Rates of lay for broiler breeders reared to a body weight of 2.2 kg (4.8 lbs) and transferred from
8 hours to a final photoperiod of 11 hours (●), 12 hours (●) or 16 hours (●) at 20 weeks.
Broiler breeders maintained on 11 or 12 hours during the laying period have better egg production than
birds given a 16-hour day (Figure 14), however, on such short photoperiods, egg-laying will generally begin
before the lights come on (Figure 15), and this will increase the likelihood of eggs being laid on the floor.
Notwithstanding that 11 or 12 hours may be suitable for birds kept in cages, 13 or 14 hours may be better
recommendations for birds kept on the floor. In production units fitted with automatic nests the installation of
dim lights in the nest boxes set to come on 2 hours before the main house lights may be a practical solution
where early egg-laying is a problem.
Current research at the University of KwaZulu-Natal is looking at the responses to various photoperiods
between 11 and 14 hours to identify the most appropriate for use during the laying period.