INFORMATION SHEET No. 5.

5-1
Swine Facility Ventilation

Learning Objectives:
After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, YOU MUST be able to:
1. identify the swine facility ventilation.
2. achieve the proper ventilation for swine.
3. identify the basic types of swine ventilation.
Swine facility ventilation
has become relatively complex
and is often mismanaged as a
system. One of the few ways
was truly understand these
systems is to spend time
systematically going through
the many components of the
building and how they work as
a system.

Swine buildings have progressed from simple concrete floors with minimal
shelter from inclement weather to sophisticated buildings offering a premium
environment to optimize growth and feed efficiency. Ventilation control systems
are critical element of modern animal production systems, yet they are often
misunderstood and mismanaged. For example, mismanagement can result in
excessive energy usage for heating due to improper heater or minimum
ventilation settings, an uncomfortable environment which reduces swine
productivity, or animal heat stress.
 The goal of any swine ventilation
system is to provide a suitable
environment for pigs to grow
efficiently while conserving heating
energy in winter and minimizing heat
stress in summer. This system must
adjust to changing weather
conditions and increasing heat and
moisture loads associated with growing pigs. Minimum ventilation is provided to
the building to maintain relative humidity and gases below the prescribed levels.
Over-ventilating during cold weather waste heating energy and adds
unnecessary production expense. The ventilation system responds increasing
the ventilation rate.

The ventilation system was designed to function as a negative-pressure

mechanical ventilation system during colder weather and uses natural wind-
driven ventilation in the summer.

Technology, such as pit fans, curtains, and heaters, is being implemented

into swine barns today in an effort to become more efficient at providing an
optimal environment for pigs. In pork production today, there are three types of
known building ventilation systems; mechanical, natural, and a combination of
the two. Mechanical ventilation forces air through the building with fans.
Mechanical ventilation is the most popular form of ventilation and is more
technologically advanced. Natural ventilation, on the other hand, is more
dependent on the wind and thermal buoyancy of the weather outside of the barn.
Typically, natural ventilation favors older pigs that can retain more body heat,
whereas mechanically ventilated barns are typically recommended for farrowing
and nursery pigs to control air temperature during winter and summer.

Mechanically ventilating systems within swine production can either be

negative pressure barns, positive pressure barns, or neutral pressure barns (The
Service, 1990). Negative pressure barns force outside air away from the
structure, which are typically inlets, and out through fans. Positive pressure
barns force outside air into the structure with fans. Neutral pressure barns use
fans to force air into and out of the buildings, typically one fan pushes outside
air into the barns through a duct, while exhaust fans pull stale air out of the
barn. With mechanically ventilated barns, airflow and distribution is immensely
important. Proper airflow rate, which is when air is properly moved through the
building, on average is 800 to 1,000 cubic feet per minute. If this is not achieved,
pig behavior and comfort can be influenced which is demonstrated by changing
their dung patterns and sleep locations. The barn air exchange rate depends on
fan capacity; however, the inside air distribution uniformity depends on air inlet
location, design, and adjustment; which directly affects where air is exhausted
from of the barn.

Naturally ventilated systems include two main types; cold and modified-
environment with the option of a gable or monoslope roof. A naturally cold
ventilation system is designed to maintain winter indoor temperatures within a
few degrees of outdoor temperatures (The Service, 1989). These buildings do not
require insulation. A modified-environment system is designed for higher winter
indoor temperature with insulation for the barn. Both types rely on animal heat
to warm the building and the dry, outdoor environment to remove moisture from
the barn, which is preferable for older animals who are able to retain their own
heat and withstand colder temperatures. Site selection for naturally ventilated
systems in critical. The ideal location would be on higher ground where
obstructions such as trees do not disturb airflow around or through the building.
 Ventilation systems are intended to provide optimum living conditions for
pigs. A well-managed, functioning, efficient ventilation system effectively draws
fresh air into a building and removes stale air containing a proportion of
microbes, dust, harmful gases and water vapor. Inefficient ventilation is
detrimental to pig and staff performance (particularly on hot days) and costs
more to run.

Although there are many types of ventilation system, fully controlled and
automatically controlled natural ventilation (ACNV) are widely used and are the
focus of this factsheet.

Targets

 A finisher (30 kg - 110 kg) growth rate >750 g/day with an FCR better
than 2.6
 To reduce BPHS respiratory disease scores
 To maintain ventilation systems in good condition, and
 To reduce energy bills.

The ventilation rate is normally adjusted in relation to temperature, which in

turn is related to the age of pigs within the building. Many ventilation controllers
allow the "set" temperature to be programmed to decrease as the pigs grow and
have lower temperature needs; this is referred to as the "set temperature curve".
Generally ventilation rates increase as pigs get larger on account of their higher
respiratory and heat output.

Humidity

 Some ventilation systems control the relative humidity (RH) within the
building as well as temperature
 Heating incoming humid air will reduce the RH, increasing its capacity
to remove water vapor from within the building, producing a cooling
effect and a healthier atmosphere, without having to increase
ventilation rate
  Pigs can tolerate a wide range of RH, from 60 to 90 per cent.

Set Temperature

 The set temperature will vary from farm to farm

 You should be able to control the temperature within pig buildings for
most of the year
 When the outside temperature is between -10 and +14°C it should be
possible for the ventilation system to keep the building at the optimum,
set temperature.
 Sensors should detect deviations from the set temperature and
automatically adjust fan speed/flaps as necessary
 The set temperature needs to be between the upper and lower critical
temperatures (UCT and LCT), i.e. within the pigs' thermoneutral
(comfort) zone
 Many factors contribute to the UCT and LCT and must be taken into
account when setting ventilation rates, for example:
 Draughty pen- LCT increases by 3°C
 Straw bedding → LCT decreases by 5°C
 Low stocking density-LCT increases by 3.5°C
 Kennelling -LCT decreases by 3°C
 Restrict feeding - LCT increases by 3.5°C

Controlling Temperature through Ventilation

Remember that poor air quality can increase the risk of respiratory disease and
even at very low temperatures air exchange must still take place.

Broken flaps are a common maintenance fault

 During cooler periods, heat produced by the pigs helps to keep the
building temperature within the pigs' thermoneutral zone
  Some heat is lost naturally through the walls and roof, but heat loss is
predominantly through exhaust air
 During hotter periods the ventilation system has to remove heat as well
as gases and water vapour.
 If it is too hot, appetite will be suppressed, the air quality will
deteriorate and pigs will be more susceptible to disease
 If the minimum ventilation rate is set too high, excessive heat will be
lost and feed energy will be used by pigs to keep warm
 As a rule of thumb, air speeds of 1 m/s give the feeling of an air
temperature up to 3°C cooler than the actual temperature. This may
benefit larger pigs in summer but small pigs may suffer discomfort
 Pigs are sensitive to draughts and have a limited ability for thermo-
regulation; newborn and early-weaned pigs are the most sensitive to
temperature fluctuations and poor air quality
 A draught can be defined as air moving in excess of only 0.15 meters
per second; this is very slow- the equivalent of taking nearly seven
seconds to cover a meter!

Signs to look out for that potentially indicate too high an air speed:

 Pigs moving away from a given area

 Pigs huddling together
 Pigs dunging and urinating in the lying area
 Poor pig performance

Curtain Management

Curtain management is performed according to the animal requirements.

Are all of your. curtains straight and level from one end of the house to the other?
Do you have a scheduled maintenance time for adjusting curtains? Do you have
a problem with curtain cables breaking?

Fact: Most cable breaks are due not to insufficient cable strength, but to
improper matching of cables to pulleys.
 Fact: A curtain machine may adjust a curtain opening a hundred times a
day.
Fact: Sections of the cable are being bent thousands of times each month.
Fact: Bending a wire back and forth can cause it to break. A cable is more
flexible than a single strand of wire, but continue bending around a small pulley
can cause stress and wear. The larger the cable pulley, the less likely a cable is
to break. It is not bent as far each time around. The outside strands of cable
around a pulley receive the most stress and wear. The excessive stress is
achieved through a continuing stretching process.

Studies have shown that by doubling the pulley diameter, cable life can be
increased by up to thirteen times. When small pulleys are used, cables tend to
just slide over the surface of the pulley not turning them and thus causing
uneven wear, which can result in premature breakage. (Czarck, Lacy)

Cables and pulleys must be properly aligned. Just like the belt alignment on
a fan, the cable must feed directly into the groove on the pulley,

Figure 1. Proper Pulley and Cable Alignment.

Cable flexibility depends on the makeup of the cable. A 7 x 7 cable is less

flexible than a 7 x 19 cable. See Figure 2 below.

Figure 2. Types of Cables.

 Manufacturers suggest a 7 x 7 cable should have a pulley diameter that is a
minimum of 42 times the diameter of the cable. A pulley for a 7 x 19 cable should
have a diameter at least 25 times the cable diameter. The table 3 below shows
suggested pulley diameter.

Table 3. Minimum Pulley Diameter for Various Cable Types and Sizes
Minimum Pulley Diameter
(inside diameter)
Cable Diameter 7x7 7x19
1/16” 25/8” -
3/32” 4” -
1/6” 5 ¼” 31/8"
5/32” 6 5/8” 37/8"
3/16” 7 7/8” 43/4"
7/32" 9 1/4” 51/2"
¼” - 6 1/4"
5/16” - 7 7/8"
3/8” - 9.3/8"
Reduce Curtain/Louver Leakage

How much does a leaking side wall curtain affect production in finishing?
Finishing production can be measured by an increase in feed consumed to stay
warm. This relationship is relative to the amount of cold weather during the
period of curtain leakage.

It is harder to measure the reduction in sow production during breeding and

gestation. Sows under stress in breeding and gestation due to leaking curtains
eat more feed and have a greater tendency to develop pneumonia. Keeping sows
warm in the winter is just as important as cooling them in the summer.

Keep curtains tied up and level and tight. Sagging curtains because cold
spots in the building. These cold spots cause extreme stress on affected sows.
Another way to reduce cold spots in curtain sided buildings is to keep curtain
straps tight. Strong wind can open the curtain from the top edge letting valuable
heat escape outside. These minor adjustments can help alleviate many future
problems and help decrease sow energy loss..

Regularly Blower's Maintenance

Maintenance of blowers is done regularly. The positive displacement blower

is often the heart of many types of pneumatic conveying and process systems.
Often, such an important piece of equipment is forgotten until it fails. Once the
blower has failed, the maintenance personnel must scramble to get the system
back online. Some simple procedures can often prevent damage to the blower
and make your life at work much better.

Every dryer is designed with an airflow volume to match its throughput

capacity along with the heaters, desiccant, etc. If the airflow rate is compromised,
the dryer efficiency is reduced.

Remember that there are two blowers in desiccant dryer systems:

 A process blower, which may be located within the dryer cabinet or on

the drying hopper
 A regeneration blower, inside the cabinet, forces hot air through the
desiccant to remove absorbed moisture and make it ready to remove
more moisture from the process air stream

You can ensure that the maximum airflow is maintained by:

1. Following the instructions for filter maintenance

2. Checking hose connections for tightness
3. Repairing/replacing hoses that are crimped or crushed
4. Repairing holes in hoses or replacing the hose
5. Making sure hose linings have not collapsed - blocking airflow
6. Ensuring that hoses are the shortest possible length