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Calcimator

Poultry Lighting Program Calculator

Determine optimal light hours and intensity for each poultry production phase including brooding, growing, pre-lay, and peak production.

Inputs

weeks

Results

Light Hours per Day

16 hrs

Light Intensity

30 lux

PhaseProduction
Dark Hours per Day8 hrs
Intensity (Foot-Candles)2.8 fc
Dawn/Dusk Simulation30 min
LED Watts per Sq Ft0.28 W/sqft
Energy (10,000 sqft house)44.8 kWh/day
Lighting Cost per Day$5.38
RecommendationMaintain 16 hours of consistent light throughout lay. Never decrease light hours during production.
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter the bird age in weeks and select the production phase (e.g., chick, grower, layer stimulation, peak production).
  2. Review Light Hours per Day and Dark Hours per Day — these should match the recommended program for the phase.
  3. Check Light Intensity (lux and foot-candles) and set your dimmer or LED controller accordingly.
  4. Enable Dawn/Dusk Simulation by gradually ramping lights up and down over the recommended minutes.
  5. Use LED Watts per Sq Ft and Energy per Day to size your lighting system and estimate electricity costs.

What each input means

Bird Age
Current age of the flock in weeks.
Production Phase
Current phase: 1 = Brooding (0-2 wk), 2 = Growing (3-15 wk), 3 = Pre-Lay (16-19 wk), 4 = Production (20+ wk).

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    Bird Age = 20, Production Phase = 4 = 2 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Light Hours per Day
    Light Hours per Day
    16 = 16
  3. Calculate Light Intensity
    Light Intensity
    30 = 30
  4. Calculate Phase
    Production = Production
  5. Calculate Dark Hours per Day
    Dark Hours per Day
    8 = 8

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