Abstract
ABSTRACT This study was conducted using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in order to rank broiler breeding farms in Zanjan province, Iran, regarding buildings, installations, and equipment to determine their effects on production factors. Data on 108 farms were collected using designed forms. This data was analyzed based on the effectiveness of each parameter in the production and management category according to experts’ opinion. The results indicated that ventilation systems (fans, inlets, and damper) as well as wall and roof insulation in poultry houses, constituted 66% of the technology coefficient. The stocking density increased through improvement of the mechanization coefficient. Most of these farms used longitudinal or tunnel ventilation and a combination of small and large fans. Roof insulation was mostly done using glass wool, and corrugated plastic while installing the heaters outside the poultry house. In these farms, the use of nipple drinkers and plate feeders was more prevalent. Moreover, the results showed that feed conversion and production indices have a significant correlation with mechanization coefficient so that farms with better mechanization coefficients had lower conversion ratio (p=0.04) and higher production indices (p=0.015). In general, the results indicated that ventilation and air inlet systems, as well as wall and roof building technologies have the greatest influence on the mechanization coefficient, while better mechanization coefficients translated into improvements in production efficiency and economic performance of poultry farms.
Highlights
Providing a suitable place to breed birds is an important issue in poultry production
Regarding the insulation of the roof, walls and windows, the results indicated that 74% of the poultry houses in the province lacked proper roof insulation, made with fiberglass, while 26% of the houses had suitable insulation of the roof in order to prevent heat loss
As for the feeder and drinker systems used in poultry houses, the results indicated that 37% of houses used plate feeders, 47% used chain feeders and 16% used manual feeding (Table 7)
Summary
Providing a suitable place to breed birds is an important issue in poultry production. Poultry are among homoeothermic species that can maintain their body temperature constant; this mechanism is effective within the normal range of environment temperature. Poultry are not able to regulate their body temperature above or below their endurance limit (Daghir, 2008). In accordance with different regional environments are among the important considerations for creating suitable environmental conditions (Lacy & Czarick, 1992). Various environmental variables such as temperature, humidity, air flow speed, ventilation rate and concentration of airborne particles, gases and microorganisms determine the environmental quality in poultry houses (Mitchell et al, 2002)
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