Managing Thermal Environment and

Ventilation of Modern Layer Houses

for Optimal Egg Production
Dr. Hongwei Xin, Professor, Iowa State University
Director of Egg Industry Center
hxin@iastate.edu
A Presentation at Hy-Line International Workshops, Columbia, June 2011

1
 Outline
• Review of some common terminologies
– Homeothermic, Effective temperature (ET),
Thermoneutral zone (TNZ)

• Modern layers and their housing systems

• Ventilation systems and management
• Cooling options
• Summary
2
 A Few Terminologies
• Homeothermic – The state of maintaining constant body
temperature despite fluctuating surrounding temperature.
Farm animals are homeothermic.
• Effective temperature (ET) – the temperature that animal
actually feels that integrates the effects of all the thermal
components, air velocity, humidity, radiation; e.g., wind-chill
index, temperature-humidity index, black-globe temperature
• Thermoneutral zone (TNZ) – range of temperature in which
the animal remains its homeothermic with minimal effort
3
Maintain Constant Body Temperature
via Heat Exchanger with Surroundings

Air movement

Radiative Respiratory
heat loss heat loss

Convective heat loss

Conductive heat loss

HLcond + HLconv + HLrad = Sensible Heat Loss (SHL)

4
Energy Exchange vs. ET
B = body temperature
C = lower critical
temperature
M = maintenance
energy
ME = metabolizable
energy
RE = retained energy
S, L = heal loss

(Adapted from Teter & DeShazer, 1976) 5

Thermal Regulation vs. ET
ZM = metabolic zone
ZS = sensible heat
loss zone
ZL = latent heat loss
zone
C = lower critical
temperature

(Adapted from Sallvick, 1999) 6

 Effective Temperature (ET) vs.
Air Velocity for Adult Poultry
100
40
Temperature, °C
Effective Temperature, F

95
36 Air temp
Air temp==32 C
90F
90
32
85
28
80 (1.5, 25)
75
24
Effective

70
20
65
16
60
0.0
0 0.5
100 1.0
200 1.5
300 2.0
400 2.5
500
Air Velocity, m/s
ft/min 7
 Desired Environment for Layers
• TNZ: 21-26 °C
– Too high temperature → reduced feed intake and egg production
– Too low temperature → increased feed intake and reduced FC
• Relative humidity (RH): 50-70%
– Too high RH → condensation in cold weather and additional heat stress in
warm weather, and/or encouraged bacteria growth (floor systems)
– Too low RH → dusty environment that is detrimental to hen health
• Air velocity: 0.2 - 0.3 m/s for cold weather and 0.5 – 2 m/s for
moderate to warm weather
– Too high V in cold weather → causing draft and thermal discomfort
– Too low V in warm weather → less cooling and larger temperature gradient
• Ammonia concentration: < 25 ppm. High ammonia is detrimental
to respiratory system → reduced feed intake and egg production 8
 Heat-Wave Devastation

A scene of dead hens from 1995 heat wave in Iowa 9

 How to Achieve the Desired
Housing Environment for Layers?
• Proper design and operation of the ventilation
system
– Sufficient capacity of building ventilation
– Proper use of the available ventilation capacity
– Selection of efficient ventilation fans
– Proper operation of the vent fans (static pressure)
• Proper management of supplemental cooling
system, if installed, for temperature control
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Modern Layers and
Housing Systems

11
 Modern Laying Hens
• Higher egg productivity
• More energy efficient More susceptible to
• More balanced nutrition thermal stress
• Higher stocking density
• Higher level of environmental control and automation

12
 Outside and Inside Temperature of
Commercial Layer Houses in Iowa
40
House 1 House 2 House 3 Outside T
30

20
Temperature, oC

10

-10

-20
12/06 02/04 04/04 06/03 08/02 10/01 11/30 01/29 03/30 05/29 07/28 09/26 11/25
Date (mm/dd) of 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010
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 Modern Hen Housing
• Automation in feeding, watering, egg collection,
washing & packaging, manure handling, lighting, and
ventilation for thermal comfort and air quality control

14
High-Rise Layer House

Manure stored
in-house ~ 1yr. 15
Manure-Belt (Cage) House

16
Enriched Cage House

17
Cage-free Houses

18
Ventilation Systems
and Management

19
 Ventilating Systems
• Provide correct amount of air exchange for
– Fresh air and oxygen
– Moisture removal
– Heat removal
– Adequate air quality
• Heat in cold weather
• Cool in hot weather
• Uniform conditions throughout barn
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 Ventilation means air must
1. Be exchanged between
inside and outside Slight vacuum

2. Enter through inlets

3. Exit through outlets
Wind
or exhaust fans Natural Ventilation

4. Have cause for airflow

– Mechanical – fans
– Natural – wind and/or thermal buoyancy
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 Mixing fans / Cooling fans
• Do not ventilate – no air exchange
• Local air velocity and mixing
• Cooling effect in hot weather

22
 Ventilation Rates for Poultry
(MWPS-34, 1990)
Cold Mild Hot
Species Unit
m3⋅hr-1⋅unit-1
Broilers
0-7d head 0.07 0.34 0.68
>7d kg 0.4 1.9 3.7
Layers kg 0.4 1.9 3.7 – 5.6
Turkeys
Poults head 0.34 1.2 1.7 – 6.8
Growers kg 0.3 1.3 3.0
Note: Add 4.3 m3/hr ventilation per 293 Watt of unvented heating 23
 Static Pressure
• Pressure difference between inside and
outside of the building
• Indicates what the fan must work against
• Measured with manometer

Slight vacuum

24
 Fan Airflow vs. Static Pressure
30000
Fan Airflow Rate, cfm

25000

20000
1.3 m fan
15000
1.2 m fan
10000

5000
0.6 m fan
0
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20
Static Pressure, inch WC
25
Fan Efficiency vs. Static Pressure

Source: ASABE EP566.126

 Negative Pressure Ventilation
• Exhaust fans create a slight vacuum
– Indoor air pressure is lower
than that outdoor
Slight vacuum

• Slight vacuum draws air into the room

• Static pressure for proper ventilation, i.e.,
good air distribution and fan efficiency:
12.5 – 30 Pa (0.05 – 0.12 in. H2O) 27
 Positive Pressure Ventilation
• Supply fans slightly pressurize the room
– Indoor air pressure is higher
than that outdoor
Slightly pressurized

• Slight pressure pushes air out of the room

• Static pressure for proper ventilation, i.e.,
good air distribution and fan efficiency: 12.5
– 30 Pa (0.05 – 0.12 in. H2O) 28
Air Flow Pattern In Poultry Houses
Cross Ventilation

Tunnel Ventilation

Air stream

29
 Effect of Air Velocity as Affected by
Ventilation Mode – Cross vs. Tunnel
A layer barn with a dimension of 12.1 x 121 m (40 x 400 ft)
and a drop-ceiling height of 3 m (10 ft) (60,000 birds).
Determine the average air velocity through the house if
cross or tunnel ventilation is used to ventilate the barn at
540,000 m3/hr (300,000 CFM) air flow.
Q
V= Q = 540,000 m3/hr
A
For cross ventilation: A = 121 x 3 = 363 m2
V = 540,000/363 = 1488 m/hr = 0.41 m/s
For tunnel ventilation: A = 12.1 x 3 = 36.3 m2
V = 540,000/36.3 = 14880 m/hr = 4.1 m/s 30
 Effective Temperature (ET) vs.
Air Velocity for Adult Poultry
100
40
Temperature, °C
Effective Temperature, F

95
36 Air temp
Air temp==32 C
90F
90
32
85
28
80 (1.5, 25)
75
24
Effective

70
20
65
16
60
0.0
0 0.5
100 1.0
200 1.5
300 2.0
400 2.5
500
Air Velocity, m/s
ft/min 31
 Maintain Fan Performance
• Clean dirty shutters and grills
• Dirty fan shutters can result in up to 40%
reductions in airflow
• Replace damaged shutters
• Provide and manage inlets
– Into room
– Into attic
• Tighten slipping belts
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Cooling Options

33
 Pad-Fan Evaporative Cooling

Humidity
Ratio
85% RH (kg/kgda)
Saturation Line
20% RH

Wet-bulb line
15°°C 2
0.01070
Pad
0.00525
1

18°°C 30°°C
Hi T Lo T
Lo RH Hi RH Dry-bulb Air Temperature
34
 Pad-Fan Evaporative Cooling
Before_Temp After_Temp Diff
40 20

Temperature Reduction, oC
35
Air Temperature, oC

30 15
25
20 10
15
10 5
5
0 0
7/11 7/18 7/25 8/1 8/8 8/15
Date, m/d
35
Cooling Laying Hens by Fogging Inlet Air

36
 Temp. Reduction by Inlet Fogging
7

6
To_max - Ti_max ( C)

5
o

0
07/03 07/10 07/17 07/24 07/31 08/07 08/14 08/21 08/28 09/04
Date of 1999 (month/day)
37
 Cooling Birds by Surface Wetting
*>40.0°C *>40.0°C *>40.0°C

40.0 40.0 40.0

38.0 38.0 38.0

36.0 36.0 36.0
34.0 34.0 34.0
32.0 32.0 32.0
30.0 30.0 30.0

*<30.0°C *<30.0°C *<30.0°C

*>40.0°C *>40.0°C *>40.0°C

40.0 40.0 40.0

38.0 38.0 38.0
36.0 36.0 36.0
34.0 34.0 34.0
32.0 32.0 32.0
30.0 30.0 30.0

*<30.0°C *<30.0°C *<30.0°C

Factorial combination of tdb = 35, 38, & 41oC; tdp=19 & 26oC; V = 0.2, 0.7, & 1.2 m/s
38
 Body & Surface Temp Profiles of
Cooled & Non-cooled Birds
48 48
o
Thermal Condition: 38 C t db , Thermal Condition:
46 46 o
34% RH, and 0.2 m/s V 38 C tdb , 34% RH, and 0.7 m/s V

Bird Body and Surface Temp ( oC)

Bird Body and Surface Temp. ( oC)

44 44

42 42

40 40

38 38

36 36

34 34

32 32

30 tb-Trt tb-Ctrl ts-Trt ts-Ctrl 30 tb-Trt tb-Ctrl ts-Trt ts-Ctrl

28 28
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 0 30 60 90 120 150 180
Exposure Time (min) Exposure Time(min)

39
 Summary

Maintain air temperature of 21-26°C and RH of
50-70% to maximize thermal comfort and thus
egg production potential of the laying hens.

Strive for uniform temperature throughout the
house to achieve uniformity in feed intake and
egg size/weight of the flock.

Keep ammonia concentration below 25 ppm in
the building.
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 Summary

Ensure sufficient ventilation/fan capacity.

Use proper static pressure (12.5 – 30 Pa) to
achieve good air distribution/mixing and good
fan efficiency.

Use tunnel ventilation, when appropriate, to
increase cooling efficiency.

Regularly check/maintain ventilation fans, air
inlets, and temperature sensors.
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 Summary

Pad-and-fan, high-pressure fogging, or surface
wetting may be used to alleviate heat stress.
 Pad-and-fan and fogging systems are effective for
warm and dry climates, but using more water.
 Surface wetting offers effective cooling for warm-dry
or warm-humid conditions and uses less water; but
may be limited by physical structure of the barn.

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Egg Industry Center
….. to serve the egg
industry through
sustained cooperative
research, extension
and education.

http://www.ans.iastate.edu/EIC
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