The objective of this study was to determine the effects of ultraviolet light supplementation on production parameters, fear responses, and stress susceptibility in broiler chickens. Birds were reared under either light emitting diode (LED) bulbs supplemented with UV light fixtures (UV) or just LEDs (Control). Growth, feed conversion, tonic immobility, inversion, composite asymmetry, plasma corticosterone, heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and humoral immunity were measured to determine treatment differences. No differences were found in body weight or feed conversion (P > 0.05). UV birds righted quicker during tonic immobility (P < 0.05) and had less intense wing flapping (P < 0.05) compared with the Control. UV birds also had lower physical asymmetry (P < 0.05), plasma corticosterone (P < 0.05), and heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (P < 0.05) than the Control birds. Treatments did not differ in humoral immunity (P > 0.05). These results suggest broilers reared under ultraviolet light have lower stress susceptibility and fear responses. Ultraviolet light may be critical to maximize broiler welfare.

这项研究的目的是确定补充紫外线对肉鸡生产参数，恐惧反应和应激敏感性的影响。将鸟饲养在补充有紫外线照明设备（UV）的发光二极管（LED）灯泡下，或仅在LED（对照）下饲养。测量生长，饲料转化，补品固定性，倒置，复合不对称性，血浆皮质酮，嗜异性淋巴细胞比和体液免疫，以确定治疗差异。体重或饲料转化率无差异（P  > 0.05）。进食不动时，UV鸟类纠正得更快（P  <0.05），翅膀拍打强度较小（P <0.05）。 与对照鸟类相比，UV鸟类的身体不对称性（P  <0.05），血浆皮质酮（P  <0.05）和嗜异性淋巴细胞比（P <0.05）更低。体液免疫治疗无差异（P  > 0.05）。这些结果表明，在紫外线下饲养的肉鸡的应激敏感性和恐惧反应较低。紫外线对于提高肉鸡福利至关重要。