CAMBRIDGE A new LED light bulb called AgriLux could help chickens lay more eggs. A University of Guelph study found that the average laying hen increased production by nine to 19 eggs a year when AgriLux was used. This means that a farm with 28,000 laying hens the average sized of a commercial flock in Ontario could increase production by as much as 252,000 to 532,000 eggs per year. The lighting also led to calmer birds, and did not increase their appetites despite laying more eggs. The research showed that laying hens react differently to different light sources and that hens brains react more favourably to the red spectrum. However, many of these types of lights arent energy efficient. The bulbs are available at www.agrilux.ca for $44 to $49 each.
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