Evaporative cooling systems and the performance of broilers

Abstract

The thermal conditions inside poultry houses are very important for the success of this business. It is however necessary to have an adequate animal thermal confort and a minimum cost of material, equipment and energy. This experiment was carried to verify the effect of evaporative cooling systems on the performance of poultry. The building was divided in four equal sectors. The treatments consisted of ventilator and spraying system (VNB), high rotation ventilator and spraying system (VNA), spraying system (NEB), and spraying system connected to the ventilator (NEV). Feed intake, weight gain, mortality of poultry were recorded and the food conversion calculated. It is shown the evaporative cooling systems (VNA e VNB) presented the best results, increasing weight gain with lower values of food conversion and mortalily. The worst results were found for the spraying system connected to the ventilator (NEV).