Preparing Your Barn for Winter: Essential Strategies

As temperatures decrease, vulnerabilities within barns can become increasingly pronounced. Issues such as air leaks, inadequate airflow, and excessive moisture can lead to rising fuel costs, stressed livestock, and inconsistent bird performance.

According to Gabriel Gagné-Marcotte, CEO of Energy Solutions Air:

“When we talk about litter condition, the critical period is always around 18 to 23 days old birds. This is the window where we must focus our efforts to ensure a good end of the flock.”

In order to ensure a successful winter season, efficient producers begin preparations early by implementing effective airflow management that minimizes energy loss, maintains dry litter, and enhances the overall performance of their flocks.

The Three Major Challenges of Winter

1. Moisture and Litter Issues

• Excess moisture can create a conducive environment for diseases such as inclusion body hepatitis (IBH), enterococcus cecorum (EC), and infectious bursal disease (IBD).
• Increased disease prevalence can lead to a rise in condemns and performance decline, which ultimately affects profitability.
• Litter plays a critical role in moisture regulation; however, over-reliance can lead to it becoming compacted and overly wet, resulting in issues that can be difficult to rectify.

2. Heat Loss and Air Infiltration

• Uncontrolled air infiltration creates cold spots, causing heaters to operate inefficiently.
• The presence of cold drafts can stress birds, resulting in uneven distribution within the barn.
• Even minor air leaks can disrupt effective airflow patterns and the functioning of standard air inlets.

3. Ineffective Air Distribution

• Maintaining the correct negative pressure ensures that fresh air travels across the barn and mixes with warm air rather than settling near the inlets.
• If negative pressure is not adequately managed, cool air tends to mix too soon, leading to condensation and degradation of litter quality near the inlets.
• Such cold spots can result in microclimates, contributing to uneven growth and diminished flock performance.

Winter Readiness Checklist

• Inspect and seal any leaks in the barn. Adjust openings of air inlets as necessary.
• Maintain a negative static pressure between 0.06 and 0.12 WC to encourage proper air mixing. These settings should be tailored according to barn width for optimal distribution.
• Regularly clean and inspect fans, inlets, and sensors.
• Monitor humidity levels and litter conditions daily, targeting below 65 percent humidity.
• Adjust minimum ventilation proportionate to measured humidity levels.

Top Recommendations for Winter Efficiency

At Energy Solutions Air, we strongly advocate for maintaining high air quality throughout the winter months. By utilizing a heat exchanger for ventilation, producers can potentially achieve fuel savings of approximately 50%. This system not only enhances litter quality but simplifies air flow management, optimizing overall barn performance.

Take Action

Ready to enhance your barn’s winter efficiency? Contact us at +1-855-573-2877 to learn more about our innovative solutions.

For further information, visit our website.