An official website of the United States government.
The objective of our portion of the project is to study the effect of specific changes in the light and sound environment on the well being and production of chickens through measurements of their physiological and behavioral responses. Specifically, the effect of new technology lighting sources on chicken well being and produciton will be determined. The objective of the sound study is to determine if the sound environment (noise level and frequency) birds are being exposed to under commercial production conditions is approaching or exceeding damaging or distressing levels. A second aspect of the sound study is to record chicken vocalizations under commercial conditions to determine if they are making distress calls or vocalizations more often under one set of production conditions than another.
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Environmental variables such as light and noise may either ehance or adversly affect the growth and well being of poultry. The purpose of the project is to determine how newer lighting technologies affect poultry growth. The project will also measure the noise levels in poultry facilites and their effects on stress and distress vocalizations.
<P>
APPROACH: To study the effects of the light environment, chickens will be reared under new technology lighting, such as LED's, fiber optics, energy efficient fluorescent and electronic lamps that emit light at different wavelengths and intensities. Their responses will be compared to control birds reared under existing lighing systems. Sound levels in different commercial poultry facilities will be analyzed and compared to the hearing threshold curves of chickens to determine if the decibel level is approaching or exceeding damaging or distressing levels. Using autonomic brainstem response technology, new chicken hearing threshold curves will be developed. Chicken vocalizations will also be recorded and analyzed with pattern recognition software to determine if distress calls occur more often under certain conditions compared to others.