Numerical Analysis of the Impact of the Location of a Commercial Broiler House on Its Energy Management and Heat Exchange with the Ground

This paper addresses the impact of location on energy management and ground heat transfer in a commercial large-scale broiler house. Four locations in Europe were selected for analysis: Krakow (Poland), Vienna (Austria), Modena (Italy), and Oslo (Norway). An analysis of the impact of location on energy management was performed using the numerical method of computing elemental balances (MEB). WUFIplus® computer software was used to assist in the calculation process. Computer simulations of the effects of location on selected technical factors were performed after validating the computational model. The complex area of building and land was divided into cuboidal balance–difference elements using model discretization. Energy and temperature balance calculations were performed for each balance–difference element assuming a time step every 60 min. Validation of the computational model was performed based on the measured temperature inside and outside the broiler house. The variation in outdoor climate significantly affected the energy flow through the building envelope and ventilation system. Providing that the same material and construction solutions are adopted, a building located in the south of Europe requires 43% less energy for heating compared to a building located in the northern part of the continent. Due to it having the highest solar radiation, the highest energy gains were obtained for the building located in Modena. The buildings located in Krakow and Vienna had a 50% lower yield of thermal energy from the external environment. The percentage of land in the energy balance of the studied building ranged from 8.00 to 8.56%, depending on location. The highest energy gains were obtained for the building located in Modena (4112.8 kWh/a). The buildings located in Krakow and Vienna were characterized by a heat energy yield from the external environment that was two times lower. For the site located in Oslo, it was found that the largest thermal energy gain came from the ground medium located under and surrounding the broiler house (1137 kWh/a). The location of the broiler house significantly affects year-round heating needs. The building located in Oslo required 677,207.2 kWh/a of energy for heating purposes.

Effects of Early Nutrition of Hatched Chicks on Welfare and Growth Performance: A Pilot Study

This study aimed to investigate the possibility of rearing newly hatched chicks with immediate access to feed and water in the same hatching unit one week prior to transferring them to the conventional broiler house with special regards to foot pad health and growth performance. Two trials were performed with a total of 6900/6850 (trials 1/2) broiler chickens (ROSS 308). A total of 3318/3391 chicks (trials 1/2) were transported from the hatchery (duration of about 3 h) and reared in a conventional broiler house (control group: delayed nutrition on-hatchery hatched). The control group did not receive any form of nutrition until they were taken to conventional broiler housing. Additionally, a total of 3582/3459 (trials 1/2) embryonated eggs (d 18) were obtained from the same parent flock of the same commercial hatchery and taken to the farm facility. After on-farm hatch, the chicks had immediate access to water and feed (experimental group: early nutrition on-farm hatched). After d 6/7 of life, the on-farm hatched chicks (trials 1/2) were transferred to the broiler house on the same facility. The delayed nutrition on-hatchery hatched groups displayed a significantly lower dry matter content in the litter compared to the early nutrition on-farm hatched groups (two-factorial analysis) at d 6/7 and d 14 of life. However, thereafter, no significant differences were noted. Based upon two-factorial analysis, the early nutrition on-farm hatched groups revealed lower foot pad lesions from d 14 of life onwards and showed a higher body weight (BW) throughout the rearing period compared to the delayed nutrition on-hatchery hatched groups (p < 0.05). Overall, early nutrition on-farm hatched chickens is of critical importance together with using new litter at d 7 to maintain healthy foot pads as well as to enhance nutrient utilization and optimize the growth performance.

Evaluation of broiler dark house illumination systems, with and without thermal insulation

In the breeding of broiler house, the proper use of lighting systems has great influence on the welfare and the productivity of the birds. The objective was to evaluate two artificial lighting systems used in broiler house in terms of the allocative efficiency of luminance. One of the broiler house was closed with black raffia bag (dark house), without thermal insulation (NTI) and its lighting was composed of incandescent, compact fluorescent light (LFCs) and light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. The other broiler house was closed with extruded polystyrene panels (XPS) and thermally insulated (TI), and its lighting was composed of compact fluorescent lamps. The influence of external light of sun inside the broiler house was analyzed by means of exhaust holes and the degree of distribution of illumination through statistical analyzes and the study of the distribution uniformity coefficient (DUC). Contour maps were prepared showing the degree of internal luminance distribution for each broiler house, specifically in the area that did not suffer interference from external natural sunlight. The results showed that natural lighting influenced the internal lighting across the last 18 meters at the end of the broiler house and there was a more homogeneous lighting in the broiler house TI.

On-site Investigation of Airborne Bacteria and Fungi According to Type of Poultry Houses in South Korea

A field survey was conducted to quantify indoor exposure levels and emission rates of airborne microorganisms generated from domestic poultry buildings. There were three types of poultry buildings (caged layer house, broiler house, and layer house with manure belt), classified by the mode of manure treatment and ventilation, investigated in this study. Nine sites for each poultry building were selected and visited for measuring the exposure level and emission rate of airborne microorganisms. The total number of airborne bacteria and fungi among the airborne microorganisms were analysed based on the incubation method. Their emission rates were estimated by dividing the emission amount, which was calculated through multiplying indoor concentration (cfu/m3) by ventilation rate (m3/h), into the indoor area(m2) and the number of poultries reared in the poultry building. The mean exposure levels of the total airborne bacteria and fungi in the poultry building were 7.92 (SD:2.66) log (cfu m-3) and 4.92 (SD:1.79) log (cfu m-3), respectively. Emission rates of airborne microorganisms in poultry buildings were estimated to be 0.263 (±0.088) log (cfu hen-1h-1) and 0.839 (±0.371) log (cfu m-2h-1) for total airborne bacteria, and 0.066 (±0.031) log (cfu hen-1h-1) and 0.617 (±0.235) log (cfu m-2h-1) for total airborne fungi. The distribution patterns of the total airborne bacteria and fungi were similar regardless of poultry building type. Among poultry buildings, the broiler house showed the highest exposure level and emission rate of total airborne bacteria and fungi, followed by the layer house with manure belt and the caged layer house (p<0.05). The finding that the broiler house showed the highest exposure level and emission rate of airborne microorganisms could be attributed to sawdust, which can be dispersed into the air by the movement of the poultry when it is utilized as bedding material. Thus, a work environmental management solution for optimally reducing airborne microorganism exposure is necessary for the broiler house.

The Effect of Dietary Halloysite Supplementation on the Performance of Broiler Chickens and Broiler House Environmental Parameters

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of supplementing broiler chickens’ diets with halloysite on daily body weight gain (BWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), daily water consumption (DWC), and some broiler house hygiene parameters. The trial was conducted on 18,000 broiler chickens divided into two groups throughout the 42-day (D) rearing period. The birds were fed complete diets without (group C) or with halloysite addition (1%, group E) from D8 of rearing. No difference in the mortality rate was observed between groups C and E. Birds from group E had a tendency (0.05 < p < 0.10) towards a higher body weight at D32 and D42, a higher BWG, and a lower FCR compared to group C during the entire rearing period. Average DWC differed only in the finisher period, with a tendency towards lower overall DWC in group E. The concentration of ammonia in the air from D21 to D35 was increased more than 5-fold in group C but only 1.5-fold in group E. In conclusion, the use of halloysite as a feed additive in the diet of broiler chickens resulted in a reduction in feed consumption per unit of BWG and higher utilisation of crude protein, which led to improved environmental conditions.

Association of Broiler Litter Microbiome Composition and Campylobacter Isolation

Infection with Campylobacter species is one of the leading causes of bacterial diarrhea in humans in the US. Chickens, which become colonized on the farm, are important reservoirs of this bacterium. Campylobacter can establish itself in the broiler house via a variety of sources, can survive in the litter of the house, and possibly persist over successive flock cycles. However, the role of the broiler litter microbiome on Campylobacter persistence is not clear. A matched case-control study was conducted to determine whether the broiler litter microbiome composition was associated with Campylobacter isolation within the broiler house. Flocks were classified as cases when either Campylobacter jejuni or Campylobacter coli was isolated in boot sock samples, or as controls otherwise. Case and control flocks were matched at the broiler house level. Composite broiler litter samples were collected and used for DNA extraction and 16S rRNA gene V4 region sequencing. Reads were processed using the DADA2 pipeline to obtain a table of amplicon sequence variants. Alpha diversity and differential bacterial relative abundance were used as predictors of Campylobacter isolation status in conditional logistic regression models adjusting for flock age and sampling season. Beta diversity distances were used as regressors in stratified PERMANOVA with Campylobacter isolation status as predictor, and broiler house as stratum. When Campylobacter was isolated in boot socks, broiler litter microbiome richness and evenness were lower and higher, respectively, without reaching statistical significance. Campylobacter isolation status significantly explained a small proportion of the beta diversity (genus-level Aitchison dissimilarity distance). Clostridium and Anaerostipes were positively associated with Campylobacter isolation status, whereas Bifidobacterium, Anaerosporobacter, and Stenotrophomonas were negatively associated. Our results suggest the presence of bacterial interactions between Campylobacter and the broiler litter microbiome. The negative association of Campylobacter with Bifidobacterium, Anaerosporobacter, and Stenotrophomonas in litter could be potentially exploited as a pre-harvest control strategy.

Maximising Productivity and Eliminating Campylobacter in Broilers by Manipulating Stocking Density and Population Structure Using ‘Biosecurity Cubes’

This study investigates the effect of stocking density and population dynamics on broiler growth rates and productivity, while further validating the ability of the biosecurity cubes (BC) to protect birds from Campylobacter. In our methodology, six BC were constructed in a commercial broiler house containing approximately 28,500 birds. During three trials, the BC were stocked at densities of 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22 birds/m2, with the main flock (20 birds/m2) considered the control. Periodically, 10 birds per density were weighed and examined. The Campylobacter status of the birds was monitored via faecal samples using the ISO 10272: 2017. The stocking density for maximum calculated yield was 20 (trials 1 and 2) or 22 birds/m2 (trial 3), followed by 18, 16, 14 and 12. At the stocking rate of 20 birds/m2, the birds in the pen grew faster than those at the same density in the main flock achieving 2 Kg 3–6 days faster. Birds in the BC were observed to be generally healthier, and in some cases, remained Campylobacter negative, even after the main flock was infected. Our results conclude that dividing the flock into sub-flocks of approximately 20 birds/m2 using BC could increase productivity up to 20%, while preventing Campylobacter.

Characterizing Sounds of Different Sources in a Commercial Broiler House

Audio data collected in commercial broiler houses are mixed sounds of different sources that contain useful information regarding bird health condition, bird behavior, and equipment operation. However, characterizations of the sounds of different sources in commercial broiler houses have not been well established. The objective of this study was, therefore, to determine the frequency ranges of six common sounds, including bird vocalization, fan, feed system, heater, wing flapping, and dustbathing, at bird ages of week 1 to 8 in a commercial Ross 708 broiler house. In addition, the frequencies of flapping (in wing flapping events, flaps/s) and scratching (during dustbathing, scratches/s) behaviors were examined through sound analysis. A microphone was installed in the middle of broiler house at the height of 40 cm above the back of birds to record audio data at a sampling frequency of 44,100 Hz. A top-view camera was installed to continuously monitor bird activities. Total of 85 min audio data were manually labeled and fed to MATLAB for analysis. The audio data were decomposed using Maximum Overlap Discrete Wavelet Transform (MODWT). Decompositions of the six concerned sound sources were then transformed with the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) method to generate the single-sided amplitude spectrums. By fitting the amplitude spectrum of each sound source into a Gaussian regression model, its frequency range was determined as the span of the three standard deviations (99% CI) away from the mean. The behavioral frequencies were determined by examining the spectrograms of wing flapping and dustbathing sounds. They were calculated by dividing the number of movements by the time duration of complete behavioral events. The frequency ranges of bird vocalization changed from 2481 ± 191–4409 ± 136 Hz to 1058 ± 123–2501 ± 88 Hz as birds grew. For the sound of fan, the frequency range increased from 129 ± 36–1141 ± 50 Hz to 454 ± 86–1449 ± 75 Hz over the flock. The sound frequencies of feed system, heater, wing flapping and dustbathing varied from 0 Hz to over 18,000 Hz. The behavioral frequencies of wing flapping were continuously decreased from week 3 (17 ± 4 flaps/s) to week 8 (10 ± 1 flaps/s). For dustbathing, the behavioral frequencies decreased from 16 ± 2 scratches/s in week 3 to 11 ± 1 scratches/s in week 6. In conclusion, characterizing sounds of different sound sources in commercial broiler houses provides useful information for further advanced acoustic analysis that may assist farm management in continuous monitoring of animal health and behavior. It should be noted that this study was conducted with one flock in a commercial house. The generalization of the results remains to be explored.

Contamination Sources and Transmission Routes for Campylobacter on (Mixed) Broiler Farms in Belgium, and Comparison of the Gut Microbiota of Flocks Colonized and Uncolonized with Campylobacter

Biosecurity seems to be the most promising tool for Campylobacter control on poultry farms. A longitudinal molecular epidemiological study was performed during two production cycles, in which the broilers, the poultry house, and the environment of 10 (mixed) broiler farms were monitored weekly. Cecal droppings from the second production cycle were also used for 16S metabarcoding to study the differences in the microbiota of colonized and uncolonized flocks. Results showed that 3 out of 10 farms were positive for Campylobacter in the first production cycle, and 4 out of 10 were positive in the second. Broilers became colonized at the earliest when they were four weeks old. The majority of the flocks (57%) became colonized after partial depopulation. Before colonization of the flocks, Campylobacter was rarely detected in the environment, but it was frequently isolated from cattle and swine. Although these animals appeared to be consistent carriers of Campylobacter, molecular typing revealed that they were not the source of flock colonization. In accordance with previous reports, this study suggests that partial depopulation appears to be an important risk factor for Campylobacter introduction into the broiler house. Metabarcoding indicated that two Campylobacter-free flocks carried high relative abundances of Megamonas in their ceca, suggesting potential competition with Campylobacter.

Broiler recycled litter treatments against Clostridium perfringens and enterobacteria in conventional and dark house systems

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of quicklime and shallow fermentation applications on the reduction of Clostridium perfringens and enterobacteria in recycled poultry litter, in dark house and conventional systems. Eighty litter samples were evaluated, being divided into four groups: litter treated with quicklime in dark house; litter treated with shallow fermentation and quicklime in dark house; and litter treated with quicklime in conventional broiler house; litter treated with shallow fermentation and quicklime in conventional broiler house. Samples were collected one day before slaughter and five days after litter treatment and were subjected to the quantitative microbiological analysis of enterobacteria and C. perfringens. The bacterial load in pre-treated litter was similar between the dark house and conventional systems. The groups treated only with quicklime showed a significant reduction of enterobacteria in both systems. The reduction of C. perfringens was only observed in the litter group treated with shallow fermentation and quicklime, in conventional broiler house. The use of 500 g m-2 quicklime is the most effective method to reduce enterobacteria load in broiler litter both in the dark house and conventional broiler house systems. The combined treatment of shallow fermentation for seven days with the subsequent application of 500 g m-2 quicklime is efficient for the reduction of C. perfringens in broiler litter, in conventional broiler house.