Effects of Harmful Gases Emitted from Poultry Houses on Productive and Health Performance

Abstract

Air pollution in the environment in which poultry is raised is one of the most serious problems facing the poultry sector across various aspects of production. Perhaps the most dangerous gas emitted from poultry houses is ammonia. The high concentrations of this gas in the air above the permissible limits (15 ppm) will have disastrous consequences. Ammonia directly affects the health and safety of birds, as it is a cause of ammonia blindness in birds accompanied by many respiratory diseases that destroy production and increase breeding costs. In addition, high concentrations of ammonia (above 20 ppm) contribute to enhancing the infection of birds with Newcastle and the bronchitis virus. In general, the greenhouse gases emitted from poultry houses included four main gases (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and hydrogen sulphide). Studies regarding their direct effects on the health and productivity of birds have been insufficient. In the direct form, as the concentrations of greenhouse gases rise to very high limits, they cause suffocation and death., the behaviour of the greenhouse gases in the indirect effect is reflected being a source of nutritional stress and a group of diseases and parasites which lead to a decrease in productivity levels. The intensity and concentrations of gas emissions are directly related to many factors such as geographic location, the season of the year, ventilation technologies, humidity, litter quality, nutritional status and stocking density. The advances in ventilation technologies have played a key role in expelling all harmful gases, especially those that depend on negative pressure. However, greenhouse gases remain a real threat to the poultry industry in particular and to the planet’s environment in general.

Potential control of ammonia emissions from poultry droppings by using biochar with insight to its effect on growth rate and liver cytokines

“…Excessive level of CO2 in poultry farms lead to respiratory distress, gasping and decreased appetite for feed and so, it causes changes in the activity, behaviour and production (Gerritzen et al 2008). Consequently, the increased percentage of biochar may lead to elevation of CO2 which may participate in lowering the efficiency of 20% BC group compared to 10%BC group (Al-Kerwi et al,2022).…”

A Smart IoT-Enabled Cage for the Farming of Ground Birds

“…It requires a lot of care, labor to look after them for timely feeding and also cleanliness [2]. The most challenging job is to keep the floor/bedding of the chicks clean, as a delay in cleaning the droppings of the chicks results in harmful bacteria growth and the release of ammonia gas [3,4], which results in breathing problems and other diseases such as Fowlpox and Coryza [5]. Chicks are also very sensitive to temperatures, especially when their age is less than six weeks, and an ambient temperature must be maintained to recommended values [6].…”