The High Cost Of High Ammonia Levels
MICHELLE KUNJAPPU
Lancaster Farming Staff
MANHEIM (Lancaster Co.)
In a larger-than-usual turnout,
more than 30 poultry producers
and industry representatives re
cently gathered to hear informa
tion about ventilation and ammo
nia by Eileen Wheeler, associate
professor, agriculture and biologi
cal engineering, Penn State.
Wheeler spoke at a poultry
management seminar hosted by
Penn State.
“Ammonia what you can’t
smell may cost you” was the
focus of Wheeler’s speech.
Ammonia comes from manure,
and volatizes with high (more
than 30 percent) moisture con
tent. Also, a high pH volatizes
more ammonia.
Wheeler said that 125,000
three-pound layers need two
48-inch fans running continually
for moisture removal.
In addition, 32,000 one-ounce
chicks need one 36-inch fan run
ning 30 seconds of every five min
utes. Also 32,000 broilers at five
pounds each need about three
48-inch fans.
Also, additional ventilation is
needed during hot weather for
heat removal. For cold weather,
ventilation is necessary to get
moisture out and for air quality
(removing ammonia and supply
ing oxygen).
Ammonia levels should be
below 25 parts per million during
brooding and below 50 parts per
million thereafter, according to
Wheeler.
Elevated ammonia levels are
believed to cause poor feed con
version, lower weight gain, blind
ness, and make the-birds more
susceptible to disease.
Because of these effects, high
ammonia levels means that it will
take longer to get the birds to
market, plus the flock will have
higher mortality, “so it just hits
them all the way around the
block.”
Sensors to detect the level of
ammonia are imperative, since
“human senses get desensitized,”
she said. “We really can’t detect
it. We need to use instruments.”
Wheeler recommends using a
$7 glass tube for measure
ment. To use the tube, break
off both ends, leave the tube
in the house for a period of
time, and take readings.
Long-term (eight hours) of
exposure is ideal for getting
an average ammonia level.
Also, boxes can be installed
for continuous ammonia
measurement.
Producers should not only
ventilate the poultry houses
when the birds are present,
but even during the preheat
ing period.
“There is a correlation be
tween high ammonia levels
and good flock settlement,”
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Gregory Martin, poultry extension agent, joins featured
speaker Eileen Wheeler, associate professor, agriculture
and biological engineering, Penn State.
she said,
Ammonia levels will be more in
the public eye as concerns rise
and agriculture comes under
closer scrutiny regarding aerial
pollutants from concentrated ani
mal feeding operations.
Consequently, producers need
to identify a cost-effective emis
sion reduction system. Diet ma
nipulation is one option, she said.
Wheeler is part of a team mea
suring ammonia emission rates
from various poultry houses to
provide data to develop realistic
information about ammonia
S's
Hill H *To qualified buy
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 30, 2002-A25
emissions and inform poultry
produces about ammonia.
“The rules of the game are
changing. We can’t just ventilate
ammonia out” since there are en
vironmental concerns, she said.
Monitoring not only air quality
but temperature is also impor
tant, said Wheeler. “Conditions
at bird level are important,” said
Wheeler.
“It can be one to eight degrees
cooler at the floor than at thermo
stat height,” she said.
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