{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T14:14:22Z","timestamp":1787062462655,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,8]],"date-time":"2026-05-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778198400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study evaluated the impact of a dynamic LED lighting program specifically tailored to Pekin ducks (DDYNs) compared to a conventional commercial lighting program (CON) on growth performance, health, stress, and fear responses. A total of 960 Pekin ducks were reared across two replicates. Production parameters including body weight, average daily gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were recorded. Health was assessed via tibia breaking strength, bone ash content, complete blood cell count, and villus height to crypt depth ratio. Stress was evaluated through physical asymmetry, heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and plasma corticosterone concentration, while fear was measured using tonic immobility and inversion tests. No significant differences were observed in production or health parameters between treatments (p &gt; 0.05). However, ducks reared under the DDYN program exhibited significantly lower stress indicators, including reduced corticosterone (p = 0.011), lower heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (p = 0.045), and decreased asymmetry (p = 0.015). Fear responses were also significantly reduced under DDYN lighting (p &lt; 0.001). These findings suggest that species-tailored dynamic lighting programs can meaningfully improve Pekin duck welfare without compromising production performance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani16101440","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,11]],"date-time":"2026-05-11T20:14:16Z","timestamp":1778530456000},"page":"1440","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["The Effect of Duck Targeted Lighting Programs on Productivity, Health, and Welfare"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Parker B.","family":"Watson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Poultry Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emily","family":"Jiral","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Poultry Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Melinda","family":"Grimes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Poultry Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9371-797X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gregory S.","family":"Archer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Poultry Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1751","DOI":"10.3382\/ps\/pev166","article-title":"Effects of different wavelengths of light on the biology, behavior, and production of grow-out Pekin ducks","volume":"94","author":"Campbell","year":"2015","journal-title":"Poult. Sci."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"House, G.M. (2022). The Effect of Light on Pekin Duck Welfare and Production. [Ph.D. Thesis, Texas A&M University]."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101614","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psj.2021.101614","article-title":"Setting research driven duck-welfare standards: A systematic review of Pekin duck welfare research","volume":"101","author":"Makagon","year":"2022","journal-title":"Poult. Sci."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101241","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psj.2021.101241","article-title":"Centennial Review: History and husbandry recommendations for raising Pekin ducks in research or commercial production","volume":"100","author":"Chen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Poult. Sci."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"675","DOI":"10.1016\/S1350-9462(01)00009-X","article-title":"The visual ecology of avian photoreceptors","volume":"20","author":"Hart","year":"2001","journal-title":"Prog. Retin. Eye Res."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1166","DOI":"10.1071\/AN21487","article-title":"Effect of light and stocking density on performance, breast muscle yield and potential damage caused by feather pecking in two strains of commercial Pekin ducks","volume":"62","author":"Downing","year":"2022","journal-title":"Anim. Prod. Sci."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"30","DOI":"10.1111\/jpn.14032","article-title":"Abiotic stressors in poultry production: A comprehensive review","volume":"109","author":"Ncho","year":"2005","journal-title":"J. Anim. Physiol. Anim. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1190","DOI":"10.3382\/ps\/pey496","article-title":"Effect of photoperiod on growth performance and quality characteristics of tibia and femur in layer ducks during the pullet phase","volume":"98","author":"Cui","year":"2019","journal-title":"Poult. Sci."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hefnawy, E., Elgazzar, E., Sabek, A., El-Laithy, S., and Ahmed, S. (2024). Effect of different LED light colors on welfare, performance, some behavioral patterns, and blood parameters of Muscovy ducks. BMC Vet. Res., 20.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12917-024-04200-x"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105350","DOI":"10.1016\/j.applanim.2021.105351","article-title":"Pekin duck productivity, physiological stress, immune response and behavior under 20L:4D and 16L:8D photoperiods","volume":"240","author":"House","year":"2021","journal-title":"Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"126","DOI":"10.1093\/japr\/16.1.126","article-title":"Metabolic challenges and early bone development","volume":"16","author":"Dibner","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Appl. Poult. Res."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104487","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psj.2025.104853","article-title":"Pulsed alternating wavelength system lighting does not negatively impact production or welfare but reduces dopamine activity and may improve bone growth in grow-out Pekin ducks","volume":"104","author":"Tonissen","year":"2025","journal-title":"Poult. Sci."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"340","DOI":"10.1016\/j.physbeh.2007.03.016","article-title":"A critical review of fear tests used on cattle, pigs, sheep, poultry and horses","volume":"92","author":"Forkman","year":"2007","journal-title":"Physiol. Behav."},{"key":"ref_14","unstructured":"Fraser, D. (2008). Understanding Animal Welfare: The Science in Its Cultural Context, Wiley-Blackwell."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101507","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psj.2021.101507","article-title":"Experimental monochromatic light-emitting diode fixture impacts Pekin duck stress and eye development","volume":"100","author":"House","year":"2021","journal-title":"Poult. Sci."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"House, G.M., Sobotik, E.B., Nelson, J.R., and Archer, G.S. (2020). Effects of ultraviolet light supplementation on Pekin duck production, behavior, and welfare. Animals, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/ani10050833"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"467","DOI":"10.1080\/00071668.2021.1891524","article-title":"A comparison of white\/red and white\/blue LED light fixtures on Pekin duck production, stress and behaviour","volume":"62","author":"House","year":"2021","journal-title":"Br. Poult. Sci."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"515","DOI":"10.1080\/00439339.2022.2044273","article-title":"Influence of LED bulb on reproductive and production performance of different poultry species: A review","volume":"78","author":"Oso","year":"2022","journal-title":"World\u2019s Poult. Sci. J."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"832","DOI":"10.3382\/ps.2009-00376","article-title":"Molecular neuroendocrine events during stress in poultry","volume":"89","author":"Kuenzel","year":"2010","journal-title":"Poult. Sci."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2208","DOI":"10.3382\/ps\/pew137","article-title":"Biology of stress in poultry with emphasis on glucocorticoids and the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio","volume":"95","author":"Scanes","year":"2016","journal-title":"Poult. Sci."}],"container-title":["Animals"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2615\/16\/10\/1440\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,11]],"date-time":"2026-05-11T20:31:25Z","timestamp":1778531485000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2615\/16\/10\/1440"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,8]]},"references-count":20,"journal-issue":{"issue":"10","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5]]}},"alternative-id":["ani16101440"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ani16101440","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-2615"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-2615","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,8]]}}}