The poultry industry and their growers have always set the pace for advancements in agriculture. From tunnel barns to computerized systems; the industry has continually searched for innovative ideas to save money and energy. With so much of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) monies being allocated to energy improvements and lessening our impact on the environment, it seems natural that the poultry industry would again be at the forefront. Reducing energy consumption and costs for poultry growers by replacing incandescent bulbs in poultry houses with dimmable, high-intensity LED (light emitting diode) bulbs are becoming one popular way to make changes in lighting, and save money.
Dr. Susan Watkins, University of Arkansas Extension Poultry Specialist has been evaluating the effect of LED lighting in poultry houses. She said, “We aren’t quite ready to release our results on the project, but we are seeing an 80 percent reduction in lighting usage compared to incandescent bulbs.” LED bulbs can be expensive, but with an 80 percent reduction in lighting usage, pay back for a producer should be rather quick even without government funding. During the first step of the trial, Dr. Watkins is working in conjunction with all the live production managers of Arkansas who nominated a producer to participate in the initial evaluation of which bulbs work best under different applications.
How are LEDs capable of such energy savings?
LED bulbs that are the equivalent of a 25 to 35 watt incandescent bulb only use about .7 watts. LEDs are capable of using so much less electricity because incandescent bulbs use a filament that must be heated to produce light. They generate a lot of heat using electricity that is not used to produce light. LED bulbs don’t have filaments that require heat, so they don’t waste energy heating the filament.
Eighty percent energy savings is exciting, but there are also other reasons for producers to be interested in LED technology. Compact fluorescent bulbs that have a longer life and use less power than incandescent bulbs became the standard for a time. However, as low intensity lighting programs became popular, producers made the switch back to incandescent bulbs because most fluorescent bulbs do not have the capability to be dimmed. Unlike fluorescent bulbs LEDs are dimmable.
Producers who have multiple barns and, many times other jobs, are also always challenged for time to get all their chores complete before the end of the day. LED bulbs can be a real time saver. Common incandescent bulbs have a life from 750 to 2,000 hours, while an LED bulb has an average life of 100,000 hours. That is over 11 years of continuous use, and a whole lot less ladder climbing. LED bulbs are also smaller than other bulbs and are protected by a hard plastic shell. These combine to make them less susceptible to damage that can happen when you’re moving a flock or cleaning out a barn.
Last but certainly not least are the animal welfare benefits that are associated with LED lighting. Growers are all concerned with the welfare of their birds. All growers know that healthy, happy birds are less prone to disease. Flourescent lighting has long come with concerns since the lights can produce an excessive degree of infra-red light, which has been linked to bird on bird aggression and feather pecking. LED bulbs significantly reduce the levels of infra-red light emissions. They can be fully dimmed and the heat emitted is 50 percent less than from conventional bulbs. In studies of bird behavior, there have been no detrimental side effects seen when using LED bulbs, and many studies have noted positive effects in bird behavior. In yet another step for the industry, you have all of these positive ramifications associated with LEDs while saving a substantial amount in lighting power costs. Combine that with funding from the USDA to allow some growers to switch over to the new technology more quickly, and you’ve got one giant leap for bird kind.
Stephanie Burroughs is an analyst with Cargill Turkey Production, LLC.
