Wood heat could benefit poultry health, environment

The dry heat produced by wood boiler systems could help reduce the incidence of digestive ailments in chickens and improve foot health, while also using fewer fossil fuels.

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The dry heat produced by wood boiler systems could help reduce the incidence of digestive ailments in chickens and improve foot health, while also using fewer fossil fuels, according to new research from West Virginia University.

“This project is investigating the use of wood-based energy in the poultry industry. Specifically, we are looking at chicken health in paired studies of common heating systems using propane versus systems that use woody biomass,” explained Shawn Grushecky, assistant professor of energy land management, West Virginia University.

“Bird performance, foot pad lesions and Interleukin 6 concentration in blood plasma were measured to determine the bird’s immune response to environment and nutrition.”

Chicken welfare and foot pad score improvements

With a wood boiler system, water is heated by burning wood byproducts – once a waste product in the forestry industry. Heat generated by the byproduct warms water that then runs through the heat exchanger in the poultry barn, creating a dry heat.

Chickens raised in houses heated with a wood boiler system displayed improvements to their foot pad scores, an important indicator of welfare.

Sustainability benefits of wood heat

Another benefit of using wood heat in poultry houses is the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Wood energy conversion is both clean and renewable, while still maintaining high-energy efficiency.

The use of byproducts from timber harvesting, such as chips, pellets and sawdust, is currently underutilized in the region, Grushecky said. The hope is that research like this encourages more farmers to use it as a source of heat in their facilities.

“The biggest challenge is getting the growers comfortable with the wood-based system. There is a little bit of a learning curve associated with these, and the infrastructure is not as developed as the normal fuel systems.in None of these challenges are overly difficult to address, especially as more growers become familiar with these systems,” he added.

The research is supported by a $250,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service grant and support from industry partners Pilgrim’s Pride, Poultry Specialties and Allegheny Wood Products.

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