US chicken companies pioneered restricting sleep to keep birds eating around the clock.
A new study (Li et al., 2026) recommends giving chickens just 2 hours of darkness nightly to maximize the time they spend eating. The study and photo are Chinese.
We know chickens have far better hapiness with 7–8 hours of darkness to sleep.
But they eat more when they are sleep restricted.
That doesn’t mean they get sunshine, fresh air, green grass.
This guy gives you a good glimpse into the realities of farming.
https://m.youtube.com/@blackbirdcoop
Including calling out the subset of bullshit “free range” farms.