Evaluating Airflow Rates in Traditional and Alternative Egg Production Farms Equipped with Mechanical Ventilation through Direct and Indirect Measurements
Andrea Katherin Carranza Diaz, ARACELI DALILA LARIOS MARTÍNEZ, Magali-Wen St-Germain, Valérie Létourneau, Caroline Duchaine, Stéphane Godbout, Sébastien Fournel, Research and Development Institute for the Agri-environment
Abstract Number: 196
Working Group: Bioaerosols in Agriculture: Sources, Risks and Mitigation
Abstract
The poultry industry is increasingly pressured to enhance animal welfare standards in Canada and globally. As part of this trend, accurately estimating emissions of gases, dust, and bioaerosols from animal housing is critical for assessing environmental and social impacts. Ventilation rate (VR) is a crucial parameter in emission estimation and is influenced by various factors, including environmental conditions, animal behavior, building characteristics, and ventilation system type. However, existing methods for VR calculation often entail significant uncertainty. Visits were made to different egg-producing farms in southern Quebec. The selection of farms was based on the type of production systems (enriched cages (EC), cage-free systems (CFS), conventional egg production (CP)), the number of laying hens, the geographic location of farms, and the availability of producers to participate in the study. CO2 concentration, air velocity, humidity, and temperature were measured in the barns. At the same time, the building and ventilation system were characterized. The average results showed that the VR [m3 h-1 hen-1] by the direct method were CC = 0.6, EC = 0.5, CFS = 0.7; by CO2 balance were CC = 0.7, EC = 0.6, CFS = 1.1 and finally by heat balance were CC = 0.8, EC = 0.9, CFS= 0.9. VR values calculated by the three methods were closer for the CP systems and more dispersed for EC and CFS systems, respectively. Corrections factors need to be determined under controlled conditions to improve the estimation of VR by direct and indirect methods. These efforts are crucial for advancing the accuracy of ventilation rate assessments in poultry housing, ultimately contributing to improved environmental and welfare outcomes in the industry.