Hot Weather Poultry Ventilation and Management Webinars

Summary

Environmental control within poultry houses is an important factor in poultry production. Ventilation is a key component of poultry house environmental control in maintaining conditions conducive to achieve optimum bird health and performance. Grower income is reduced as energy costs continue to rise. Understanding how to ventilate and operate poultry houses to achieve and maintain productive environments during cold weather is crucial for both the grower and the integrator. This year, due to COVID-19, a 12-webinar series was developed to provide these trainings. This workshop is used to educate people that are new to poultry production and to provide continuing education for others in the poultry industry. During these webinars, broiler flock supervisors and allied industry personnel are trained on ventilation principles, poultry environmental requirements and ventilation system design and operation.

Situation

Broiler house design has improved greatly over the last 30 years to meet the requirements of modern broilers. As a result, environmental conditions can be controlled much more closely with outside weather conditions having less of an effect. Management of these houses is complex and a lack of understanding of basic principles invariably has a negative influence on poultry performance and results in higher operation costs. A need for training flock supervisors who in turn will pass information on to the growers continues to be of high demand. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of our usual workshop that would have been held to provide this educational opportunity. There was a number of people that requested a virtual means of getting this information not only for continuing education requirements, but to help newer employees get the base instruction on the principles of the poultry management and poultry house environmental control.

Response

Thirteen webinars on hot weather poultry ventilation and management were offered. These webinars covered topics that focused on optimum ventilation rates to reduce energy costs while providing conditions for broiler comfort and growth during hot weather. Attendance in Spring 2020 averaged 1,000 people per webinar, representing 70 countries and 30 states

Impact

Several poultry companies had all their flock supervisors attend. After receiving this training, flock supervisors who may have 20-25 farms each are better equipped to address their growers' issues and questions. Depending on the management practices, savings of 10 to 35% in fuel usage have been observed. Conservative estimates of the economic impact that have resulted from lower fuel and electricity usage plus improved livability, growth, feed efficiency and yields exceed $ 2.4 million annually in Georgia annually.

State Issue

Animal Production

Details

• Year: 2020
• Geographic Scope: International
• County: Clarke
• Location: College Station, Athens
• Program Areas:
  • Agriculture & Natural Resources