POULTRY PHOTODYNAMIC NUTRITION: PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR FOUNDATIONS AND MODERN MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS

This study aims to provide a comprehensive scientific review of the role of light in regulating the productive and physiological performance of poultry. The anatomical and molecular foundations of light signal reception, reproductive hormonal axis mechanisms, and biological clock genes are examined (Kuenzel et al., 2015; Cassone, 2014; Li et al., 2023). Lighting programs in the incubation, breeder and layer rearing, and broiler stages are discussed, and the effects of light intensity and wavelength on growth, reproduction, and behavior are analyzed (Archer et al., 2021a; Deep et al., 2019; Rozenboim et al., 1999). The study also addressed differences in the response of poultry species to light and the role of LED technology and smart lighting in improving production performance while maintaining welfare (Sultana, 2017; Baxter et al., 2014; Zhou et al., 2024). It concluded that precise light management is an effective and cost-efficient production tool and recommended the adoption of balanced lighting programs that consider light duration, intensity, and wavelength, with particular attention to the necessary dark periods for flock health (Schwean-Lardner et al., 2012; Gündoğar, 2024).