This document discusses environmental factors that affect layer houses, brooder houses, and broiler houses. It outlines optimal temperature, humidity, ventilation, and space requirements for chickens at different ages. In layer houses, the temperature should be 83-89°F and humidity 50-70%. Brooding temperatures for chicks should start at 35°C and decrease weekly until 21°C. Broiler houses aim for 75°F and 50-60% humidity. Proper ventilation is important to regulate conditions and remove harmful gases.

2. Subroto Podder
KU-AT

3. Environmental factors affecting on
Layer house
Brooder house
Broiler house

4. The house where layer is rearing is called
layer house.
Layer housing systems must provide feed,
water, light, air quality, space and sanitation
that promote good health and welfare for
the hens.
Effect of Temperature, Relative Humidity,
Ventilation, Spacing on layer house is very
important.

5. Uniform temperature is essential to maximizing
overall flock performance and economic efficiency.
Feed consumption can be significantly influenced by
minor differences in temperature (one or two
degrees).
Optimum temperature is 83-890F.
If the temperature is to be low and high than the
optimum temperature the rate of layer production is
decreased.

6. Temperature in different zone is given below…..
Zone Temperature
Moderate zone 86 0F
Comfort zone 83-890F
Hot zone 900F
Cold zone 820F

7. Relative humidity 50% and 70%.
Lower relative humidities create a dusty house and
high heating costs while higher relative humidities
can lead to wet litter and high ammonia
concentrations.
RH 60% or lower is maintained air quality tends to
be within acceptable limits.
RH 70% or higher tends to be a fairly accurate
indicator of poor air quality.

8. Fans remove air from the house creating a negative
pressure.
Mixing of the outside air and the inside air prevents
the cooler air from settling near the litter and chilling
the birds.
Inlet openings and air speed coming through the inlet
is important in ensuring that air moves along the
ceiling.
If the inlet opens too much or if the speed of the air
entering through the inlet is too low then the cool air
will fall to the floor more quickly

9. Type Age(in weeks) Deep-litter
(ft2)
Cages(ft2)
Egg-type
chicken
0-8 0.60 0.20
9-18 1.25 0.30
>18 1.50 0.50

10. A special building is not required. It simply must
provide protection from the weather and be
reasonably well light and ventilated.

11. Temperature control is important in the
brooding house.
If the chicks are too cold, they will become
chilled and uncomfortable, and will not eat or
drink.
If the chicks are too hot, they will become
dehydrated.

12. Initial brooding temperature, at the birds' level,
should be 350C and reduced by approximately 30C per
week until 210C is reached.
After six weeks of age, temperatures between 180C
and 210C are desirable.

13. The level of humidity influences the ability of the
bird to cool itself through panting and influences
ammonia production
It is recommended that relative humidity be
maintained between 50-70 percent throughout the
growth period, including the brooding period.
Dusty conditions in the poultry house are associated
with relative humidity below 50 percent.

14. Relative humidity of 70 percent or greater
provides environmental conditions suitable for
microbial growth in the litter.
As the microbial population increases, more
ammonia is generated from nitrogen sources
found in bird fecal material.
Ammonia is a gas that has a negative impact on
bird health and performance.

15. Ventilation is needed to regulate temperature and remove
carbon dioxide, ammonia, other gases, moisture, dust and
odors.
Birds require an abundance of fresh air with low
contaminants such as dust and ammonia.
During the first few days of brooding, little ventilation is
required
proper ventilation is very important as the chicks are
growing.
In commercial barns, fans and inlets are manipulated to
provide uniform air distribution.

16. Age (weeks) 0-3 3-8 >8
m2/bird 0.05 0.07-.09 0.14-0.19
ft2/bird 0.5 0.75-1.0 1.5-2.0

17. The broilers are remaining house is called the
broiler house.
Broilers are hybrid chickens used only for meat.
They live for about 1.5 and their only purpose is
to eat and grow. When they are big enough (2.0
kg live wt) they are slaughtered and sent to the
local market.

18. During first week, the temperature should be
950F at the outer edge.
The temperature is reduced by 50F every week
until 700F is reached.
For best feed efficiency with good growth, a
room temperature of 750F is recommended.
For providing heat to the chicks, electrical
brooders and gas brooders are most commonly
used.

19. Optimum humidity levels reduce dust, and promote better
feathering and growth.
Relative humidity of 50-60% is optimum.
High humidity creates the problem of wet litter while very
low humidity may cause dusty litter resulting in respiratory
trouble and poor feathering.
When very dry and dusty conditions prevail during summer,
it may be advantageous to spray with a fine mist using
fogging nozzles to bring relative humidity to desirable level

20. Ventilation is needed to regulate temperature and
remove carbon dioxide, ammonia, other gases,
moisture, dust and odors.
Birds require an abundance of fresh air with low
contaminants such as dust and ammonia.
During the first few days of broiler, little ventilation
is required
proper ventilation is very important as the chicks are
growing.

21. In commercial barns, fans and inlets are
manipulated to provide uniform air distribution.
During first week, excessive ventilation should
be avoided.
A rapid rate of air change at this time is
neither necessary nor desirable as there is
danger of chilling