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By Dr. Susan Watkins and Susan Sullivan , Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and Cooperative Extension Service
Utilisation of solid side wall barns in the broiler industry provides a more uniform environment for rearing broilers, but does increase electrical costs associated with lighting as compared to traditional open sided barns. An energy audit in 2006 conducted by Phil Watkins, (American Electric Power, AEP) of the renovated Applied Broiler Research Farm (ABRF) of the University of Arkansas, indicated that replacing 40 bulbs that were 60 watt incandescent bulbs with energy efficient lighting such as 8 watt cold cathodes or 15 watt compact fluorescent bulbs, resulted in a 66% saving in lighting energy usage in a six week growing period and 75% lighting energy saving for an eight week grow-out when 52 of the 60 watt incandescent bulbs were replaced.Many poultry producers have installed these more efficient technologies and while the savings are real, the frustrations associated with using these lamps include short life span of bulbs (sometimes barely lasting a flock) and significant loss of light output due to lamp lumen depreciation and dust accumulation particularly on the spiral compact fluorescent tube.
LED good alternative
Light emitting diodes or LED bulbs are not a new technology, but their use in poultry barns in the US has been limited until 2-3 years ago. Hailed as the light of the future for its energy efficiency and durability, they are steadily becoming the norm for lighting in schools, parking lots and other commercial settings, yet little data are available to determine if this more efficient yet expensive light has a place in poultry production barns.
Light emitting diodes or LED bulbs are not a new technology, but their use in poultry barns in the US has been limited until 2-3 years ago. Hailed as the light of the future for its energy efficiency and durability, they are steadily becoming the norm for lighting in schools, parking lots and other commercial settings, yet little data are available to determine if this more efficient yet expensive light has a place in poultry production barns.
Funding provided through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act was used for a demonstration of LED lighting on broiler farms in Arkansas. All lights demonstrated were first evaluated in one of the four solid side wall broiler houses at the ABRF unit where each house has three electrical meters: one for lights, one for fans and feed augers and a third meter measuring total electrical usage. Three different LED lamps were evaluated and energy savings was found to be 80% or more compared to incandescent bulbs and bird performance was not compromised.
On farm test
In the field demonstration, three LED bulbs, 10 watt, 3700 Kelvin, 400 lumen Next Gen Illumination bulbs (NG); 10 watt, 6000 Kelvin, 400 lumen Power Secure bulbs (PS); and 6.7 watt, 6000 Kelvin, 600 lumen Luma Vue (LV) bulbs were compared to the energy efficient lighting technology currently used by the industry which included 2700 Kelvin and 4100 Kelvin 8 watt, 325 lumen cold cathodes (2700KCC and 4100KCC, respectively), and 15 watt, 1100 lumen dimmable compact fluorescent lamps (DCFL). The target was to install each technology on three farms. All farms were also given the option to install 23 or 26 watt non-dimmable compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) for brood lights.
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| LED lighting has proved to have a high output and be very cost effective, such as this poultry LED of NextGen. |
The higher wattage and higher lumen CFL was used in the high ceiling houses with the lower wattage targeted towards the drop ceiling houses. Two of the farms kept their existing brood lights of 150 watt sodiums or tube fluorescents. The majority of the participants were using 100 watt incandescent bulbs for brooding and 60 watt incandescent bulbs for grow lights which were dimmed on schedules provided by their integrators.
Different weights
The 19 demonstration farms were selected by the 16 participating broiler complexes and represented different bird slaughter weights ranging from 3.6 to 9.5 pounds and grow-out cycles ranging from 37 to 66 days. Eight farms grow 5 to 6.5 pound average bird weights with 44-58 day grow-out cycles, seven farms grow 6 to 9.5 pound average bird weights with grow-out cycles of 47-64 days and the remaining two farms grow 3.6 to 4.55 pound average bird weights with 37-43 day grow-out cycles.
The 19 demonstration farms were selected by the 16 participating broiler complexes and represented different bird slaughter weights ranging from 3.6 to 9.5 pounds and grow-out cycles ranging from 37 to 66 days. Eight farms grow 5 to 6.5 pound average bird weights with 44-58 day grow-out cycles, seven farms grow 6 to 9.5 pound average bird weights with grow-out cycles of 47-64 days and the remaining two farms grow 3.6 to 4.55 pound average bird weights with 37-43 day grow-out cycles.
The majority of participants were four house farms with one- three house farm; two- two house farms, one ten house farm and one six house farm. On the ten house farm, the NextGen Illumination LED was installed as grow bulbs in five houses (50 bulbs/house) and 23 watt CF for brood light (38/house) and the remaining five houses kept their existing 60 watt incandescent bulbs for grow lights and 100 watt incandescent bulbs for brooding.
On the six house farm, the Power Secure bulbs were installed in four houses (42/house) and 23 watt CF for brood light (20/house) and the remaining two houses kept their 60 watt incandescent bulbs for grow lighting and 100 watt incandescent bulbs for brood lighting.
Brood and grow lights
The majority of the houses in the demonstration had grow lights on 20 foot centres over the feed lines with brood bulbs located every 10 feet between the grow lights on the brood end of the house. A few houses had brood lights only in the centre of the house located on 20 foot centres. Participant farms shared two year production and energy usage data from prior to the installation of the new bulbs and have provided this data post installation for approximately 11-13 months for an average of six flocks with the longer grow-out cycles averaging four flocks to date.
The majority of the houses in the demonstration had grow lights on 20 foot centres over the feed lines with brood bulbs located every 10 feet between the grow lights on the brood end of the house. A few houses had brood lights only in the centre of the house located on 20 foot centres. Participant farms shared two year production and energy usage data from prior to the installation of the new bulbs and have provided this data post installation for approximately 11-13 months for an average of six flocks with the longer grow-out cycles averaging four flocks to date.
In addition, light intensity measurements at floor level was measured in a grid pattern every 10 feet down the length of the barn to the half house with eight readings taken across the barn at each 10 feet, from the sidewall to the outside drinker to the feed line then on the inside of the inside drinker line and then repeated on the opposite side. The readings were averaged to give an average foot candle of light for the barn. This was done for the existing bulbs then again after the new bulbs were installed and then after each flock was removed. This was done with brood and grow lights on which would represent brood light intensity and then brood lights were shut off and grow light intensity without dimming measured.
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Source: World Poultry, Vol. 27, No. 8, 2011
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