Improving poultry egg production

• US 4,625,728 A
• Filed: 02/06/1984
• Issued: 12/02/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edward B. Hunter
• Original Assignee: Michael Schonberg
• Inventors: Schonberg, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max F.
• Application Number:
  US06/577,431
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 128/23, 128/24.1, 128/303.1, 128/362, 128/395-398, 128/633, 128/634, 604/20, 119/1, 119/21, 252/301.4 R, 313/486, 362/1, 362/2, 362/32, 362/84, 362/260
• US Class Current: 119/6.8
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/00 Botany in general
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 45/00 Other aviculture appliances, e.g. devices for determining whether a bird is about to lay
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0618 Psychological treatment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses

Abstract

A method of improving egg production in poultry by irradiating poultry with energy levels, the first one of which is within a wavelength band of 600 to 670 nanometers and is delivered at a rate of at least 10¹³ quanta/second/cm², and, in the case where this first radiation is less than 10¹³ quanta/second/cm², at least 75% of the total delivered energy is within the first wavelength band. The second radiation energy level is within a wavelength band of 400 to 600 nanometers and is delivered at a rate of at least 10¹⁴ quanta/second/cm², and, in the case where this second radiation is less than 10¹⁴ quanta/second/cm², at least 80% of the total delivered energy is within the wavelength band of 400-600 nanometers. The invention also includes a control of the time during which the irradiation is delivered.

Claims

1. A method for improving egg production in poultry comprising:

irradiating said poultry with a first radiation comprising a green radiation within a wavelength band of 400 to 600 nanometers until said poultry have attained proper body weight for sexual development to proceed;

said green radiation being delivered to said poultry at a rate of at least 10¹⁴ quanta/second/cm² or, if said green radiation is delivered at a rate of less than 10¹⁴ quanta/second/cm², said green radiation comprising at least 80% of said first radiation; and

subsequently irradiating said poultry with a second radiation comprising a near-red radiation within a wavelength band of 600 to 670 nanometers;

said near-red radiation being delivered to said poultry at a rate of at least 10¹³ quanta/second/cm² or, if said near-red radiation is delivered at a rate of less than 10¹³ quanta/second/cm², said near-red radiation comprising at least 75% of said second radiation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said second radiation comprises at least a preponderence of said near-red radiation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the source of said second radiation is a first fluorescent light and at least 75% of said second radiation is said near-red radiation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said second radiation from said second fluorescent light has a spectral distribution with no more than about 1% of its radiation with a wavelength greater than about 700 nanometers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said near-red radiation is within a wavelength band of 620 to 670 nanometers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said second fluorescent light comprises a phosphor of magnesium fluorogermanate having a fluorescence peaking at a wavelength of about 650 nanometers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the source of said first radiation is a first fluorescent light and at least 80% of said first radiation is said green radiation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said first fluorescent light comprises a phosphor of cerium terbium magnesium aluminate having a fluorescence peaking at a wavelength of about 544 nanometers.