Interreg

Germany and the Netherlands are global pioneers in the field of progressive legislation with regard to animal welfare. Recent studies have illustrated the problem with undesirable behavior (e.g. feather pecking and cannibalism) in modern poultry management systems and the dramatic decrease in the quality of the animals’ lives. Experts and scientists are of the opinion that innovative lighting, based on modern LED technology, can positively influence the majority of these problems. The use of lamps in livestock farming is based on the human need for light. However, the human’s and bird’s perception of light differs considerably. The challenge then is to develop artificial light sources based on the type specific cognitive memory and – as has already been asked in the German animal protection livestock regulation – to alter artificial lighting in poultry barns in such a manner that it resembles as closely as possible to natural light. This project embraces a broad scrutiny into the optimal lighting configuration in order to tackle the ongoing problems by means of an opportunely solution. The project shall provide for the development of an optimal lighting system of which the application is to be particularly suitable to various poultry species.