NB: as of 5% lay, 1 hr or 1 hr 30 min of night lighting may be worth adding.
Regarding light stimulation it is very important to keep in mind the following points:
-
-
Effective stimulation is always difficult when the natural day-length is near its longest
Light stimulation is more effective when light is added in the morning rather than in the
evening.
Transferring the birds from a semi-dark rearing house to a windowed house can bring about an
advanced sexual maturity. Under these conditions, there is an increased risk of having light birds at
the point of light stimulation. To have an effective lighting programme and to reduce this risk, in these
situations we recommend working with a light intensity of 40 lux as a minimum in rearing.
Transferring the birds from an open or semi-dark house to a dark laying house slows down the sexual
development of the chicken and causes a delay in the onset of lay. Under these conditions, it is
necessary to keep a light duration and intensity equivalent to the day-length at the time of transfer and
gradually adjust the light intensity after transfer.