Preference of Broiler Chicken for Different Light Colors in Relation to  Age, Session of the Day and Behavior

Preference (PR) of broilers (Cobb) for four different Light Colors (LC); red  [RD], white [WT], green [GN] and blue [BL]; 5 W at 20 lux were tested on group level at 3- 5 wks of age (AG) in the morning (MN), evening (EV) and night (NT) sessions of the day  (SD). Six replicates of 5 birds were each allowed to move freely between 4 compartments  illuminated continuously with a 4 hr light break. After one day of habituation to the test pen,  location and behavior of birds were recorded once every 15 min. over 18 hrs/week. Twenty,  mutually exclusive behaviors were assessed. Up to 21 days, no special PR was recorded.  During the 3^rd week, significantly high (p<0.05) PR was recorded (29.42 %±7.07) in RD  while GN recorded the least (5.75 %±6.98) in the NT. At 4 th  week also the highest (33.33  %±21.6) and the lowest (9.44 %±13.35) PRs were recorded in RD and GN, respectively.  During 14-21 days, the  highest eating [ET](18.34 %±10.99) was recorded by BL, drinking  [DR](12.16 %±2.13) and scratching floor[SF](4.9 %±5.5) by WT in the NT; walking (27.76  %±25.25) and bird interaction [(BI](2.5 %±6.1) by RD and BL, respectively in the MN;  lying[LY](58.42 %±19.45) by WT, wing flapping[WF](1.7 %±4.2) by BL, and  sleeping[SL](18.88 %±21.5) by RD in the EV. During 4^th week LC had an interaction effect  (IE) with SD on walking, dust bathing (DB), wing/leg stretching (WLS) and SF.  LC and SD  separately had a significant (p<0.05) effect on ET and SL where DR only influenced by LC.  At 5 th  week only ET, DR, LY and DB had an IE while WF was only affected by LC. Above  results have shown that certain behaviors changed with the LC, AG, SD and their IE where  standing and BI significantly decreased with the AG. These results support the notion that  broilers prefer RD LC in the NT  under tropical environment. There sensitivity for LCs could  be seen only after 21 days. RD and WT LCs are prefered more than the BL and GN.  Associated Behaviors were significantly affected by the LC, SD and AG.

Tropical Agricultural Research Vol. 23 (3): 193 – 203 (2012)

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/tar.v23i3.4657