The effects of temperature on broilers: Ventilation rates for the application of temperature control

Application of the temperature recommendations from experimental evidence necessitates knowledge of the minimum ventilation rate requirements of the birds, since control of house temperature for finishing broilers in practice is through modulation of ventilation rate in insulated buildings. 2. The minimum ventilation rate requirement was found to be 1.5(( 10‐4 m3/s per kgW 0–75 (W = body weight), or 2 m3/s per tonne of food used per day, in three experiments using a total of 33 280 broilers. 3. The first limiting factor governing ventilation rate is often the ammonia concentration in the house air, and under British climatic conditions, the minimum ventilation rate may need to be exceeded after the birds are about 5 weeks of age.