A3O-Lancastef Farming, Saturday, March 7.1998 Eileen F, Wheeler, Assistant Professor Environmental Control Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering Broiler housa management un der cold winter conditions offers challenges in environmental con trol with the competing functions of heating air to an acceptable temperature for the birds while ventilating for desirable air qual ity, such as acceptable ammonia and humidity levels. Typically, house minimum ventilation re quirements are based on removal of the moisture produced by the birds in order to keep house rela tive humidity in the range of 50 to 70%. Moisture comes from bird respiration and evaporation of manure moisture and drinker spill age. Elevated aerial ammonia in the broiler house environment is known to be detrimental to bird health and performance. An indus try guideline recommends keeping Lancaster r sa f = T =SSi 'Poured Walls • Agriculture • Commercial • Residential il J Call for Prices On: • SCS approved Manure Storage Pits • Basements • Retaining Walls • Footers • Floors Customer Satisfaction is Our Goal Lancaster Poured Walls 2001 Jarvis Rd. • Lancaster, PA 17601 • (717) 299-3974 nmi'TiMiTA cirntfr* W HlTlvWAoJrlllM Ur Wltu ADVANTAGE FARM WHITE • DRIES WHITE •NO WET FLOORS • IS COMPATIBLE WITH DISINFECTANT AND FLY SPRAYS • DOES NOT RUB OFF EASILY • WASHES OFF WINDOWS & PIPELINES EASILY BARN CLEANING SERVICE AVAILABLE WITH COMPRESSED AIR To have your barn cleaned with air U will clean off dust, cob webs. & lots of the old lime This will keep your barn looking cleaner & whiter longer CALL US ABOUT ON THE FARM FLY CONTROL Serving Southeastern Pa. And More BEITZEL’S SPRAYING Witmer, PA 17585 717-392-7227 or Toll Free 1-800-727-7228 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM CERTIFIED COMMERCIAL APPLICATORS LICENSED 37 YEARS EXPERIENCE INSURED 5 Trucks For Air Cleaning And Whitewashing RADIO DISPATCHED TRUCKS Barn Spraying Is Our Business, not a sideline. Spraying Since 1961 ammonia levels below 25 ppm to avoid adverse affects on bird health and productivity, not to mention worker health risks. Realization of this goal is spurious due to an in ability to carefully monitor am monia levels and lack of guide lines for ventilation rates to con trol ammonia. Ammonia levels may be determined by feed repre sentatives or the grower through periodic measurements with gas detector tubes (sampler pump $350 with ammonia-specific tube $4 each) or dosimeter tubes ($4 each). Newer, but expensive ($lOOO + datalogger), technology will allow continuous monitoring of ammonia levels in the house. Another way to detect ammonia levels is by using your nose. This works, NOT. After a couple years of growing chickens, most grow ers can no longer detect elevated ammonia. Increased ventilation rates have been proposed to alleviate the high ammonia concentrations. High ammonia levels have been jj }fg£2* Winter Ventilation and Ammonia correlated to high humidity condi tions, but on old litter, acceptable humidity levels are often NOT correlated to acceptably low am monia levels. Other ways to re duce ammonia levels include the use of litter or feed additives which decrease litter pH or lower excreted nitrogen both of which reduce ammonia volatilization. Litter management which reduces wet spots from drinkers and caked litter will improve ammonia con trol in the house. Old litter can volatilize large amounts of am monia when used on a subsequent flock so litter replacement be tween winter flocks is another op tion. Research suggests that the un acceptable ammonia level gener ated from wet, warm, or high pH litter and the practice of placing chicks on reused, built-up litter requires a higher ventilation rate to dilute ammonia levels to ac ceptable levels for flock productiv ity. A recent Arkansas broiler house study found that the ventila tion rate necessary to control am monia levels on reused litter the first week of brooding was two to nine times higher than that needed to control humidity. Ventilation rate on day one of bird placement CONBSTOGjkVAIXgy hi-mag Agricultural Lime Spreading hi-cal Cash Discount Savings on Delivery Call Toll Free day and evening 1-800-724-3277 Serving PA. MD, Delmarva, NJ, NY & (LI) s, KEYSTONE GUN-KMTE \~Krj CONCRETE PUMPING SERVICE Featuring • Sidewinder 45 Concrete Pump • Up To 40 Cubic Yards Per Hour • Pump Up To 150 Ft Vertical And 800 Ft. Horizontal V —w • —mmmmm CONCRETE SPRAYING SERVICE A Plum Wty Of Affffa Cnrnft • Repair Retaining Walls • Manure Pit Construction • Strengthen Existing Masonry • Trench Silo Construction Walls • Silo Repair • Reseal Manure Pits KEYSTONE GUN-KRETE 61 Poplar Street Gordonville, PA 17529 1717} 768-3641 In Broiler Houses for growouts on old litter averaged nine times the standard minimum ventilation rate. This ventilation rate declined exponentially with bird age so that by two-weeks old, the standard minimum ventilation rate was effective in both ammo nia and humidity control. Evalua tions from this study included fuel use, provision of new litter for each winter flock, increased heater capacity for elevated ventilation use with increased supplemental heat demand, and over-heating the house to 95°F for two days prior to chick placement to drive off ammonia from old litter. Partial litter replacement in the brooding end only, in partial brood houses, was considered the most cost ef fective in most circumstances. This is a practice which may be even more cost effective under colder Pennsylvania conditions. Winter ventilation strategy should provide healthy environ mental conditions with economi cal production of broilers, yet minimization of fuel use often drives management decisions. Birds will substitute costly feed for fuel if conditions are too cool. Inadequate ventilation results in high ammonia levels which leads to respiratory challenges, poorer feed conversion, lower weight gain, disease challenge and carcass condemnations at the processing plant. Pennsylvania has relatively cold winter conditions compared to other major poultry producing regions which makes management of fuel use and ventilation control strategies of more concern. Strate gies employed in warmer climates are not necessarily directly appli cable to Pennsylvania conditions. An economic analysis of fuel use versus air quality and bird produc tivity under Pennsylvania condi tions is being done with funding from the Pennsylvania Broiler Re search Program to provide guid ance for better management con trol of broiler house environment. Data are being collected and evaluations conducted this winter with results and recommendations available in time for next winter’s ammonia season. fft Agricultural Washdowns 717-949-3*l* SPECIALIZING IN Poultry Houses: Layers, Breeders, Broilers Hog, Veal and Dairy Barns High Pressure, Low Volume Washing RD #1 Box 147, Newmanstown, PA 17073 With the Hydro Cow Flotation System you can float a down cow back onto its legs harmlessly without using clamps, belts or chains. The Hydro Cow is a natural way to get a cow back on its legs using only warm water. Hydro Cow Flotation Service is available in Lancaster, York and Chester Counties, and northeastern Maryland From: _ 1 Solanco Veterinary Service 1 I 496 Solanco Rd., Quarryville, PA I . 717-786-1303.1-SOO-262-7331 . 1 717-786-8550 Evenings 1 I*
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers