A method and apparatus for irradiating chickens with violet light, and a poultry house equipped therewith.

Abstract

To improve the quality of chicken eggs, a method and apparatus for irradiating chickens with violet light, and a chicken coop equipped therewith are provided. [Solution] A method of irradiating chickens with violet light, a device attached to the chicken cage that irradiates the chickens with violet light, and eggs laid in a chicken coop equipped with the above violet light irradiation method or device had one or more of the following qualities: increased eggshell strength, increased yolk height, darker yolk color, and increased glutamic acid content. In addition, the number of eggs laid increased and / or the chickens ate more feed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for irradiating chickens with violet light, and a chicken coop equipped with the same, for improving the quality of chicken eggs and the like.

Background Art

[0002] Light management in chicken farms has been conventionally carried out as described in Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example. Such light management is based on the fact that when the lighting time of white light is long, the secretion of gonad-stimulating hormone becomes active and egg production is promoted, and when it is short, egg production is suppressed. Therefore, for the purpose of increasing productivity, lighting is generally performed for about 16 hours a day in chicken coops.

[0003] Further, Patent Document 1 proposes a breeding method capable of effectively promoting the growth of chickens, including an irradiation step of irradiating chickens with light using a light source at the initial stage of growth, and the light for the light irradiation being a mixed light of blue light of 435 to 480 nm and red light of 610 to 750 nm.

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0004]

Non-Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Document 2

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-084959 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The inventors have been continuously researching the effects of violet light on humans, and this time, when they irradiated chickens with violet light, they obtained unexpected results.

[0007] This invention was made possible based on such research results, and its purpose is to provide a method and apparatus for irradiating chickens with violet light, and a chicken coop equipped therewith, for the purpose of improving the quality of chicken eggs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) The violet light irradiation method according to the present invention is characterized by irradiating a chicken with violet light.

[0009] According to this invention, the quality of chicken eggs can be improved by irradiating chickens with violet light. Specifically, by irradiating chickens raised in a poultry house with violet light, the eggs become richer and have a stronger lingering umami flavor, resulting in eggs with a rich and outstanding taste.

[0010] In the violet light irradiation method according to the present invention, the eggs obtained have one or more of the following qualities: increased eggshell strength, increased yolk height, darker yolk color, and increased glutamic acid content. According to this invention, by irradiating chickens with violet light, these improvements in quality were surprisingly observed.

[0011] In the violet light irradiation method according to the present invention, the number of eggs laid increases and / or the chickens eat better. According to this invention, by irradiating chickens with violet light, it seems that the appetite has increased, the chickens eat well, and the result that the number of eggs laid also increases has been obtained.

[0012] (2) The violet light irradiation device according to the present invention is characterized in that it is mounted toward a chicken cage and irradiates chickens with violet light.

[0013] (3) The chicken coop according to the present invention is characterized in that it is a chicken coop equipped with the violet light irradiation method or irradiation device according to the above-mentioned present invention.

Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method, a device, and a chicken coop capable of improving the quality of chicken eggs.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] It is a photograph showing the installation state of the chicken coop where the experiment was conducted and the violet light irradiation device. [Figure 2] It is an explanatory diagram of the method of irradiating violet light to the breeding cage. [Figure 3] It is a photograph showing the obtained eggs. [Figure 4] It is the comparison result of the average number of eggs laid by chickens per day. [Figure 5] It is the comparison result of the average number of chickens that finished eating the feed per day. [Figure 6] It is the comparison result of the weight of the obtained eggs. [Figure 7] It is the comparison result of the egg yolks of the obtained eggs. [Figure 8] It is the comparison result of the eggshell strength of the obtained eggs. [Figure 9] It is the comparison result of the height of the egg yolks of the obtained eggs. [Figure 10] It is the comparison result of the amount of glutamic acid in various eggs. [Figure 11] Explanation of the relationship between measurement evaluation using a taste sensor and sensory expression. [Figure 12] Measurement results of bitter off-flavor / food (initial taste). [Figure 13] Measurement results of umami (initial taste). [Figure 14] Measurement results of saltiness (initial taste). [Figure 15] Measurement results of bitterness / food (aftertaste). [Figure 16] Measurement results of umami richness (aftertaste).

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] The violet light irradiation method, device, and chicken coop according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and examples as long as it includes the gist described in the present application, and can be modified in various aspects.

[0017] The violet light irradiation method according to the present invention is a method characterized by irradiating chickens with violet light. The violet light irradiation device according to the present invention is a device characterized by being mounted facing a chicken cage and irradiating chickens with violet light. The chicken coop according to the present invention is a chicken coop characterized by including the above violet light irradiation method or irradiation device according to the present invention.

[0018] Thus, unexpected results were obtained, contrary to the conventional understanding that irradiating chickens with violet light can improve egg quality. Specifically, when chickens raised in a poultry house were irradiated with violet light, the eggs produced exhibited one or more of the following qualities: increased shell strength, increased yolk height, darker yolk color, and increased glutamic acid content. These eggs had a richer, more intense flavor and a more pronounced umami taste, demonstrating that irradiating chickens with violet light improved egg quality. Furthermore, irradiating chickens with violet light appeared to increase their appetite, resulting in increased feed intake and egg production.

[0019] [Violet light irradiation experiment] The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to experimental examples.

[0020] (irradiation method, irradiation device) The experiment was conducted in the poultry house shown in Figure 1. A violet light irradiation device was prepared and mounted on a beam 2.1 m above the floor, facing diagonally downwards towards the breeding cages, as shown in Figure 1. The distance between the violet light irradiation device and the breeding cages was 1.4 to 1.5 m. The violet light irradiation device was a box-type irradiation device (8.7 cm high, 11.5 cm wide, 7.5 cm thick) with five commercially available LED light sources that have a peak at 375 nm and emit light in the wavelength range of 360 to 400 nm. This violet light irradiation device emitted 300 μW / cm² at the position of the chickens in the breeding cages. 2 The irradiation was performed at the specified irradiance.

[0021] The light source is not limited to a specific peak wavelength, as long as it can emit violet light in the 360-400 nm wavelength range. It may also have a peak wavelength other than 375 nm. If the light includes shorter or longer wavelengths than 360-400 nm, a filter can be used to restrict it to the 360-400 nm wavelength range. The irradiance at the chicken's position was 300 μW / cm² in the experiment. 2 However, it is not limited to this, 20 μW / cm 2 ~1000 μW / cm 2 You can adjust the irradiation as needed within the specified range.

[0022] (Irradiation experiment) Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the method of irradiating the breeding cages with violet light, and Figure 3 is a photograph showing the eggs obtained. As shown in Figure 2, the irradiation experiment was conducted by dividing Boris Brown chickens (all approximately 1 year and 3 and a half months old at the start) into an experimental group irradiated with violet light and a control group that was not irradiated with violet light. The experimental group consisted of 10 chickens and was irradiated with violet light for 12 hours from 7:00 to 19:00. White light (LED bulb / warm white light (color temperature: 3000K)) was irradiated for 24 hours. The white light (LED bulb) used did not contain any violet light components. The control group also consisted of 10 chickens and was irradiated with white light for 24 hours (no violet light was used). In the chicken coop, there is no opportunity to be exposed to sunlight (i.e., no opportunity to be exposed to violet light), so only chickens near the entrance can receive sufficient exposure to violet light. In this experiment, the irradiation time of violet light was set to 12 hours, which is about the time from sunrise to sunset. The irradiation time may be continuous or not.

[0023] The chickens were all given the same amount of feed supplemented with oyster shells. Throughout the entire experimental period, eggs were collected daily, and the number of eggs laid and the degree to which the feed was consumed (whether it was completely eaten or not) were recorded. An observation log was also kept. Of the collected eggs, those used for evaluation were eggs from the day before the start of the irradiation experiment (DAY 0) and eggs from the day 25 days later, the end of the irradiation experiment (DAY 25).

[0024] (Evaluation method) The number of eggs laid by the chickens and the number of chickens that ate all their feed were checked daily and recorded in the observation log. Regarding the sensory expression of taste, as shown in Figure 11, evaluation was based on the relationship with the evaluation results from a taste sensor. The taste sensor used was the TS5000Z taste recognition device (manufactured by Sankei Co., Ltd.). This taste recognition device can quantify and objectively express the basic tastes (umami, bitterness, saltiness, sourness, sweetness, and astringency) that are important components of "deliciousness." The sensor has specialized artificial lipid membranes for sweetness, bitterness, umami, saltiness, sourness, and astringency, each with its own specialized artificial lipid membrane. When a taste substance is adsorbed onto this artificial lipid membrane, the membrane potential changes, and the intensity and balance of the taste are analyzed from the strength of the sensor's output based on this change. Furthermore, it can measure the taste at the moment the food is placed in the mouth (initial taste) and the taste remaining after swallowing (aftertaste). This experiment was evaluated using such a taste recognition device.

[0025] (Evaluation results) Figure 4 shows a comparison of the average daily number of eggs laid by chickens, and Figure 5 shows a comparison of the average daily number of chickens that completely consumed their feed. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, both the number of eggs laid and the rate of feed completion were higher in the experimental group of chickens irradiated with violet light than in the control group, indicating that they were healthier. This experiment was conducted from July 24 to August 16, 2024. Considering the season, it is thought that the chickens irradiated with violet light were healthier and had a better appetite even in the summer heat, and therefore their egg-laying rate was higher.

[0026] Figure 6 shows a comparison of the weights of the eggs obtained. The results in Figure 6 show that the eggs laid by the chickens irradiated with violet light were heavier than those laid by the control group. The amount of feed consumed also affected egg weight; the chickens irradiated with violet light had a good appetite even in hot weather, which likely contributed to the heavier eggs.

[0027] Figure 7 shows a comparison of the egg yolk color of the obtained eggs, Figure 8 shows a comparison of the eggshell strength (kgf) of the obtained eggs, and Figure 9 shows a comparison of the egg yolk height of the obtained eggs. From these results, the eggs laid by the chickens in the experimental group irradiated with violet light had a darker yolk color and a more rounded yolk than the eggs laid by the chickens in the control group. The eggshell strength (kgf) was also higher.

[0028] Figure 10 shows the results of a comparison of glutamic acid content in various types of eggs. Glutamic acid content was measured in four samples: eggs laid by chickens in an experimental group irradiated with violet light, eggs laid by chickens in a control group not irradiated with violet light, eggs laid by free-range chickens, and domestic chicken egg whites (size L). The eggs laid by the experimental group chickens had the highest glutamic acid content among the four samples, and can therefore be said to have the best flavor (umami) among the four.

[0029] Figure 11 explains the relationship between measurement evaluation using a taste sensor and sensory expression. As shown in Figure 11, the result of bitterness / off-flavor / taste (initial taste) can be expressed as richness / complexity, the result of umami (initial taste) can be expressed as umami, the result of saltiness (initial taste) can be expressed as richness, the result of bitterness / taste (aftertaste) can be expressed as the lingering aftertaste of richness / complexity, and the result of umami richness (aftertaste) can be expressed as the lingering aftertaste of umami. Figures 12 to 16 below show the values ​​obtained by measuring with a taste sensor for four samples: eggs laid by chickens in an experimental group irradiated with violet light, eggs laid by chickens in a control group not irradiated with violet light, eggs laid by free-range chickens, and domestic chicken egg whites L. The average value of the four samples is used as the baseline (zero).

[0030] Figure 12 shows the measurement results for bitterness / off-flavor / taste (initial taste), Figure 13 shows the measurement results for umami (initial taste), Figure 14 shows the measurement results for saltiness (initial taste), and Figure 15 shows the measurement results for bitterness / taste (aftertaste). From these results, the eggs laid by the experimental group of chickens irradiated with violet light were superior in all aspects compared to the eggs laid by the control group of chickens that were not irradiated with violet light. From this, it can be said that the eggs laid by the experimental group of chickens were richer, had more umami, were more flavorful, and had a better aftertaste compared to the eggs laid by the control group of chickens.

[0031] Based on these results, chickens exposed to violet light remained healthy and resistant to summer fatigue. Furthermore, the eggs produced tended to have a rich, lingering flavor, resulting in a delicious taste with a strong, prominent umami flavor. The violet light irradiation method and apparatus according to the present invention, as well as the chicken coop equipped therewith, can contribute to improving the commercial value of eggs.

Claims

1. A method of irradiating chickens with violet light, characterized by irradiating them with violet light.

2. The violet light irradiation method according to claim 1, wherein the collected eggs have one or more qualities selected from increased eggshell strength, increased yolk height, darker yolk color, and increased glutamic acid content.

3. The violet light irradiation method according to claim 1, which increases the number of eggs laid and / or encourages the fish to eat more.

4. A violet light irradiation device characterized by being attached to a chicken cage and irradiating the chickens with violet light.

5. A chicken coop characterized by comprising the violet light irradiation method described in claim 1 or the violet light irradiation device described in claim 2.

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