When Light Makes a Difference: Insights from Two Italian Breeder Farms

Commercial observations from the Martini Group explore the relationship between lighting, bird behaviour, floor eggs, and hatching-egg performance.

Looking Beyond Illumination

In breeder production, progress rarely comes from one dramatic change. It often comes from a better understanding of the details: timing, daily rhythms, and animal behaviour. Lighting is one of those factors that has traditionally been treated as a technical requirement. As long as the photoperiod was correct, lighting was often considered taken care of.

But what if light could do more than provide visibility?

At two Italian breeder-farm locations belonging to the Martini Group, different lighting systems have been operating in commercial production. The farms provided an opportunity to compare production results over many weeks, rather than relying on short-term trials or demonstration installations.

The central question was straightforward: could differences in lighting systems be associated with differences in bird behaviour and production outcomes?

The observations from the two locations offer an interesting perspective on the potential role of lighting in breeder management.

Light as a Management Tool

Signify Animal Lighting's NatureDynamics system takes a different approach from conventional lighting installations. Rather than focusing on illumination alone, it gives producers greater control over how birds experience light throughout the day.

NatureDynamics uses programmable lighting recipes that combine spectrum, intensity, and timing. These parameters can be adjusted to support different management objectives and create more deliberate transitions between periods of activity and rest.

Another important feature is zoning. Nest areas, feeding and drinking lines, and resting areas have different functions within a breeder house. With zoned lighting, producers can adapt lighting conditions to these areas rather than applying one uniform setting throughout the building.

For breeder birds, where nest use and the timing of daily activity are important, this flexibility provides another tool for managing the production environment.

Commercial Production at the Martini Group

The Martini Group operates breeder farms in close cooperation with Aviagen. Two locations, Gerbo and Toscano, were included in this evaluation.

According to the farm information provided, the houses at each location were placed at the same time, stocked with birds from the same rearing farms, and managed under the same management approach. Different lighting systems were used across the houses, allowing production indicators to be compared under commercial conditions.

The observations covered extended production periods, providing a view of performance over time rather than at a single point in the flock cycle.

Gerbo: Differences in Hatching-Egg Performance

At the Gerbo location, one breeder house used NatureDynamics lighting, while five houses used conventional white lighting from LOMAR. The observation period ran from weeks 24 to 62, covering a substantial portion of the production cycle.

The evaluation focused on floor eggs, hatching eggs per hen housed, and hatching eggs as a proportion of total eggs laid.

Reported results, weeks 24–62

Floor eggs

• NatureDynamics: 0.353%

• LOMAR houses: 0.41%–0.97%

Hatching eggs per hen housed

• NatureDynamics: 202.2

• LOMAR houses: 198.0–201.4

Hatching eggs as a percentage of total eggs laid

• NatureDynamics: 95.94%

• LOMAR houses: 94.99%–95.75%

The NatureDynamics-equipped house recorded the lowest floor-egg percentage among the six houses and the highest reported hatching-egg percentage. Its hatching-egg output per hen housed was also higher than the reported range for the LOMAR houses.

The difference in floor-egg percentages is notable: the highest reported LOMAR value was almost three times the NatureDynamics value. The hatching-egg percentage also differed, although the size of the gap varied depending on which LOMAR house was used for comparison.

These observations suggest a potential opportunity to improve hatching-egg efficiency through lighting strategies that support appropriate bird behaviour and nest use. Further analysis would be needed to determine how much of the observed difference can be attributed specifically to lighting.

Toscano: Comparing Three Lighting Systems

At the Toscano location, three lighting systems operated in parallel: NatureDynamics, white lighting from X-LITE, and white lighting from LOMAR. The observation period ran from weeks 24 to 60.

Reported results, weeks 24–60

Floor eggs

• NatureDynamics: approximately 0.40%

• X-LITE: approximately 0.60%

• LOMAR: approximately 0.90%

Hatching eggs per hen housed

• NatureDynamics: 192.1–192.7

• X-LITE: approximately 193.0–194.7

• LOMAR: 185.2–189.1

Hatching eggs as a percentage of total eggs laid

• NatureDynamics: approximately 94.5%

• X-LITE: approximately 94.2%–94.7%

• LOMAR: approximately 93.4%–93.7%

The results show differences between the three lighting groups.

NatureDynamics recorded the lowest reported floor-egg percentage, followed by X-LITE and LOMAR. Its hatching-egg percentage was higher than the reported LOMAR range and overlapped with the X-LITE range.

Hatching eggs per hen housed followed a different pattern. X-LITE recorded higher absolute values than NatureDynamics, while NatureDynamics recorded higher values than LOMAR. This distinction matters because the results do not show that one lighting system led every performance indicator.

Taken together, the observations suggest that lighting systems may be associated with differences in floor-egg levels and hatching-egg efficiency. The results also highlight the importance of evaluating multiple performance indicators rather than relying on a single measure.

What Could These Results Mean for Breeder Managers?

Floor eggs are an important management indicator in breeder production. Eggs laid outside the nest can require additional collection and handling and may be less suitable for incubation, depending on their condition and the farm's protocols.

Nest use and floor-egg levels can be influenced by multiple factors, including bird behaviour, nest accessibility, housing design, flock experience, and daily management. Lighting is one factor producers can adjust to help guide bird movement and influence how different areas of the house are used.

NatureDynamics gives producers additional control over spectrum, intensity, timing, and lighting zones. These capabilities can be used to develop lighting strategies that support nest use and more predictable transitions throughout the day.

The observations at Gerbo and Toscano are encouraging because they come from commercial production over extended periods. At Gerbo, the NatureDynamics house recorded favourable results across the three reported indicators. At Toscano, NatureDynamics recorded the lowest floor-egg percentage and a higher hatching-egg percentage than the LOMAR group, although X-LITE recorded higher hatching eggs per hen housed.

These results provide a useful starting point for further evaluation. To understand the full commercial impact, producers should consider the number of saleable hatching eggs, the value of those eggs, labour associated with floor-egg collection, and any differences in flock or house conditions.

Making Lighting Part of a More Precise Management Strategy

Lighting is more than a technical requirement in breeder production. When carefully designed and managed, it can become an additional tool for shaping the bird's environment.

The observations from the Martini Group's Gerbo and Toscano locations show differences in floor-egg levels and hatching-egg performance between houses using different lighting systems. NatureDynamics recorded the lowest floor-egg percentages at both locations, while the other production indicators varied between systems and sites.

Although these commercial observations do not, on their own, establish that lighting caused the differences, they highlight the value of evaluating lighting as part of a broader breeder-management strategy.

For producers seeking to improve nest use and hatching-egg efficiency, NatureDynamics offers a flexible approach to managing light throughout the house. Combined with good housing design, flock management, and consistent monitoring, a more tailored lighting strategy can help producers explore opportunities for better outcomes over the production cycle.

Better light. Better animals. Better outcomes.