The influence of LED lighting on the physiology and behaviour of broiler chickens

家禽管理可对禽类生产和福利产生重大影响。我以前的研究集中在一些管理实践上，包括照明程序的使用（日长度）。这项工作现已在世界范围内实施，以提高鸟类福利和生产力。**** 2014年，加拿大自然资源部立法禁止使用白炽灯泡，白炽灯泡通常用于家禽饲养场。发光二极管灯泡是一个合理的替代品，因为它们操作起来不贵。尽管在过去两年中，研究集中在家禽对LED频率增加的反应上，但我们的知识仍然存在一些空白。例如，观察波长分级水平对褪黑激素生产的影响，以及褪黑激素对生产和福利参数的影响，只得到很少的关注。****为了解决这一差距，研究人员确定了四个具体的短期目标，比较了肉鸡在4种波长（475 nm[蓝色]、510 nm[绿色]、570 nm[黄色]和650 nm[红色]）下的反应。使用数据回归分析（在我发表的关于日长的四篇论文中使用），将推导因变量响应曲线。****目标包括：****目标1：我们将确定鸟类是否更喜欢一种波长。一个本科生将和我一起研究这一部分。****目标2：这项工作将有助于了解波长如何影响生产力特征，包括生长时间（对健康很重要）、死亡率和发病率水平、跛行、鸟类行为、肌肉产量、褪黑激素和生长激素（IGF-1）的产生。这部分将由一名博士生领导。****目的3：本研究将确定褪黑素的产生对肉鸡生长、健康和福利的影响。在这项独特的研究中，通过喂食外源性褪黑激素来改变血液中褪黑激素的水平，我们（由博士生领导）将确定褪黑激素是否会影响这些变量。****目标4：我之前关于白昼长度的工作已经在世界范围内被采用，因为通过改变每天的黑暗长度来提高福利和生产力。如果光的波长改变了到达鸟类大脑的光的数量，那么白天长度和波长之间可能存在相互作用。这部分工作将由硕士生领导。****总之，这项工作有可能发现肉仔鸡生产和行为反应变量之间的关系，并将它们与褪黑激素生产的潜在差异联系起来。作为一个完整的科学复制包，这项工作产生的出版物将帮助生产者决定选择光，并让消费者放心地了解他们的食物来自道德上负责任的生产系统。三名HQP在家禽福利和管理方面的培训将使加拿大家禽业在未来受益。******

Poultry management can have significant impacts on bird production and welfare. My previous research has focused on a number of management practices, including the use of lighting programs (daylength). This work has now been implemented world-wide to improve bird welfare and productivity.****In 2014, Natural Resources Canada legislated a ban on incandescent bulbs, commonly used in poultry barns. Light emitting diode bulbs are a logical replacement, as they are inexpensive to operate. Despite research focusing on poultry responses to LED's increasing in frequency in the last two years, some gaps in our knowledge remain. For example, looking at the impact of graded levels of wavelength on melatonin production, and the impact of melatonin on production and welfare parameters, has received only minimal attention.****To address this gap, four specific short-term objectives have been identified, comparing broiler responses under one of 4 light wavelengths (475 nm [blue], 510 nm [green], 570 nm [yellow] and 650 nm [red]). With use of data regression analysis (used in my four published works on daylength), dependant variable response curves will be derived.****The objectives include:****Objective 1: We will determine if birds prefer one wavelength over another. An undergraduate student will work with me on this section.****Objective 2: This work will facilitate understanding of how wavelength impacts productivity characteristics, including time of growth (important for health), mortality and morbidity levels, lameness, bird behaviour, muscle yield, melatonin and growth hormone (IGF-1) production. This section will be led by a Ph.D. student.****Objective 3: This work will determine the impact of melatonin production on growth, health and welfare of broilers. By altering blood melatonin levels via feeding exogenous melatonin in this unique study, we (led by Ph.D. student) will establish if melatonin impacts these variables.****Objective 4: My previous work with daylength has been adopted world-wide because of the improvements in welfare and productivity that are achieved by varying darkness length each day. If light wavelength alters the amount of light that reaches the brain of the bird, it is possible that an interaction between daylength and wavelength could exist. This work section will be led by the M.Sc. student.****In conclusion, this work has the potential to find relationships between production and behaviour response variables in broilers, and link them to potential differences in melatonin production. As a complete package with well-replicated science, the publications resulting from the work will aid producers in their decision of light choices, and provide consumers comfort in understanding their food comes from ethically responsible production systems. The training of three HQP in poultry welfare and management will benefit the Canadian poultry industry in the future.******