M. P. Lacy

MONITORING POULTRY DEEP BODY TEMPERATURE USING BIOTELEMETRY

The use of implanted biotelemetry sensors for measuring poultry deep body temperature responses to ambient temperatures was investigated. The measurement procedure was validated in a two part study. In the first part, the ambient temperature was held constant and measurements of deep body temperature were collected over 24 h periods to detect diurnal rhythms. In the second part, ambient temperature was increased above normal growing conditions and deep body temperature responses to these increases were recorded. The telemetry measurement system was successful in detecting deep body temperature variations due to the diurnal rhythm and increases in ambient temperature. These results are promising for future use of biotelemetric measurements of deep body temperature as early indicators of heat stress.

Assessment of poultry deep body temperature responses to ambient temperature and relative humidity using an on-line telemetry system.

This article evaluates the effectiveness of using a telemetric deep body temperature (DBT) measurement system in determining the effects of stressful combinations of ambient temperature (AT) and relative humidity (RH) conditions on poultry. Three levels of ambient temperature (31, 34, and 37°C) and two levels of relative humidity (50 and 80%) were considered. Treatments were applied using a Latin square design and repeated measures of deep body temperature were made during 5 h exposures. Results showed that the measured responses were consistent among all birds, significantly different for the different environmental conditions, and a change in response from one set of conditions to the other was clearly attributed to the change in AT and RH conditions and not to fluctuations in the measurement system or in between bird variation. This ability to detect DBT responses to different environmental conditions in real time could be used as the stepping stone for developing more optimal closed loop environmental controllers which use DBT responses as a feedback variable.

Ammonia and Fine Particulates Inside and Outside Tunnel Ventilated Broiler Houses – A First Look

Air emissions from animal feeding operations have become a growing concern. Much work has been done to study occupational exposures and the exhaust concentrations associated with animal facilities, however little information has been provided about air quality around the houses. This study investigates ammonia and PM2.5 (particulate matter = 2.5 um in diameter) inside and outside (up to 152 m from the house) of commercial tunnel-ventilated broiler houses on a farm (6 houses 11 x 130 m) in northeast Georgia. PM2.5 was measured in real time using aerosol monitors and on a time-integrated basis using cyclone samplers. Ammonia was measured using electrochemical sensors. None of the 24-h PM2.5 measures collected when the houses were in tunnel ventilation exceeded the U.S. EPA 24-h National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 65 ug/m3. Ammonia levels outside the house appeared to be considerably less than 1 ppm, but wind direction at the site was not recorded and wind at a remote weather station was contrary to the direction of the sensors on the days that ammonia data were taken. Additional study is needed to confirm these results.