Current trends in broiler technology

and management
Michael Czarick
The University of Georgia
Is change
Simply because our birds continue to change
6 weeks old

Cobb 2012 ACRB 1950s

 One of the most significant challenges is the
rate at which a modern broiler grows
70
60
Gain per day (grams)

50
40
30
20
10
0
1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010
Higher growth rates require better
environmental control and management
For instance:
Litter moisture control
Higher growth rates lead to higher water
consumption rates
275
Daily water consumption

250
225
200
(liters/1,000)

175
150
125
100
75
50
25
0
0 7 14 21 28
Bird age (days)
Pesti - 1985
Higher growth rates lead to higher water
consumption rates
275
Daily water consumption

250
225
200
(liters/1,000)

175
150
125
100
75
50
25
0
0 7 14 21 28
Bird age (days)
Brake - 1995 Pesti - 1985
Higher growth rates lead to higher water
consumption rates
275
Daily water consumption

250
225
200
(liters/1,000)

175
150
125
100
75
50
25
0
0 7 14 21 28
Bird age (days)
UGA - 2000 Brake - 1995 Pesti - 1985
Higher growth rates lead to higher water
consumption rates
275
Daily water consumption

250
225
200
(liters/1,000)

175
150
125
100
75
50
25
0
0 7 14 21 28
Bird age (days)
Tabler - 2009 UGA - 2000 Brake - 1995 Pesti - 1985
Higher growth rates lead to higher water
consumption rates
4.000
3.500
consuption (L\1000)
Cummulative water

3.000
2.500
2.000
1.500
1.000
500
0
0 7 14 21 28
Bird age (days)
Tabler - 2009 UGA - 2000 Brake - 1995 Pesti - 1985
Higher growth rates require better
environmental control and management
For instance:
36.0C
Litter moisture control 36

H eat product ion 34

Over the last 20 years broiler 32

heat production has increased
roughly 30% 30

28

27.0C
Furthermore housing/management need to continue to change
because the demands of our consumers continue to change
Further processing has led for the
need to grow larger birds
Fewer medications are allowed to be
used.
Bird welfare is becoming more of an
issue:
Ammonia levels
Carbon dioxide levels
Pododermatitis
Leg issues
As a result
In order to obtain optimal performance
from the modern broiler we need a
proper environmental control system.
Q uite simply
For cold weather we need a system that
can control air quality and temperature.
For hot weather we need a system that
can maximize heat removal from the
birds.
Both systems system should be as energy
efficient as possible.
So what should a modern broiler house look
like
First a modern broiler house should be large
150 180 meters in length
15 20 meters in width

With an average ceiling height of roughly 2.7 to 3 m

Though there are houses as large as 21 m X
210 meters
There are a number of reason for constructing
a large house.
First, they generally cost slightly less
construct per square meter (5%)
But, more importantly they are less expensive
to equip (up to 25%)
Larger houses generally have a lower heating
costs per square meter
32.0C
32

30

28

12 m X 150 m 26

24

22

20
16 m X 150 m 20.0C
As well as lower cooling cost on a per square
meter/bird basis
Last but not least larger houses tend to produce more
stable environmental conditions
A modern broiler house should also be totally
enclosed
21.0 C
70.0F
70

65
18.3

60
15.5

55
12.7

52.0F
11.0 C
Totally enclosed houses generally cost 30 to
50% less to heat than curtain-sided houses
60.0F
60C
15

50
10

540

030

20C
-7
20.0F
As well as offer a higher level of
environmental control

Minimize leakage
Leakage in curtain-sided house makes it
difficult to produce ideal growing conditions
40.5 C
105.0F

100
37.8

90
32.2

80
26.7

75.0F
23.8 C
Leakage leads to poor floor temperatures and
wet litter
1
00.0
F
1
00
37.8
9
5
35.0
9
0
32.2
8
5
29.4
.529.7
8
5 C 8
0
26.7
92
.8 C
33.7
7
5
23.9
7
3.0
F
22.8 C
Totally enclosed houses are better insulated
4
3.3
C

4
0

3
5

3
0

2
5

2
3.9
C
Which leads to better growing conditions
2
3.2C
.2C

0
3

5
2

0
2

5
1.6C
.6C
A totally enclosed house also makes it easier to
control light intensity, color, and duration
Ideally a modern broiler house should be
built with a dropped/false ceiling
Ideally a modern broiler house should be
built with a dropped/false ceiling
Dropped/false ceilings tend to have 10 to 20% lower
heating and cooling cost than other styles of ceilings
as well as improve air inlet performance
To maximize inlet performance,
incoming air should move
along a smooth ceiling

Attached air jet

Tends to maximizes the throw

of the incoming air
Smooth ceiling maximizes throw of the air,
which improves conditions at floor level
1
0
10
0
0.0F
.0F
1
0
10
0
0

9
90
0
90
90
9
0
80
80
80
80
80
7
8
00
70
6
70
6
70
0
60
7
0
6
50
0

6
5
4
5
6.0
5
0
.0F
F
Ceiling with exposed beams tend to impeded
proper inlet air flow patterns
Example of air flow in a house with exposed
beams
32.2C

30

25
2
4
.4 2
8
.8

2
1
.0
1
7
.4 20

15.6C
Dropped ceilings are also easier to clean
Last but not least a dropped ceiling creates a
solar heated air space
5
0.0
C
5
0
Which can be utilized as a source of warm
ventilation air during cold weather
4
8

4
6

4
4

4
2
4
2.0
C
A modern broiler house should utilize a
radiant heating system
Traditional hot air furnaces do a good job of
heating the ceilingnot the floor
4
0.0
C
4
0

3
9
.9

3
5

3
5
.8

3
0

2
8
.7

2
5

2
3.9
C
Which can result in very poor conditions at
floor level.
4
0.0
C
4
0

3
3
.6

3
5

2
6
.4 3
0
2
8
.0

2
5

2
3.9
C
Hot ceilingcool chicks
38.0C
38

36

34

32

30
30.0C
There is another weakness of hot air poultry
house heating systems
40.0C
40

35

30

25

20
20.0C
Uniform floor temperatures
% C
0.0 40.0C
40.0 40
0.0
37.8
0.0
35.6
3.3 35
33.4
94.1
31.2
2.5
29.0 30
0.0
26.8
0.0
24.6
0.0 25
22.4
0.0
20.2
0.0
18.0 20
0.0
20.0C
20 40 60 80 100
Air/floor temperature 30oC
40.0C
40

35

30

25
25.0C
Chicks seeking warmer floor temperatures
40.0C
40

33.8
35

30.2
30

25

20

18.0C
Radiant heating systems provide direct floor
heating and
42.0C
42

40
35.0C
38

36
35
34

32

30

28
28.0C

30

25

20

18.0C
Provide a range of floor temperatures,
providing options for the birds
40.0C
4
6.0
C
40
4
5

3
1.6
4
0
35
4
8.1
3
5
3
7.8
3
0
30

2
5

25
2
0
25.0C
2
0.0
C
Last but not least, radiant heating systems are
generally 10 to 30% more energy efficient

33.6 36.0C
36

36.0
34

32

32.0
30
30.3

28
28.0C
One possible exception to this rule would be a
biomass heating system
Where some type of inexpensive fuel/waste
product is used to heat the house

Poult r y lit t er

W ood chips
 Relative Humidity (%)

100

30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
21-Nov95
23-Nov
25-Nov
27-Nov
29-Nov
1-Dec
3-Dec
5-Dec
7-Dec
9-Dec
11-Dec
13-Dec
15-Dec
17-Dec
19-Dec
21-Dec
23-Dec
25-Dec
27-Dec
and generally produce improved air

29-Dec
qualitylower CO2 levels and humidity

Propane
Wood chip
Next a modern broiler house should have a
proper side wall inlet system
 The objective of a negative pressure
ventilation inlet system
Is to keep the cold air next to the ceiling as long as possible
Maximizes heating
Maximizes moisture holding ability of the air
Minimizes drafts.
100%
5C
15 C 25 C
10 C 50% 25%
75%
Proper cold weather inlet air flow pattern
Proper conditioning of incoming air
32.0C
2
4
.0

30
2
2
.6
1
8
.7
1
0
.4
25

20

17.0C
Proper conditioning of incoming air
4
0.0
C
4
0

3
5

3
0

2
5

2
0
2
0.0
C
To obtain maximum conditioning of incoming
air..
Proper inlet construction
Recessed inlet
Directional blade

Positioning
Top of the side wall
Next to smooth ceiling

Static pressure
Approximately 25 Pa
Example of poor conditioning of incoming air
due to improper inlet placement
40.0C
40

35
35
30
30
30
25
20
25
20

1
0
5
2
10
25.0C
Example of poor conditioning of incoming air
due to improper inlet design
35.0C
35
34
30
3
32
0
30
30
20
5
28
25
26
20
10
24
20
6
.0
1
6
2
0
3 C
.0C
Example of poor conditioning of incoming air due
to improper inlet positioning, pressure
3
2.2
C

3
0

2
5

2
0

1
5
1
4.4
C
Ideally a modern broiler house should ideally be equipped with a
minimum ventilation/attic inlet system
This inlet system is for use during very cold weather, with
just a few fans to control air quality
The inlets could draw air out of an attic space
5
0.0
C
5
0

4
8

4
6

4
4

4
2
4
2.0
C
And deliver it to the center of the house
35.0C

34

32

30

28

26

24

23.0C
High above the birds heads
39.0C

38

36

3
0
.8 3
4
.0 34
1
6
.2 2
2
.8

32

30

28

26
25.4C
and above a houses heating system
Attic inlet system above hot water fin tubes
105.0F

100

90

80

70

60

53.4F
Attic inlet system above hot water fin tubes
3
8.0
C

3
5

3
0

2
5

2
0

1
5
1
5.0
C
Last but not least to grow a modern broiler a house
should be equipped with a tunnel ventilation system
To maximize bird cooling during hot weather.
Bird cooling is all about air movement
The higher the level of air movement the greater the
amount of heat that can be removed from the birds.
38.0C
38.0C
38
38

36
36

34
34

32
32

30
30

28
28

26
26

25.0C
25.0C
Broilers in tunnel house during hot weather
35.0C

34

1.75 m/sec
2.75 m/sec 32

30

28.2C
All of these systems would work together to give the producer
the ability to create the optimal growing environment.
Regardless of outside conditions.

The houses environmental controller simply stages through the various

heating and cooling stages.
Minimum ventilation heating system
below target temperature
Minimum ventilation side wall fans
Timer or variable speed fans would operate (based on Rh)
Minimum ventilation attic inlets
Or attic inlets could be used
Minimum ventilation fans operate constant
+0.5oC
or chimney fans could be used
+0.5oC
Moderate ventilation a tunnel fan is added
+0.5oC
Moderate ventilation
+2.0oC
Low level tunnel ventilation
+3.5oC
Med. level tunnel ventilation
+4.0oC
High level tunnel ventilation
+4.5oC
Or tunnel fans can be used for all stages of
ventilation
Minimum ventilation
+0.5oC
Moderate ventilation
+1.5oC
Moderate ventilation
+2.0oC
Low level tunnel ventilation
+3.5oC
Med. level tunnel ventilation
+4.0oC
High level tunnel ventilation
+4.5oC
Lastly water is added to the pad system
+5.0oC
The same system is required for all types of
poultrybecause the needs are the same
poultryventilation.com