Dust, ammonia and odors are common in broiler production, and can affect the environment inside the poultry house – compromising chicken health and performance – and beyond.
Airborne emissions from poultry houses can be reduced through filtering or scrubbing the air as it leaves the building. They can also be addressed closer to source, through a variety of measures, some of which were the subject of a special focus at last year’s EuroTier.
Where litter such as chopped or granulate, or pelleted straw, spelt husks, wood pellets, maize silage, lignocellulose and cob granulate are used, several actions can be taken:
1. Litter substrates and additives
Litter substrates can bond humidity, dust and odors, helping to keep down overall emissions.
Additives, such as activated biochar, lime and chalk, and herbal additives and essential oils, among others, seek to optimize the litter, helping to slow microbe proliferation, retain moisture, stabilize the broilers' gut and reduce the need for antibiotics, and improve footpad health.
Litter additives not only improve performance through reducing ammonia and dust, but can improve manure through reducing nitrogen losses.
2. Feed additives
Limiting the crude protein available in diets will limit the amount broilers excrete, so reducing the amount available to bacteria and converted into ammonia.
Various additives are available that can be administered via feed or drinking water that can achieve this, limiting the ammonia in the broilers’ environment.
3. Controlling moisture and temperature
If litter can be kept dry, through under-floor heating, for example, then the growth of nitrifying bacteria will be limited.
However, there are instances where additional moisture is needed, and water fumigation systems and spray coolers can additionally bind dust, so reducing the dust load present in the air. These systems can also distribute additives to reduce ammonia and odors. Use of heat exchangers also reduce respirable dust.
Dust, microorganisms and odors can also be bound through ionization of dust particles.