Spatial behavior of the thermo-luminous conditions of facility laying hens in naturally ventilated vertical system

Abstract

The facilities for laying hens should be designed to provide thermal comfort and satisfactory luminosity for the production of quality eggs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial behavior of thermal conditions and light intensity of facilities for laying hens with vertical cages naturally conditioned during winter and summer. Air temperature, air relative humidity and light intensity data were collected in 75 points distributed evenly through the longitudinal direction of the installation in three tiers of cages (first, third and sixth). Each point represented a set of coordinates (x, y, z), being the x-axis the lines (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5), y-axis the sections (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5) and z-axis the tiers (N1, N2, N3). The spatial behavior of the thermal conditions of the facility was held during the coldest period of winter and the warmest period of summer. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial scheme. In the winter, the temperature showed homogeneous behavior among sections and variable among lines. In the summer, the spatial variability of temperature and humidity was more accentuated than in the winter, mainly among tiers. For both seasons, the center of the facility presented lower light intensity than the lateral. From the spatial behavior of the thermal conditions of the facility laying hens, it is possible to verify the magnitude and variability of temperature, relative humidity and light intensity, identify vulnerable and deficit thermal regions and contribute to decision-making related to thermal conditioning and luminosity of the facility.

Spatial analysis of microclimatic variables in compost-bedded pack barn with evaporative tunnel cooling

“…The microclimatic data collection (temperature and relative humidity of the air) occurred uninterruptedly, 24 hours day -1 , at 5-minute intervals, for fifteen days continuous in summer and fifteen days continuous winter, according to methodology adapted from Freitas et al (2018) and Damasceno et al (2019). The air dry-bulb temperature (t db , °C) and air relative humidity (RH, %) data were recorded using 54 low-cost sensors (DHT22, model AM2302, Aosong Electronics Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, China, relative humidity measurement range from 0 to 100 %, accuracy of ± 2 %, temperature measurement range from -40 ° to + 80 °C, an accuracy of ± 0.5 °C) distributed over the region of the bed and the feeding alley, defining a total measurement area of 55 m × 20 m. The internal area of the CBP was divided into a regular mesh of 5.5 x 3.5 m, totaling 54 points sensors -1 evenly spaced throughout the facility.…”

Air temperature, carbon dioxide, and ammonia assessment inside a commercial cage layer barn with manure-drying tunnels

“…This is due to the air flow coming from the evaporative cooling pads (tunnel ventilation inlet end), which were installed on the gable wall or/and both sidewalls in one end of the building, while fans were installed on the other end. Thus, continuous airflow from the evaporative cooling pads to the exhaust end was noted and provided air with uniform temperature along the width distribution of a poultry house ( Hui et al., 2016 , Freitas et al., 2018 , Freitas et al., 2019 ), with a linear increase from bird heat production ( Gates et al., 1992 ).…”

Spatial Variability of External Egg Quality in Vertical Naturally Ventilated Caged Aviaries

“…The sensors were distributed in these three aviary sections because these sections displayed the greatest variability in summer air temperature in earlier work by Freitas et al [23]. At the 45 points where the temperature and relative humidity sensors were installed (Figure 2), light intensity values were also measured daily using a lux meter (MLM-1011, MINIPA, São Paulo, Brazil) at 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. for three days.…”

“…At the 45 points where the temperature and relative humidity sensors were installed (Figure 2), light intensity values were also measured daily using a lux meter (MLM-1011, MINIPA, São Paulo, Brazil) at 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. for three days. The sensors were distributed in these three aviary sections because these sections displayed the greatest variability in summer air temperature in earlier work by Freitas et al [23]. At the 45 points where the temperature and relative humidity sensors were installed (Figure 2), light intensity values were also measured daily using a lux meter (MLM-1011, MINIPA, São Paulo, Brazil) at 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. for three days.…”