Environmental Controlled Housing in Livestock : Enhancing Animal Well-being and Farm Productivity

Environmental Controlled Housing in Livestock : Enhancing Animal Well-being and Farm Productivity

Livestock housing has evolved from traditional open barns to sophisticated environmental controlled systems, marking a significant advancement in animal husbandry practices. The importance of environmental controlled housing in livestock management cannot be overstated, as it addresses multiple challenges posed by climate variability, disease control, and the overall well-being of animals.

Livestock housing plays a crucial role in ensuring the well-being, productivity, and overall health of animals. As the challenges posed by climate change, extreme weather events, and changing environmental conditions become more pronounced, the adoption of environmental controlled housing has become imperative for sustainable and efficient livestock management. The environmental control of livestock housing plays a pivotal role in ensuring the well-being of animals and enhancing farm productivity. Among various aspects of environmental management, ventilation stands out as a fundamental element. Proper ventilation helps in providing fresh air, controlling humidity, and maintaining an optimal temperature for livestock. Let’s delve into the significance and methods of ensuring effective ventilation for livestock.

Introduction

Current environmental controlled conditions for animals are primarily found in industry and government publications.Many of the current intensive livestock production systems require the provision of a controlled environment for housed stock. Pigs, poultry and animals are the most often associated with controlled environments in commercial agriculture; however, there are other animals that can also thrive in controlled conditions at some time during their lives.Most farmers would think an animal’s ‘environment’ involves little more than temperature and humidity, but it goes much farther than that. ‘Environment’ embraces other factors like air speed, air quality, light level and colour and surrounding surface materials. Well-designed systems will maximise outputs by increasing growth and lowering mortality, while reducing inputs, particularly feed and energy, and improving stock health and welfare. Some of the essential principles involved are covered in this article.

 Climate Adaptation and Animal Comfort:

• Temperature Regulation: Environmental controlled housing allows farmers to regulate temperatures, ensuring optimal conditions for different livestock species.
• Ventilation Systems: Controlled housing provides effective ventilation, minimizing heat stress in hot climates and preventing cold stress in colder regions.
• Humidity Control: Maintaining optimal humidity levels contributes to the overall comfort of animals, preventing respiratory issues and promoting well-being.

Disease Prevention and Biosecurity:

• Isolation and Quarantine: Controlled housing facilitates effective isolation and quarantine measures, preventing the spread of diseases within the herd.
• Reduced Disease Vectors: By limiting exposure to external factors, such as pests and wild animals, controlled environments reduce the risk of disease transmission.

Enhanced Reproductive Success:

• Optimized Breeding Conditions: Controlled environments provide precise control over lighting, temperature, and humidity, contributing to improved reproductive performance.
• Fertility Management: Reduced stress in controlled housing positively influences fertility rates, leading to successful breeding programs.

Improved Feed Conversion and Nutrition:

• Precision Feeding: Controlled housing allows for precision feeding, tailoring nutritional programs to individual animal needs.
• Feed Efficiency: Animals in controlled environments experience less stress, leading to improved feed conversion efficiency and enhanced growth rates.

Efficient Resource Utilization:

• Energy Efficiency: Modern environmental control systems can be designed for energy efficiency, reducing operational costs and resource consumption.
• Water Management: Controlled environments enable better water management, preventing wastage and ensuring optimal hydration for livestock.

Precision Livestock Farming:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Environmental control systems often integrate with data collection tools, allowing farmers to make informed decisions based on real-time information.
• Automation: Automation in controlled environments streamlines various processes, improving operational efficiency and reducing labor demands.

Animal Welfare and Compliance:

• Compliance with Regulations: Controlled housing systems align with animal welfare regulations, providing comfortable living conditions for livestock.
• Ethical Farming Practices: Farmers employing environmental controlled housing demonstrate a commitment to ethical and responsible farming practices.

Waste Management and Environmental Impact:

• Efficient Waste Removal: Controlled housing systems facilitate efficient waste removal and management, minimizing the environmental impact of livestock farming.
• Odor Control: Controlled environments can be designed to control odors, reducing the impact of farming operations on neighboring communities.

Long-Term Sustainability:

• Resilience to Climate Change: Environmental controlled housing equips livestock farming with resilience against the adverse effects of climate change.
• Sustainable Practices: By optimizing living conditions, controlled housing contributes to the long-term sustainability of livestock farming.

Critical environmental issues for different species

Temperature

There is a temperature at which any species or breed of animal confined under a specific set of conditions will begin to divert more energy from growth to maintaining its own body temperature. The lower critical temperature is referred to as this (LCT). In addition, there is a temperature over which the animal will use additional energy to stay cool (Eg. by panting). The upper critical temperature is known too as this (UCT). The thermoneutral zone exists between the LCT and the UCT, and it is here that body ‘maintenance’ factors are minimised, allowing maximum use of food for production. The farmer can obtain the most cost-effective operation and highest margin by fine-tuning within the thermoneutral zone.

The animal’s ability to maintain this body temperature is achieved by thermoregulatory mechanisms. For instance, to lose heat an animal can pant, sweat, the coat can be flattened and the blood vessels dilated. Conversely, to maintain heat there will be an absence of panting, sweating, an erect coat and vasoconstriction. Additionally, at low temperatures an increase in metabolic rate will be needed to provide increased energy to maintain body temperature. The increase in energy usage at the upper end of the environmental temperature scale. It is necessary to provide the animal with a ‘tighter’, more controlled environment for good performance.

Housed cattle can be more susceptible to heat stress than animals kept outside because they simply get hotter. The exception is with grazing cattle, which do not have access to shade in the hottest conditions. Young ruminant stock is more susceptible to extreme conditions. Low temperatures alone are rarely a great problem for the young healthy animal because it can benefit from the heat and shelter provided by the body of its mother, but the effect of high air speed in cold conditions can cause problems. Reference to the wind chill factors in the relationship between temperature and air speed on body heat losses. In buildings for young stock, design of air flow must therefore avoid draughts at animal level. In cases where an animal has been orphaned, intentionally separated from the mother shortly after birth (removing the possibility of maternal warmth) or is sick, provision of additional shelter and supplementary heat can be necessary.

Air speed

LCT and UCT values are notably affected by draughts (for the purposes of this article, for calvesa draught is defined as air moving faster than 0.5m/s). Other species may be more or less tolerant. A well-designed ventilation system subjects the livestock to low air speed in winter to avoid chilling and higher air speed in summer to produce greater evaporative cooling and so raise the UCT. These features are most important and are best achieved with fan ventilation systems. Below table shows how the LCT for pigs goes up as air speed increases and emphasises the importance of avoiding draughts in cold conditions.

Light

Knowledge of the effects of light levels, periods and spectrum is increasing all the time. Recent work has suggested that adjusted daily lighting periods can improve performance in pigs, calves and dairy cows in terms of growth and reproductive performance. Providing sufficient light and appropriate day lengths has also become a welfare issue and now these two factors are set out in welfare standards. One aspect receiving more attention recently is lighting spectrum. In the past, manipulation of the light spectrum has rarely been considered because the technology to put this into practice has not been economically viable. The introduction of LED (light-emitted diode) lighting has changed all this.

Animal responses to aspects of artificial lighting are an important factor in designing a lighting scheme. Using an inappropriate artificial light could result in the illuminance (lux) being too high or too low, or an unsuitable spectral output for the livestock. The consequences of inappropriate lighting may affect the health, production and welfare of your stock because of light-induced biological responses. The key characteristics to consider are:

• Spectral composition –the distribution of light wavelengths (how much of each colour is present)
• Illuminance –the total amount of luminous power produced in the visual part of the light spectrum, measured in lux (based upon the livestock you are considering)
• The number of hours of light and dark (or photoperiod) in a 24-hour period
• Rate of change of lighting level (dawn/dusk simulation)

These are some lighting sources In candescent, Fluorescent, Light-emitting diode, Gas discharge used in house to maintain lights.

Ventilation

Primary purposes of air ventilation systems for non-ruminant livestock houses should be able to satisfy the following major objectives:

• Temperature control– In temperate conditions, provide variable air throughput to control the house temperature to a prescribed level.
• Temperature limitation– In summer conditions, provide adequate air throughput to limit the building temperature to between 3°C and 4°C above the outside temperature.
• Increase upper critical temperature– In very hot conditions, provide high air speeds over the stock to increase animals’ upper threshold of temperature tolerance (UCT).
• Limit air pollutants and build-up of high humidity– In cold conditions, provide enough ventilation to suppress the build-up of polluted, stale or humid air, while maintaining desirable air flow without draughts on the animals and at a rate that minimises the use of heat.

In most mechanical ventilation systems used for livestock applications, the most common component is the propeller fan. These fans are characterised by a ‘paddle’ impeller, which can move large amounts of air at relatively low back pressures. Propeller fans are comparatively cheap, easy to install and reliable. Rather than the paddle blade, some modern types of propeller fan use an impeller with an aerofoil cross-section and are capable of operating at higher pressures.

Heating

Supplementary heating is used to maintain temperature when there is a deficit of heat in a building or an area of a building. If this happens, the temperature may fall below the lower critical temperature of the animals and feed energy will be diverted from growth to maintenance. In extremes, especially for younger stock, low temperatures will have an effect on mortality rates. In British climatic conditions, heating is normally only considered for young, non-ruminant stock. With older non-ruminants, the use of carefully controlled minimum ventilation rates and insulation in adequately stocked buildings will ensure that recommended temperatures are achieved. Occasionally, in very cold conditions, heating may be used to advantage with young ruminant or sick animals. Bright emitter infrared lamp, Notable features, Ceramic dull emitter infrared heater, Panel heaters, Metal-sheathed dull emitter heater, Gas plaque and mesh radiant heaters, Gas-fired tubular heaters etc. are mostly used in livestock.

Having a good environmental control system adapted to the specific needs of each farm directly influences the welfare of the animals and, as a consequence, their productivity and economic results.

Good environmental control, with sufficient air renewal, correct flow, adequate temperature without significant fluctuations, adequate humidity, sufficient insulation, correct lighting,… can lead to better productive results, a higher farrowing rate, increased prolificacy, decreased of the incidence and severity of diseases (especially respiratory ones), higher average daily gain, better conversion rate, reduction of the mortality rate,… Observing the animals, we will be able to know if they are in their thermal comfort zone. In addition, a suitable environment improves the conditions of animal welfare and those of the workers, and also affects the equipment and buildings, since the performance and useful life of the facilities are increased by avoiding condensation and corrosion problems.

In this sense, there are different factors that farmers must take into account to carry out good environmental control in their facilities. The temperature, humidity, the path and speed of the air, the level of gases (such as carbon dioxide and ammonia), the light intensity,… These are factors that influence the comfort of the animals, their performance and the increase in disease susceptibility. That is why each production phase requires a specifically designed environmental control system.

For example, in the maternity ward (one of the most complex cases), the great challenge is to create two very different microclimates in a small space, since, on the one hand, the optimum temperature for the sows is around 17 degrees and, on the other, on the other, the piglets need to be between 32 and 37 degrees and completely isolated from cold surfaces and drafts. If adequate facilities are not available to control the temperature in each area and the air currents at the height of the piglets, the sows may reduce their feed intake and milk production, or the piglets may increase their mortality due to cold or flattening. Regarding this aspect, it should be noted that between 70 and 80% of piglet losses occur in the 72 hours after farrowing due to crushing, but the primary causes are usually lack of vitality due to cold and/or insufficient consumption. of colostrum and milk, or by lying next to the mother when not using the nest area due to not being at the right temperature or having a room temperature that is too high.

The environmental control system is based on entering air from outside the buildings, conditioning it (heating it, cooling it and even filtering it so that viruses do not enter the farm if necessary), distributing it properly inside the buildings ensuring sufficient air renewal without unwanted currents (in order to eliminate the gases, dust and humidity emitted by the animals) and extracting the stale air (which can be cleaned to reduce the emissions of particles, ammonia and bad odors). For this, it is of vital importance that the facilities have adequate thermal insulation, that each component of the system is correctly sized, installed, maintained and adjusted, and that the building is watertight (without unwanted leaks).

The system can be based on natural or mechanical ventilation (forced with fans), special attention must be paid to what type of ventilation may be the most appropriate:

• Natural ventilation. Based on the difference in air pressure (due to the wind) and its density (due to the difference in temperature) between the air inlet and outlet. The amount of ventilation air cannot be controlled, as it depends on atmospheric conditions.
• Forced ventilation: Forced ventilation systems could be further divided into systems. The classification is based on the technical modality used to move the air through the building. Those systems are pressure:

• Positive pressure. With fans that drive air into the interior, while the outlet is produced through openings located at different points of the building.
• Negative pressure. With fans that extract air to the outside, while the entrance occurs through openings located in walls or ceilings. It is currently the most used, easier to control and lower energy consumption.
• Neutral pressure. Fans that force the air into the building and extractors that take the air outside. They carry a higher energy expenditure.

The adoption of environmental controlled housing in livestock management is not merely a luxury but a necessity for modern and sustainable farming practices. As the agricultural landscape faces increased challenges, from climate change to disease outbreaks, providing livestock with a controlled and optimized living environment is key to ensuring their health, productivity, and overall well-being. Farmers who invest in these systems are not only safeguarding the welfare of their animals but are also contributing to the long-term viability and sustainability of their operations. The need for environmental control in livestock housing is a forward-looking approach that aligns with the evolving demands of responsible and efficient farming practices. The importance of environmental controlled housing in livestock management lies in its multifaceted benefits, ranging from climate adaptation and disease prevention to improved reproductive success and resource efficiency. As the agricultural landscape continues to evolve, embracing these advanced housing systems is not just a trend but a necessity for ensuring the welfare and productivity of livestock. Environmental controlled housing represents a commitment to sustainable and responsible farming practices, aligning with the evolving demands of modern agriculture. As the global population grows and food production challenges intensify, the adoption of controlled housing becomes a cornerstone for the future of efficient and ethical livestock management.

Compiled  & Shared by- This paper is a compilation of group work provided by the Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)

 Image-Courtesy-Google

 Reference-On Request

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