Ventilation of the agricultural sector

When setting up any farm, keep in mind that the success of livestock depends on 60% of livestock feeding, 20% on the genotype and age of the animals, and 20% on the microclimate and housing conditions.

What is forced ventilation?

Previously, ventilation in rooms with animals was only natural and occurred due to the heterogeneity of the design of walls and cracks in doors, windows and roofs. However, such ventilation does not solve the most important problem of any farm – excessive humidity. Unregulated levels of moisture in the air increase the number of harmful bacteria and increase the concentration of ammonia. This has a negative effect on the general microclimate of the premises, in addition, both cattle and birds, as well as people who serve such a farm may be affected.

Also keep in mind that natural ventilation, although it does not require investment, but can not create the right microclimate. Unstable microclimate can cause a decrease in growth, live weight and milk yield. If you expect to get the maximum profit from animal husbandry, do not do without forced ventilation. After all, the very arrangement of proper ventilation allows you to create the microclimate that is necessary for a particular species of animals and premises.

Typically, farm buildings are built of reinforced concrete, which has a very high thermal conductivity. Therefore, in such rooms it is cold in winter and hot in summer. This leads to condensation and high humidity, which is harmful both at high temperatures and at low.

In fact, the main task of ventilation with cattle – to prevent the formation of so-called heat stress, ie an unfavorable combination of two factors: temperature and humidity. Experience shows that the problems of maintaining the necessary microclimate begin at the stage of keeping 10-12 units of livestock.

Without proper ventilation there is no growth, milking, animals get sick, the building collapses.

It has been scientifically proven that microclimate indicators directly affect growth, live weight and milk yield. That is why the installation of proper forced ventilation on the farm is one of the main tasks.

It is known that when excess moisture is regularly removed from the room, the animals tolerate frost better, and heating costs are reduced. In addition, we should not forget that not only too humid air is harmful for cattle, but also too dry. The minimum allowable level of humidity is not less than 40%, and the level of oxygen in the air is not less than 17-18%.

When hydrogen sulfide enters the animal’s respiratory organs, all enzymatic processes are slowed down, the level of carbon dioxide in the blood is reduced. This leads to pulmonary edema and as a result to reduced milk yield.

The main problem of most ventilation systems projects is that they do not focus on the microclimate as a whole, but on individual indicators that can be measured: air flow rate, temperature, humidity and so on. Instead, the microclimate is the most important thing for cattle.

How to arrange a healthy microclimate in the cowshed?

When installing farm ventilation, it is necessary to zoning the premises for «people» and «livestock», to ensure production processes and to apply various climatic technics for the decision of a complex of problems.

In each case, each room will have its own conditions and needs for ventilation design. In general, you can arrange ventilation on an animal farm in two ways:

• Natural ventilation – due to the natural pressure difference.
• Forced ventilation to create a special microclimate.

Healthy microclimate in the cowshed:

It is important to keep in mind that «harmful gases» with good ventilation are removed from the premises with animals along with water vapor.

In winter, ventilation should provide at least 15 m3 of fresh air per hour per 100 kg of livestock weight. This helps maintain the required relative humidity at no more than 70-75%.

To do this, you need to install ventilation systems with heat recovery (maintaining air temperature) and the ability to switch fans to supply and exhaust. Such models are provided in the industrial range of PRANA ventilation systems.

What to consider when choosing a vent for a cowshed.

First of all, the microclimate, which is designed to create a ventilation system. Experts recommend installing new decentralized local ventilation systems in cowsheds while preserving the energy potential of the air and a heat recovery system (recuperation). Such ventilation systems are available in the Prana model range.

PRANA recuperators allow:

1. To solve problems comprehensively – to ensure the inflow of high-quality oxygen-saturated air and the removal of waste and thus create the necessary microclimate of both local areas and the agro-complex as a whole.
2. Supply air without drafts to those areas that need it most and remove air from «pollution zones» without mixing air flows.
3. Reduce heating costs, regulate the need for inflow or exhaust flow.
4. Create separate local climatic zones, combining domestic and industrial ventilation systems.
5. Possibility of additional settings and flexibility at change of certain factors.
6. Easy installation, the possibility of installation in some local areas without stopping the farm.

Choose PRANA Recuperators and get a healthy microclimate and high productivity of cattle.