Chickens are extremely light-sensitive. In addition to using their eyes to see, they also have a photoreceptor in their hypothalamus gland that allows them to see through the chicken's thinner sections of the skull. A chicken is instructed to lay eggs by light. When there are 14 hours of daylight each day, hens start producing more of the hormones that promote egg production. As this is typically the best period to lay eggs for hatching chicks, this peaks when there are 16 hours of daylight each day. The chicks can then mature during the summer and become robust before the coming of winter. While most traditional breeds require a few days to absorb enough sunlight to start egg production in the winter's gloom, several modern varieties have been created to continue laying large numbers of eggs throughout the season. Fortunately, we can supply artificial light to the chickens to keep them stimulated and producing well even throughout the winter thanks to the conveniences of electricity.

Species of Light

Large poultry businesses occasionally take part in studies to learn how to increase their egg production while maintaining the health of their chicks. The majority of recent research compare LED illumination to fluorescent lighting. Since incandescent lighting is rarely used in major operations, they don't compare it. For them to care whether there is a tiny variation in egg-laying capacity, incandescent costs too much in contrast. These comparisons between LED (light-emitting diode) and fluorescent lights demonstrate that when comparing lights with the same colour spectrum, there is little to no difference in egg yield. In one study, it was discovered that hens were slightly more likely to pick at their feathers whereas in another, it was discovered that chickens were more relaxed. Due to hens' extreme sensitivity to light, it is thought that even the tiny flashing of fluorescent lights may have irritated them, which is the theory behind their greater quiet.

Color of Light

A laying hen's reaction to monochromatic light, or light that only has one colour, was compared in some extremely fascinating research using LED lights. The "white" light that we associate with the sun and want to replicate in our light bulbs is actually a combination of all the colours. The researchers carefully measured egg size, shape, nutritional content, and output in various hen houses with LED lights set to green, red, blue, or white. It was discovered that the hens solely exposed to green light developed eggshells that were more robust. Eggs laid by hens under blue light become increasingly rounded. Comparatively, the group exposed to white light produced the biggest eggs, whereas the group exposed to red light produced smaller eggs but with a higher yield. The eggs' nutritional qualities did not differ much from one another. According to other studies, additional light for hens must be in the "warm" spectrum and contain at least as much red as the other colours combined, if not more.