Ventilation control systems aid cage-free layer house design

Advances in ventilation control system technology could assist the transition to cage-free layer housing.

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(Branex | Dreamstime.com)
(Branex | Dreamstime.com)

Advances in ventilation control system technology could assist the transition to cage-free layer housing.

“There is so much going on in the control system world,” Richard Gates, Ph.D., director of the Egg Industry Center (EIC) at Iowa State University, said during the session, “Ventilation basics of cage-free aviaries,” held as part of the Midwest Poultry Federation (MPF) Virtual Convention.

“It’s really expanding and it’s so much more than environmental control.”

In addition to ventilation, control systems can be used to manage lighting, nest doors, pop-up doors, egg and feed management, feed and water use records, alarm conditions and more. 

Cage-free aviaries have unique needs

In the past four years, more than 229 grocery stores and food companies have pledged to transition to 100% cage-free eggs by a set date. In addition, more than 70 million U.S. citizens currently reside in states that have legislation requiring the adoption of cage-free.

Between pledges and legislation, over 224 million cage-free layers will be needed by 2026. As of April 2021, there are 86 million cage-free layers. To meet this goal, there will be an influx of new cage-free aviaries in the next few years.

“There’s going to be a lot of construction going on. That’s going to be good news if you’re in construction or an allied industry,” Gates said. “Facilities are getting bigger, but they still need to be ventilated.”

Control system technology

Some of the recent advances in control system technology include remote access, touch screens, graphical user interfaces and improved reliability.

“I think what you’re going to see is that this sector is really going to scale up it’s Internet of Things applications,” explained Gates.

The Internet of Things (IoT) automatically collects data from sensors and other internet-enabled equipment located throughout the layer house. This could help operators remotely manage and monitor the ventilation and environmental conditions of cage-free houses.

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