Influence of Different LED Light Colour Temperatures on the Preference Behaviour of Weaned Piglets

Sven Götz, Camille M. C. Raoult, Klaus Reiter, Monika Wensch-Dorendorf, Daniel Werner and Eberhard von Borell
Additional contact information
Sven Götz: Institute of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Department of Animal Husbandry and Ecology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 11, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
Camille M. C. Raoult: Institute of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Department of Animal Husbandry and Ecology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 11, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
Klaus Reiter: Bavarian State Office for Agriculture, Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Animal Husbandry, Prof.-Dürrwaechter-Platz 5, 85586 Poing-Grub, Germany
Monika Wensch-Dorendorf: Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Department of Biometrics and Agricultural Informatics, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Karl-Freiherr-von-Fritsch-Str. 4, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
Daniel Werner: Centre for Agriculture Haus Düsse, Ostinghausen, 59505 Bad Sassendorf, Germany
Eberhard von Borell: Institute of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Department of Animal Husbandry and Ecology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 11, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany

Agriculture, 2020, vol. 10, issue 12, 1-15

Abstract: This study investigates the effect of different LED lighting colour temperatures on the preference behaviour of 4-week-old weaned piglets. A total of 32 piglets were housed in two replications in an experimental pen area with four identically equipped pen compartments connected two by two. Each pen unit offered a compartment set to a colour temperature of 3000 kelvin and another set to 6500 kelvin, at 80 lux during the day. Each piglet could freely choose between the two compartments by using a passageway. Over a period of five weeks, the behaviours “lying”, “eating” and “activity” were video recorded for 72 h during the 1st, 3rd and 5th week of the experiment. The location of the piglet in the pen and its behaviour were determined by using time sampling. In the first week, the piglets preferred the colour temperature of 3000 K to perform all behaviours. In the following weeks this preference decreased. Results also show that feed consumption and soiling of the pens were higher under 6500 K. Pigs can differentiate between the different colour temperatures and use them for different behaviours. This can be used to divide pens into functional areas in order to better suit the behavioural needs of pigs.

Keywords: colour temperature; piglets; preference behaviour; light-emitting diode (LED); pig housing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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