Evaporative Cooling with Fogging Nozzles in Broiler Houses

Abstract

ABSTRACT TWO broiler houses were equipped with high pressure fogging-type evaporative cooling equipment. It was found that the systems could lower dry-bulb temperatures in the houses by 3.3 to 4.4 °C (6 to 8 °F). When compared to the performance of birds grown in conventional houses, the birds from the evaporatively cooled houses exhibited superior body weight, feed conversion, mortality and condemnation rates. The percent USDA Grade A was slightly higher for the birds from the conventional houses. Cooling also allowed the use of a uniform stocking density in the houses throughout the year (it was not necessary to reduce bird numbers during the summer). It was estimated that the economic return from improved bird performance and the increased number of birds that could be produced in the building would payback the increased invest.