Prepare your flock for the summer heat – keep chickens healthy and productive

18-06 | |
Prepare your flock for the summer heat – keep chickens healthy and productive
Measurements in the barn must be carried out at animal level (approx. 50 cm in height) to obtain representative values, or values that the chickens actually experience. Photo: Mark Pasveer

As summer arrives in many parts of the world, it is crucial for poultry producers to recognise the significant impact high temperatures can have on chickens. The Coolchicks team offers essential guidance needed to prepare for and mitigate potential episodes of heat stress in your flock.

 

This Editor’s pick is part of our premium content. You can read this article for one month for free as a gift from us. Would you like to read more articles like this? For just €4,- per month, you can have unlimited access to all our premium content.

 

Heat stress is a serious challenge for the poultry industry, but with appropriate monitoring and interventions its impact can be limited.

The THI index is a valuable tool that allows for timely intervention, thereby protecting the welfare and productivity of the animals. Measurement equipment must be regularly maintained and correctly installed in the barn. By intelligently combining these measurements with observations of animal behaviour and performance, targeted measures can be implemented in time to minimise heat stress.

The Flemish research project Coolchicks is dedicated to safeguarding poultry health and welfare during hot weather. It develops practical action plans by integrating existing knowledge with new findings. This is crucial because poultry are highly susceptible to heat stress. The consequences can be severe, including:

  • Reduced production results
  • Compromised animal welfare
  • Lower quality of final products
  • Increased mortality within the barn

Preparing in advance

While many measures can prevent or reduce heat stress, preparation is paramount. It’s crucial to ensure everything is functioning correctly before a heatwave hits. Regularly checking your measurement equipment, cooling systems, and ventilation will significantly minimise the risk of unpleasant surprises when you need them most.

Accurate measurement equipment is indispensable in the barn, yet it is frequently exposed to external influences such as dust and moisture for extended periods and must occasionally withstand unexpected strain. It is therefore important to regularly inspect the sensors to ensure that accurate measurements are maintained.

Cooling systems also require regular maintenance. Particularly in wet cooling, lime scale deposits or biofilm can build up, hindering their effectiveness. Ensure that you have a properly functioning alarm system and retain an emergency generator that can be activated in the event of a power outage.

Factors that influence heat stress

Heat stress is often predicted solely on the basis of temperature, but the chickens’ perception of heat also depends on other factors such as relative humidity and airspeed. Chickens lose their heat primarily through water evaporation (via respiration), meaning that relative humidity plays a significant role in the onset of heat stress. It is important to pay attention to this when utilising wet cooling, and to turn off the cooling if the relative humidity rises above 75%.

Airspeed plays a vital role in cooling your flock. Increased airflow creates a more effective cooling sensation for the chickens by dissipating heat within their immediate microclimate. This microclimate can vary considerably depending on the location in the barn and is influenced by the ventilation pattern.

Often, behavioural differences are observed within the same barn due to these variations. For example, in barns with longitudinal ventilation, chickens tend to pant more the further they are from the air inlet. In a barn with ridge ventilation, panting is especially evident in the corners of the barn and immediately below the exhaust. To optimise ventilation, consider conducting smoke tests and strategically positioning recirculation fans.

Sensor placement

For accurate readings that reflect the chickens’ actual experience, measurements in the barn must be taken at animal level, around 50 cm in height. Temperature and relative humidity can vary significantly within a barn, so careful consideration must be given to the placement of the sensors. If a sensor is placed near the air inlet with atomisation, the cooling effect might be overestimated. It is better to install the sensor in a theoretically warmer location within the barn.

To gain a truly comprehensive understanding of temperature fluctuations in your barn, it’s ideal to install at least 2 sensors: one in the theoretically coolest location and another in the theoretically warmest. These optimal sensor placements can vary based on your barn’s ventilation pattern.

In barns with longitudinal ventilation, the sensor positioned further from the air inlet registers the highest temperature. This aligns with observations where the most panting chickens were found. In contrast, a barn with ridge ventilation shows differing readings across 4 sensors. This could be explained by factors such as the ventilation strategy, the barn’s orientation, and the position of the recirculation fans or the placement of the exhaust shaft. Ideally, consider adding an additional sensor in the middle of the barn. This will provide valuable insight into the microclimate there, completing your temperature map.

Contributors
Contributors Global Poultry Sector Authors
More about