Effect of Increasing Daylight on Productive Performance of Sliver Pheasants during Reproductive Season

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of increasing daylight on the
productive performance of Silver pheasants (Lophura nycthemera) during the reproductive season.
The breeding pheasants, 56 females and 14 males, were divided into 2 groups and arranged in
completely randomized design with 7 replications for each group containing 4 females and 1 male.
Two groups of bird were raised under 12 and 14 hours daylight. Fluorescent light was installed for
supplying 2 hours extra daylight between 06.00 to 08.00 pm. The result showed that daily feed
intake and egg laying during the reproductive season was not affected significantly, 55.77 vs 57.87
g/b/d, and 30.82 vs 37.32 eggs/bird, respectively. There was a decrease in egg weight (P<0.05),
45.14 vs 43.77 gram, but it didn???t effected fertility. Hatchability of fertile eggs increased
significantly on birds raised under 14 hour daylight. It was concluded that increasing daylight to 14
hours during the reproductive season of Silver pheasant can be improved egg production and
hatchability.

Keywords: Daylight, Egg production, Hatchability, Silver pheasant