INVESTIGATION OF THERMAL ENVIRONMENT UNIFORMITY IN A TUNNEL-VENTILATED BROILER HOUSE IN THE SUMMER

Abstract

In broiler farming, providing a suitable environment for the birds in the summer months when temperatures rise is very important for bird health and high productivity. In the summer months, broiler houses are generally cooled using evaporative cooling techniques. This can lead to an increase in relative humidity (RH) while lowering the temperature in the indoor environment, which can negatively affect thermal uniformity. This study aims to evaluate the thermal environment by spatially examining environmental factors, including temperature, RH, and temperature-humidity index (THI), in a tunnel-ventilated broiler house. For this purpose, evaluations related to problematic areas and heat stress formations were conducted using temperature and RH data collected from multiple indoor locations throughout the summer season in a commercial broiler facility. The findings revealed a significant temperature difference in the broiler house, with the exhaust fan area exhibiting higher temperatures than the air inlet area. Moderate levels of heat stress were recorded during the daytime hours, indicating that additional cooling measures may be necessary. Moreover, there was a more homogeneous heat distribution at night compared to the daytime.