15/01/2026
*DARK TIME FOR BROILERS FROM CHICK TO MATURITY*
You can start introducing a short dark period to your broilers after the first 24 to 72 hours. The initial continuous light helps them find food and water, but incorporating darkness early helps establish a natural circadian rhythm, which is important for overall health and development.
schedule incorporating 4-6 hours of darkness daily from a few days old improves growth, health, and reduces leg issues by allowing rest and recovery
*LIGHTING PROGRAM SCHEDULE FOR BROILER*
broiler chicks and grown broilers absolutely need darkness to make immune function (melatonin production), and proper development
✅ Day 0-3: Provide 23 to 24 hours of light daily to ensure chicks can easily locate feed and water.
✅ Day 4-7: Introduce 1 hour of darkness, working up to a minimum of 4 hours of darkness by day 5-7.
✅ Week 2-4: Gradually increase the dark period to 4-6 hours per 24-hour cycle (18-20 hours of light).
✅ Week 5 to market: Maintain a schedule of 16-18 hours of light and 6-8 hours of darkness.
*BENEFIT OF DARK TIME TO BROILERS*🐔
Dark time has several benefit for the overall growth, health and performance of your broiler... Here are some benefit👇👇👇👇
*IMPROVED HEALTH*
Darkness allows for the production of melatonin, a hormone vital for immune function and stress reduction.
*BETTER BONE DEVELOPMENT*
The rest period helps prevent leg problems and skeletal disorders often associated with continuous, rapid growth.
*FEED EFFICIENCY*
Chickens learn to adjust their eating habits to the light periods, which can lead to better feed conversion later on.
*REDUCED MORTALITY*
Studies have shown lower mortality rates in flocks provided with an adequate dark period compared to those under continuous light.
*REST AND RECOVERY*
Like humans, birds need rest to build stronger bones, muscles, and recover from activity.
*BEHAVIOR*
Darkness helps establish natural day/night cycles, improving feeding patterns and reducing sudden death syndrome.
