USDA Researchers Target Poultry House Ammonia
Poultry growers across the Southeast know that what’s in the air inside a chicken house matters just as much as feed and water. Now, researchers with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service say they may have found a major breakthrough for both bird performance and worker safety.
ARS researchers recently developed an indoor air scrubber designed to reduce ammonia levels inside poultry houses by as much as 87 to 99 percent. High ammonia levels can reduce birds’ body weight gain, hurt feed conversion, and make flocks more vulnerable to viral diseases. Ammonia exposure can also create health risks for agricultural workers.
What makes this system different is that it treats the air inside the poultry house itself, rather than only filtering exhaust air. ARS Research Soil Scientist Philip Moore says the scrubber was able to purify the air inside a 40-by-400-foot chicken house every 30 minutes during study trials.
Researchers now plan to test the system in commercial poultry houses while also studying whether it can help reduce dust and airborne pathogens, including avian influenza viruses.
