Mike Block
IR Technical Services Manager
March 2019
Open Houses
• Are no longer sustainable:
Stocking Density
Controlled environment
Lower mortality
Less labour intensive
Stocking Density
• Using a closed house can increase terminal density as
much as 25%( depending on kill weights)
• Due to being able to get rid of the heat load easier
• Better ventilation
• So likewise growing birds on slats instead of deep bed
litter would allow you to increase SD
• SD will be determined by kill weight/age and whether
you thin the birds or not
Stocking Density
• With your climate I would not go over terminal density of
30kg / sq/mt
• Example 1 : if first kill wt is at 1.2kg , you could have a
placement density 1.2 x 25 bds/sq/mt = 30kg sq/ mt
• Example 2 : if first kill wt is 1.6kg, you could have a placement
density 1.6 x 18.75 bds/sq/mt= 30kg sq/mt
• But to go up to 30 kg you need to be able to achieve at least 3
m/sec ( 660 ft/min) air speed
• If house capacity is only around 2m/sec ( 400ft/min) then
only go up to around 25 kg / sq/mt
• Just a rough guide
Controlled Environment
• By enclosing the house you now have control over the
environment
• With the addition of evaporative cooling and tunnel fans
you have tools to use to assist bird comfort
• Air speed is the key tool in hot weather
• Usually your environment has high RH which renders the
evaporative cooling more harm then good
• If RH is 75% or higher don’t use ( unless young birds)
Windchill Example (UGA)
9.0
8.0
6.5
5.5
Wind Chill (°C)
4.5
3.5
2.0
1.0
24 27 30 32
COLD HOT
Heating
• You need to have enough heating
• As a guide 160watts/ sq /mt of heating
• Evenly spread along the house ( or just for brood area )
• Needs to be set just below set point for ambient heat :
- 0-10 days- 0.5 deg below set point
- 11- 18 days – 1.0 deg below set point
- 19 – kill – 2.0 degs below set point
• As a guide only as depends on heating type , number of
heaters etc
• More heaters in a house will use less gas then not enough
heaters
Heating
• Concrete floor temp at placement – 28degs
• Trials have shown this is a key figure
• Greater then 28deg gives better 7 day weights
• Lower mortality
• Therefore greater performance potential
• May need to pre heat for two days
• Heat before putting rice hulls in
• Depends on turnaround time
Trial data
No Full
Control Control
Current Tunnel no Minimum
• Step 1:
-30,000 bird house at 8 days , weight 200 gms, so require
0.258 m3 / hr per bird
- 30,000 x 0.258 = 7740 m3/ hour
• So 50” fan will run for 60 sec and off for 240 sec
COLD HOT
Transitional Ventilation
47600
44200
Test Fan (m³/hr)
41000
37500
34000
30600
1115 1500 1850 2230 2600 3000 3350 3720