Determination of poultry house indoor heating and cooling days using degree-day method

E. Kucuktopcu*, B. Cemek and P. Banda

University of Ondokuz Mayis, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Structures and Irrigation, TR 55139 Samsun, Turkey
*Correspondence: erdem.kucuktopcu@omu.edu.tr

Abstract:

In poultry production, degree-day values are used as fundamental design parameters considered among others in determining the extent of heating and cooling of poultry housing. In this study, heating and cooling data values for each of broiler production period were determined using the degree-day method. The total length of the experiment was 123 days which corresponds to 3 growing periods. The inside and outside air temperatures of the poultry house were measured using air temperature data loggers positioned at different points and heights within and outside broiler house. Knowledge of heating and cooling day values is important as it necessitates the provision and maintenance of ideal bird’s production conditions and ensuring the economic viability of the enterprise through optimized energy consumption.

Key words:

Effect of broiler chickens living conditions on results of fattening

J. Said², Š. Boďo¹*, T. Saady², R. Gálik¹, S. Sardary² and K. Abbas²

¹Department of Production Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Slovak University of
Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, SK 949SK 76 Nitra, Slovak Republic
²Agricultural College, Salahaddin University-Erbil, Karkuk St. Erbil, Kurdistan region,
Republic of Iraq
*Correspondence: stefan.bodo@uniag.sk

Abstract:

This work was aimed to monitor outdoor temperature, air humidity and internal microclimate conditions in broilers house during summer days, the temperature and the quality of bedding material as well as bird density. To evaluate the quality of litter we set three-tier system. If the litter dry and hard – value was ‘1’ if it was moist and supple – value was ‘2’, and if it was wet – value was ‘3’. The measurements were carried out on the 10th and 20th days of chickens age. Air temperature was monitored by (logger Comet R 3120) thermometer and for the measurement of the litter temperature used a non-contact thermometer (Raytek Raynger ST). To find out the birds density a thermocamera (Guide TP8S) for thermal imaging was used and subsequent shots are evaluated the birds stocking density. If the bird density high, value was ‘1’, if the bird density median, value was ‘2’ and if the density low, value was ‘3’. The hall was divided into 33 rectangular shapes. Results showed that the bedding quality averageed 1.2 on day 10 and 1.3 on day 20 of fattening (dry and hard). By comparing the P values and the significance level α (0.05), the value of 0.651 and 0.820 was found respectively for both age. No significance was detected between the litter temperature and the litter quality, also between bedding temperature and birds density. Intercomparison for bedding temperature and quality on days 10 and 20 a significant difference (0.000 < 0.05) was observed.

Key words:

broiler, humidity, litter, temperature