数据将包括体重增加、饲料摄入量和效率、一致性、死亡率水平和原因、行为、压力水平、恐惧反应、活动能力、脚垫健康、划痕和谴责。由于了解动物福利已成为我们社会许可证的重要组成部分，因此了解管理实践的影响，如使用LED照明，对于确保消费者对畜牧业的信任至关重要。据我们所知，文献中没有关于闪烁的LED灯对火鸡生产或福祉的影响的科学研究。这项拟议的研究将解决这一知识差距，并帮助加拿大生产商对其谷仓的照明系统做出明智的决定。

With the elimination of incandescent lights for use Canadian farms, poultry producers have moved towards other lighting solutions. Because of their excellent energy efficiency, availability for monochromatic lighting, and longevity, most focus on light efficient diode systems (LED). In many cases however, a flicker (rapid continuous changes in light brightness) occurs in barns when these LED lighting systems are utilized. This may be due to improper energy voltage, bulb choice or incompatible dimming systems. This flickering may have negative implications on the health, welfare, and productivity of poultry species and therefore may be a concern for the Canadian poultry industry. In particular, Canadian producers have expressed an interest in determining the impact of flicker on bird behaviour. Significant flicker may increase erratic behaviour and lead to increases in scratches, disease levels, and condemnations in flocks, resulting in significant declines in bird well-being and productivity. Therefore, the proposed research aims to provide scientific evidence to identify whether or not flicker has negative implications on turkey hen productivity, health or welfare. A total of 8 rooms replications per treatment (high vs low flicker) will be tested in 2 trials. Data collected will include body weight gain, feed intake and efficiency, uniformity, level and cause of mortality, behaviour, stress levels, fear response, mobility, footpad health, scratches, and condemnations. Since understanding animal welfare has become a large component of our social license, understanding the impact of management practices, such as using LED lighting, is essential to ensure consumer trust in animal agriculture. To our knowledge, no scientific research exists in the literature regarding the effect of flickering LED light on turkey production or well-being. The proposed research will address this gap in knowledge and help Canadian producers make informed decisions about the lighting systems in their barns.