Effects of Ultraviolet Light Supplementation on Pekin Duck Production Behavior and Welfare

摘要

Ducks, like other poultry species, have the ability to see in the ultraviolet (UV) portion of the light spectrum; however, very little research has explored how UV lighting affects Pekin duck welfare. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine how providing supplementary UV light in a UV-deficient environment could affect production parameters and behavior. Pekin ducks were reared under either light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs with supplemental UV light (UV) or just LED bulbs (control). The results from this study indicate that Pekin ducks reared under UV light have both lower acute and chronic stress susceptibility and lower fear responses. It was also found that eye morphology can be manipulated with UV light exposure. There were no treatment differences in production parameters such as growth, feed efficiency, tibial mineral composition, visual gait score, or stride length. The results of this study demonstrate the necessity of UV light exposure in duck growout settings and emphasize the need for correct artificial lighting in the poultry industry.