A Guide To The Most Suitable Ventilation For Chicken Houses

We all know that suitable ventilation for chicken houses can come in many forms and finding the right solution will depend on the type of shed you’re ventilating. In an industry very much driven by costs, efficiency is essential and at Hydor we know how important it is to invest in high quality products.

It’s widely known that chickens are very susceptible to respiratory problems and that stale air in the house will only heighten these problems. To combat this, ventilation is key, and the right system should help maintain the correct environment and provide plenty of fresh, clean air.

Broiler chickens
There are several suitable methods when it comes to providing ventilation for broiler chickens; Conventional, Reverse-Flow, Tunnel or Combination ventilation.

Conventional ventilation
Poultry fans such as the Agri-Jet are not only easy to fit, but are also highly effective in providing steady supplies of clean air. Mounted in the roof with inlets installed along the two side walls, these fans expel stale air vertically into the atmosphere – ultimately helping to prevent dust falling on the roof which could be washed into the gutters and fouling the soil through the soakaways.

Reverse-Flow ventilation
Alternatively, in retro-fit scenarios, side wall fans can be fitted along the length of the building, with inlets installed in the roof to create Reverse-Flow ventilation. The wall-mounted unit is designed with an internal shuttered door and external louvre outlet to reduce direct sunlight entering the chicken shed.

Tunnel ventilation
Installing large HV belt drive fans in the wall at one end, with inlets in the wall at the opposite end will help to create Tunnel ventilation. This allows air to be drawn along the length of the house from the inlets to as near to bird height as possible.

The disadvantage with this system is the possible temperature gradient along the house from one end to the other, so for longer poultry houses, we’d recommend conventional ventilation, or a combination of conventional and tunnel ventilation to avoid this.

Egg laying birds
There are also different ventilation options for egg laying birds. Increasingly, laying birds tend to be kept in free range houses or barn egg houses, and to eliminate stale air, poultry famers can opt for either natural or power-assisted ventilation.

Natural ventilation
If you’re looking to naturally ventilate a chicken house, inlet vents at the sides and the outlet vents at the ridge should be opened and closed in tandem. We’d recommend asking an expert about the best way to control these vents, as doing so can help to maintain air movement and reduce temperature according to the chickens’ age.

Powered ventilation
Although laying houses can usually be naturally ventilated, during the warmer weather when birds come in out of the sun, you can expect that the inside temperature of the shed will increase. In this case, additional powered ventilation in the form of belt-driven fans will help assist in air movement and keeping the temperature of the shed at a suitable level.

Conventional ventilation
Much like with broiler sheds, many poultry farmers are now using conventional ventilation for egg laying birds, making the likes of the Agri-Jet just as effective in this environment too.

Breeders
Breeding birds are often kept in houses similar to broiler houses, although the shed should be sub-divided to keep birds in manageable numbers.

In this type of shed, either conventional or reverse-flow ventilation would be recommended. As strict light control is essential, the addition of light baffles fitted to both inlets and outlets will add resistance to the system and should be considered in your initial calculations.

Help from the experts
While this guide may have given you an insight into the importance of chicken ventilation and the options available, our team of experts are on hand to guide you through every step of the way.”