Ammonia and Ventilation: A Balancing Act

Dr. Mike Czarick and Dr. Brian D. Fairchild at the University of Georgia recently compared ammonia concentration and minimum ventilation rates in poultry houses. They found that the cyclical nature of ammonia generation means that to make a significant impact on ammonia concentrations, large changes in fan runtime need to be made.

However, that doesn’t mean indefinite increases in minimum ventilation are required. Instead, they promote preventing high ammonia levels in the first place by:

  • Removing cake between flocks and ventilate to dry litter as soon as the birds leave the house
  • Use a litter treatment according to manufacturer’s recommendations
  • Closely manage relative humidity in the house

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