Is light necessary during brooding? And, what impact would the sun rays have on chicken?
Answer: Yes, it is, because it helps the chicks see the feeds and water. Light must be provided for the first three days of brooding. This means that as the sun goes down, you need to light an artificial source of light and put it in the brooder. You need at least five bulbs for a house with 500 chicks or at least three lanterns for 500 chicks.
Then, direct sun rays into a poultry house lead to an increase in temperature inside the house, which leads to failure of the chicken to lay eggs. The heat can easily make the eggs go bad even before they are picked.
Secondly, high temperatures make chicken eat less, hence reducing productivity. Some of the chicken will scramble from the sun rays, hence leading to a stampede, which may cause death through suffocation.
