46 Follow us on Twitter: @PrairieFarming Better Farming | March 2024 Livestock Hunniford says, “There are a few farm factors that make air quality worse. “First is the time of year. Air quality tends to be worse in the winter due to limitations in ventilation options and cold air temperatures contributing to condensation in the barn, which may cause the litter to become wet and increase the ammonia. “Another farm factor is housing system type. Since birds housed in free-run barns have free access to the litter, and they are highly motivated to perform behaviours like dustbathing, there is a greater amount of particulate matter in the air compared with cage systems like enriched and conventional (which is being phased out) where birds are separated from their manure.” The ventilation system of a barn can also create the difference between good and poor air quality for birds. “It can be difficult to have balanced air throughout a barn structure,” says Wilson. “Some producers struggle with wet spots and crowding, creating an uneven spread on feeders and drinkers.” In an ideal barn, Wilson says, “Every bird from one side to the other has a comfortable environment to grow as well as they can.” How can air quality be improved to ensure bird comfort? Improving air quality Technology and management can both be used to improve air quality in poultry barns. Proper insulation increases the efficiency of temperature and humidity control. This can keep litter drier and avoid damp areas on floors and walls. Humidity and ammonia can be managed by quickly fixing leaky waterers and ensuring they are set to the proper height, and by using litter with a high water-holding capacity. Producers might reduce stocking density to decrease dust and improve air quality. Ammonia in barns can also be managed by feeding diets that avoid excess excretion of urea and protein. Ventilation is another critical aspect in improving air quality. Different birds and production stages have varying requirements for temperature and humidity, and they may need solutions to a range of air quality challenges. McBay says that barn controls that impact air quality have progressed a lot over recent years. This allows a barn environment to be tailored to the needs of the birds it houses. “When we first started using thermostat controls to operate ventilation systems in these buildings, it was a basic inlet open-and-close function to increase or decrease air exchange. The input for that control was interior temperature,” explains McBay. “As things evolved, we then added temperature sensors outside. Now control systems knew how aggressively to change the ventilation depending on if outside was cold or warm. “The next step was the addition of a humidity sensor inside the building to assist on a secondary basis to control the humidity level.” Following this, outside humidity sensors and ammonia sensors were added. These helped to regulate humidity relative to external humidity levels and to use set points to remain as close as possible to a desired ammonia level. Carbon dioxide sensors have also become more common. “That’s been the evolution over the years from the controlled technology side, and all of these changes are specifically designed to achieve the best quality of air inside the building,” says McBay. Wilson says that there have also been changes to ventilation design to ensure that air can be properly directed. “We use circulation fans and try to properly direct air coming into the building,” says Wilson. “We’ve gone to modular wall inlets and ceiling inlets to control the balance of air quality a bit better. At Canarm, we’ve also made changes to the continuous baffle with min-max inlets, and it has made improvements on how the lower-end continuous ventilation gets into the barn. Rather than having one large inlet for the entire barn, there are small inlets across the barn. “Proper sensors, adequate mixing, and sufficient intake air really improve the health of animals.” Current technology allows for automatic settings to create the perfect curve of temperature and humidity throughout the production cycle, making temperature adjustments of as little as 0.1 C per hour. Consistency in air quality and temperature is healthier for birds compared to systems that respond to sensors with drastic changes to the environment. McBay says moving forward he expects to see the innovation continue for ventilation and air quality in poultry barns. He says that the next big advance in technology could be right around the corner. Recent changes have largely focused on communication improvements to allow environmental conditions to be tracked and adjusted remotely from a phone or computer. “Looking at patterns of air movement within a building and increasing the sophistication of adjustments to maintain a prime environment will be key moving forward,” explains McBay. “There’s no question that air quality is a No. 1 priority. There are other factors, but the quality of the air that the birds breathe 24 hours a day is a major factor in health and how well they grow.” When reviewing potential investments in improved ventilation, poultry producers should consider animal health and welfare, but should also ensure they complete a cost-benefit calculation to find a system that best suits their operation’s needs. BF FARMERS LOVE MAGAZINES 92% of farmers use ag magazines monthly, compared to 44% for websites, 43% for radio and 10% for farm shows. (Verified Readex Research study)
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