Analysis of environmental conditions and management in a compost-bedded pack barn with tunnel ventilation
Laen...
Kuupäev
2021
Kättesaadav alates
Ajakirja pealkiri
Ajakirja ISSN
Köite pealkiri
Kirjastaja
Abstrakt
The housing system based on compost-bedded pack for dairy cows is spreading rapidly
in Brazil. Completely open buildings without curtains and simple roofs are usually provided.
However, in the last years some new completely closed barns have been realized. This study aims
to analyse one of these closed barns, located in the State of Minas Gerais. The two main sides of
the facility are provided with polyethylene curtains of blue colour and five deflectors. The barn
is equipped with an evaporative adiabatic cooling system, associated with the tunnel-style
ventilation, realized with exhaust fans, continuously operating 24 hours a day. 85 lactating
Holstein cows were housed in the barn during the trials carried out in the winter season 2019.
Microclimatic data were collected continuously. Air speed, illuminance and bedding temperature
were measured during the farm visits. Pack moisture was calculated. The results state the
importance of bedding management and climatic conditions inside the barn. It emerges that the
cows housed in this kind of closed barn, with forced ventilation, are in good thermal conditions,
which are fairly constant. The average illumination of the barn can be considered acceptable
(55.06 lx), even if some areas of the barn present values below the minimum ones reported in
literature. The bedding temperature varies between a maximum of 36.33 °C and a minimum of
25.44 °C with an average of 31.26 °C. The values of bedding moisture are between a maximum
of 64.36% and a minimum of 60.81% with an average of 62.48%.
Kirjeldus
Received: January 5th, 2021 ; Accepted: March 27th, 2021 ; Published: April 16th, 2021 ; Correspondence: matteo.barbari@unifi.it
Märksõnad
compost bedded-pack barns, dairy housing, tunnel ventilation, ventilation systems, articles