8 Biological effect More milk through more light Lighting duration, lighting intensity and light colour all have a major impact on lactation, fertility and the well-being of animals. In dairy cattle farming, lighting management, therefore, is extremely important. Scientific studies have shown that daily milk production can be increased 5-15 % on average during long daylight phases with 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness. However, this requires a uniform lighting strength of 150-200 lux. Source: Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft (LfL), LfL-Information „Licht und Lichtprogramme in der Rinderhaltung“ (Light and lighting programmes in cattle husbandry), February 2012 Extended daylight phase Natural day How does this work? Light signals are sent to the pineal gland via the animal‘s eyes. A higher amount of light reduces the secretion of the hormone melatonin from the pineal gland, whereby the liver is stimulated to produce the IGF-1 hormone. This leads to increased activity for the cow, increased appetite and increased milk production. Milk yield (kg/day) Light 150-200 lux Pineal gland Melatonin secretion Liver Secretion Source: Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft (LfL), LfL-Information „Licht und Lichtprogramme in der Rinderhaltung“ (Light and lighting programmes in cattle husbandry), February 2012 28,5 Peters et al., 1978 Peters et al., 1981 Marcek & Swanson, 1984 Stanislewski et al., 1985 Evans & Hacker, 1989 32,0 22,5 24,0 30,5 33,5 20,0 22,0 35,5 38,0
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