16-16 I E S LIGHTING HANDBOOK

Sunlamps. Among the most common sources of erythemal ultraviolet

energy are carbon-arc and mercury-vapor-discharge lamps.
For very low ultraviolet outputs some corex-glass-bulb tungsten-filament
lamps (CX tj
r
pe) operated at high temperature and reduced life are used.
Certain fluorescent-lamp phosphors emit considerable long-wave ultra-
violet energy.
Sunlamps of the type accepted by the American Medical Association are
rated at 100 watts in the arc. The small quartz envelope is enclosed in an
outer bulb that prevents emission of any energy of a wavelength less than
0.28 micron. The emitted ultraviolet energy of a wavelength longer than
0.28 micron is similar in nature to that from a therapeutic mercury arc,
but under comparable conditions is less intense. The U.V. energy emitted
is more dense than that of average daylight.
Ultraviolet Irradiation of Poultry
13
Very little ultraviolet energy is absorbed by the feathers of poultry.
To be useful it must fall on the legs, 'feet, comb, eyes, bill, etc., of the fowl,
that is, on the bare skin. Since it is not practical for the farmer to hold the
legs of each individual bird close to a sunlamp (in which case a few minutes
exposure per day would suffice), he has to depend on every bird in a flock
(100 to 150)
getting sufficient exposure while milling around under a sun-
lamp 3 feet above them. To assure adequate summation of random ultra-
violet reception as the birds move about, lamps should be burned from 1 to
2 hours per day. It is immaterial what time of day they are used. It is
good practice to suspend the lamp over a mash hopper or water trough and
burn it during feeding times to ensure the maximum number of birds
getting under it. The lamp may be used in a single long exposure, or two
or three shorter ones. The effect is cumulative. The best method of use
depends upon individual management. Usually longer lamp life is ob-
tained with the least number of starts.
At a height of 3 feet, the effective ultraviolet radiation from a poultry-
type sunlamp covers a circular area approximately 10 feet in diameter.
To utilize this to maximum advantage, as many mash hoppers and water
troughs as consistent with need and convenient servicing should be located
within the 10-foot area.
Where chicks are kept in battery brooders or laying hens are kept in indi-
vidual pens, the problem of irradiation is somewhat complicated. If there
are two rows of batteries about the best that can be done is to suspend an
S-4 type lamp or its equivalent, without reflector, between the rows and
halfway from the floor to the top of the batteries.
Where a single tier of batteries is used, the S-4 type with reflector, the
RS-4 type, or an equivalent combination may be used in a horizontal posi-
tion opposite the center of the battery and at such a distance as to confine
most of the light to the battery.
From a compilation of test data and reports published by various uni-
versities and experimental stations, it is found that the use of sunlamps
may be expected to do the following things: