Location: Poultry Research
2024 Annual Report
Objectives
1. Develop advanced decision tools for environmental control and production management in commercial poultry environments.
1.A. Characterize control system error in modern poultry house integrated control systems.
1.B. Evaluate effects of varying thermal conditions on behavior of broilers during the heating period.
1.C. Establish baseline metabolic response data for enhanced environment rearing programs for input into advanced environmental control models.
2. Develop management and nutritional response strategies for supply chain disruption in commercial broiler production models.
2.A. Evaluate nutritional and lighting strategies to manage growth trajectory during market disruptions.
2.B. Evaluate extreme weather event frequency and impact on poultry operations and housing design requirements.
2.C. Evaluate extreme weather event frequency and impact on poultry operations and energy and water use projections.
Approach
Existing commercial broiler production systems provide limited decision support tools towards improved sustainability and resiliency. Precision animal management (PAM) methods and associated technologies seek to bridge the gap between animal response and environmental control to supplement conventional husbandry and housing management through data analytics and artificial intelligence. Recent advances in computing, data science, and cloud connectivity will ultimately offer the ability to optimize the production environment and revolutionize animal care. However, poor quality and availability of data, lack of sufficiently accurate mechanistic models, and antiquated design philosophy limit applications of these approaches. Data quality from on-farm automation systems will be used to assess variations from prescribed environmental setpoints and the impact those deviations have on the actual environmental conditions and the resulting animal responses and energy/water resource consumption. Updated estimates of metabolic response to modern production practices and diets will provide improved guidance on facility design and control strategies to reduce environmental stressors and ensure resiliency during adverse weather events. Management and nutritional strategies for growth trajectory control will be developed to assist producers in mitigating losses due to acute market contractions such as those experienced during pandemic conditions. Variability in weather patterns, particularly extreme temperature events and severe weather (thunderstorms, flooding, lightning) and subsequent impact on environmental conditions, energy and water use, and building environmental control capacity will be assessed to provide much needed guidance on facility design. The proposed project seeks to develop accurate and useful tools to enhance sustainability and resiliency in commercial broiler operations.
Progress Report
Research conducted to address Objective 1 is designed to develop advanced decision tools for environmental control and production management in commercial poultry environments. Under Subobjective 1A, field measurements for Phase 1 experiments field measurements are complete. Optical sensing systems to address behavioral measurements in Objective 1B have been installed and studies are ongoing.
Research conducted to address Objective 2 is designed to develop management and nutritional response strategies for supply chain disruption in commercial broiler production. Objective 2.A.1 is delayed to fiscal year (FY) 2025 due to the ongoing feed mill repair project at unit. This experiment will be initiated upon completion of the feed mill project.
Creation of a risk assessment database using historical weather events sourced from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and severe weather warnings are sourced from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet has been completed. A spatial reporting tool (Tableau) for visual representation of the historical data with query functionality for easy retrieval and analysis of events was developed and analysis of these data was completed in FY 2024.
Subobjective 2.C Temperature-humidity index frequency analysis for poultry species (broilers, layers, turkeys) for Objective 2 was completed and an additional species (beef cattle) was included.
Accomplishments
1. Severe weather risk database for broilers. A risk assessment database of historical severe weather events related to United States broiler producing areas was developed and housed on a dedicated server by ARS researchers at Mississippi State, Mississippi. Historical weather events were sourced from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Data from NOAA was extracted and organized into the database in a usable format. A user-friendly web application interface, with the ability to query severe weather events within a 60-mile radius of 128 United States broiler processing plants was developed. The interface was designed to display event specific annualized frequency and risk index based on potential damage costs for selected geographic areas. The web application also hosts a reporting tool.
2. Formation of mineral scale in evaporative cooling systems. Many poultry producers have trouble with mineral scale accumulating on evaporative pads when using a well water source. As scale precipitates onto the paper, it limits cooling ability of the system and reduces heat removal from the birds. Water quality parameters important to scaling were measured by ARS researcher at Mississippi State, Mississippi, during warm weather conditions and scaling rate for typical well water in Alabama was 168 ± 8.4 g per 1000 L of water evaporated. This rate may be used to predict minimum scaling that would happen on the farm over a summer of use and will allow poultry growers to better manage scale formation in cooling systems and reduce occurrence of heat stress.
3. Broiler feed spillage. Feed constitutes 70% of production costs in broilers and little is known about feed spillage during the starter phase when birds are provided supplemental feed pans. This study by ARS researchers at Mississippi State, Mississippi, measured feed spillage during the starter phase using two commercial feeders and two supplemental feeders. Feed consumption was increased when using supplemental feed pans when compared to the primary feed pan during the first week. Feed conversion was reduced when using supplemental feed pans during the first week. Total feed spillage (g) and spillage rates (g/hr and g/day) at 6 days of age did not differ when supplemental pans were used. Body weight and feed conversion was not different among the feeder combinations tested, but feed intake increased during the overall starter period. This study is the first effort to quantify and separate feed spillage from bird feed consumption and may help improve feeder management and design for young broilers.
Review Publications
Linhoss, J.E., Purswell, J.L., Davis, J.D. 2018. Radiant flux preference of neonatal broiler chicks during brooding. Journal of the ASABE. 61(4):1417-1423. https://doi.org/10.13031/trans.12775.
Magee, C.L., Olanrewaju, H.A., Purswell, J.L. 2023. Effect of photoperiod on physiological parameters in broiler chicks from placement to 7-days-of-age1. Journal of Applied Poultry Research. 32:100353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japr.2023.100353.
Purswell, J.L., Olanrewaju, H.A., Zhao, Y. 2021. Effect of feeder space on live performance and processing yields of broiler chickens reared to 56 days of age. Journal of Applied Poultry Research. 30(3). Article 100175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japr.2021.100175.
Chesser, D., Purswell, J.L., Davis, J., Ward, J., Tabler, G., Zhao, Y. 2023. Comparison of outside air and sol-air design temperatures for estimating insulation needs. Journal of the ASABE. 39(4):409-416. https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.15424.
Falana, O.B., Linhoss, J.E., Davis, J.D., Edge, C.M., Lane, A., Rueda, M., Griggs, K.G., Smith, C.R., Campbell, J.C., Purswell, J.L. 2024. Using spatial modeling to evaluate LED light intensity and uniformity in commercial broiler houses during brooding and tunnel conditions. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 40(2):189-198. https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.15910.
Griggs, K.G., Davis, J.D., Purswell, J.L., Chesser, G.D., Edge, C.M., Campbell, J.C. 2024. Effect of nutritional pen construction on the thermal performance of broilers. Journal of Applied Poultry Research. 33:100412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japr.2024.100412.