Story in Brief
Understanding how to ventilate and operate poultry houses to achieve and maintain optimum environments is crucial for both the grower and the integrator. Two workshops are offered annually (May for hot weather and November for cold weather) by UGA poultry scientists. During these workshops, broiler flock supervisors, farmers, allied industry personnel and veterinarians were trained on ventilation principles, poultry environmental needs and ventilation system design and operation. The cold weather workshop focuses on cool weather ventilation to maintain optimum air quality and minimize fuel usage and electricity expenditure. The hot weather workshop focuses on optimum ventilation rates to reduce energy costs while providing conditions for broiler comfort and growth during hot weather. A webinar of the workshop is provided real time and included both national and international participants. In 2018 about 346 people from 20 states and 24 countries participated in the hot weather workshop and 242 people from 21 states and 16 countries participated in the cold weather workshop. About 40 percent of the flock supervisors in Georgia have been through both of these workshops. Conservative estimates of the economic impact resulting from lower fuel and electricity usage plus improved livability, growth, feed efficiency and yields exceed $2 million annually.