Innovative Cooling Strategy for Broiler Production: The Combined Evaporative Cooling and Sprinkler System

Project #740 Overview

Research led by Jonathan W. Moon from the Department of Poultry Science at Mississippi State University has unveiled promising results regarding heat management in commercial broiler barns. The study focused on a combined evaporative cooling and sprinkler system (ECSS) as a potential alternative to traditional evaporative cooling methods (EC).

Research Objectives and Methodology

The primary aim was to evaluate how the ECSS impacts various factors including in-house environmental conditions, water consumption, feed utilization rates, and overall bird performance. The study spanned two commercial-sized broiler houses over the course of two summer flocks, ensuring comprehensive data collection in real-world settings.

Key Findings

The findings from this research are significant:

• The ECSS effectively reduced in-house relative humidity, contributing positively to bird comfort.
• There was a notable reduction of approximately 39% in cooling water usage compared to conventional systems.
• Bird core body temperatures and performance metrics remained comparable to those achieved using traditional cooling methods.

These findings indicate that the ECSS not only enhances water-use efficiency but also safeguards bird welfare in challenging environments characterized by heat and humidity.

Conclusion

This research supports the viability of the combined cooling systems as an effective strategy for managing heat stress in commercial broiler production settings. Implementing ECSS could result in substantial benefits for producers while maintaining the health and welfare of the birds.

Further Information

For an in-depth look at the research findings, you can access the summary on the USPOULTRY website. Additional resources and information on similar research can also be found by visiting the USPOULTRY website.

Source

This article is based on a press release from the US Poultry and Egg Association.