Ventilation is far from a stagnant aspect of poultry production in Canada, with new technologies powering further improvements in bird health and trimming costs while lessening environmental impact. To tease out the trends, we contacted leading firms for details on trend rationales, how to sidestep potential challenges and what’s next.
1 Better air uniformity
There is now a larger focus in Canada’s poultry sector on ensuring the entire barn environment is more uniform throughout the year to maximize bird health. “Better mixing of barn air, whether through stir fans in broilers or centrifugal mixing fans in layers, has made a big impact on litter quality, foot pad quality and lower condemnations,” explains VAL-CO’s general manager Sean Francey.
“In layers, it has really reduced feed use as it has helped to minimize cold spots in housing systems that otherwise require birds to consume additional feed for compensatory heat gain during colder months.”
Giulia Simioni, marketing manager at Munters, adds that with the trend towards building larger Canadian poultry barns, applying traditional ventilation methods designed for smaller barns may result in ventilation falling short. “During periods of minimal ventilation, fresh air may struggle to reach the center of the building,” she says, “leaving pockets of temperature variation which can chill the birds.”
No matter the barn size or housing type, a proper ventilation design is required. Simioni notes that some large fan models optimize airflow over others. Better models reduce the number of fans needed to ensure drier litter, lower ammonia, less illness and optimum bird growth. And where supplemental fans are required, they further help achieve uniform conditions.
Indeed, according to Simioni, Computational Fluid Dynamics is now revolutionizing barn ventilation design, a type of high-level modeling that enables custom airflow analysis for optimized fan placement, inlet positioning and overall ventilation configuration.
2 Ventilation to enhance biosecurity
James Black, Canada regional sales manager for SKOV, notes that with the current increases in avian influenza cases, “we’re seeing increased interest in filtered barns that would normally be reserved for parent and grandparent type barns.”
As we know, filtering incoming air and pressurizing the building to create a positive airflow that effectively blocks unwelcome airborne microbial guests. “Pioneering this concept in the U.S. hog industry, Munters has demonstrated the potential of this technology, and its positive pressure application in chicken houses is now under intense scrutiny,” she reports. “However, this vision faces some practical hurdles.”
One is cost. Simioni explains that “the initial investment in such a system can be significant, and the ongoing maintenance of the filters adds to the cost. Perhaps the biggest challenge, however, lies in the lack of a standardized approach.
Designing and implementing the correct ventilation equipment for positive pressure filtration requires careful planning and expertise, making it a complex undertaking for producers. While the potential benefits of this technology are clear, overcoming these challenges will be crucial for its widespread adoption.”
3 Combining systems
Up until now, most producers chose one ventilation system and stuck with it, reaping its benefits and dealing with its detractions. However, more producers are now choosing to combine multiple systems to achieve better ventilation year-round.
As Doug Martin explains, tunnel ventilation has been around in Canada for many years, yet a note of concern is improperly designed systems. “Many farms are now combining tunnel ventilation with evaporative cooling systems to lower barn temperatures even further,” says Martin, Canadian sales manager at Cumberland.
“This is especially useful during heat waves when traditional ventilation alone isn’t enough.” He adds that “systems that switch between tunnel ventilation in the summer and sidewall ventilation in the winter, and even attic ventilation for those in-between days, allow for year-round efficiency.”
Eric Longtin, VP of sales and operations at Agrimesh Technologies, agrees that “a hybrid approach – combining tunnel ventilation for summer cooling and cross ventilation for even air distribution in colder months – offers the best year-round efficiency.”
Black notes that combi-tunnel barns work very well, as do well-designed cross ventilation systems in the Canadian climate, “although, in both situations, adding in a form of evaporative cooling is one of the best additions to make the system excel. Either a pad cooling system in a tunnel barn, or high-pressure cooling in a sidewall system, is like air conditioning for the birds and makes the more-frequent heat waves we see each summer easier to get through.”
For Niels Dybdahl, owner at DACS (producer of the MagFan), “a well-specified minimum ventilation system in conjunction with a tunnel system is in my opinion the best solution for the Canadian poultry sector. The minimum ventilation system should be able to ventilate the house up until outside temperatures is no more than 2°C below set-point temperature. At this point, the introduction of air through the tunnel doors only does good to the birds.”
4 Solutions for specialty producers
Although they have special ventilation needs, specialty producers have had to make do with systems designed for their conventional counterparts. However, tailored solutions emerging for niche production systems, providing easier management for farmers and better conditions for birds.
Simioni explains that the ventilation challenges of free-range and organic systems, because of the open access to the outdoors, are made worse with traditional negative pressure systems.
“Neutral pressure buildings can offer a solution,” she says, “pushing fresh air in while helping to keep warm air from entering through outdoor access doors, ensuring even ventilation.”
However, she notes that this requires a shift in thinking. “While beneficial for animal welfare, implementing neutral pressure requires careful planning and new technologies.”
Dybdahl notes that “as soon as the doors in a negative pressure-driven houses for free-range and organic birds open, then the airflow pattern collapse and the air pass uncontrolled to the house via the doors. This uncontrolled airflow damage litter and harm birds.
“Ventilation units like the Corona air intake maintain the airflow pattern in the house when doors open. This because these systems are equipped with a fan and therefore, they can maintain zero static pressure in the house and thereby maintain the airflow pattern.”
For free-range housing, SKOV also offers a ventilation system with incoming air and exhaust air being equal, and one that uses natural convection.
5 Energy efficient designs
Mindy Brooks, director of marketing at Chore-Time, reports that “we’re really seeing a push for direct drive fans that have variable speeds to replace belt drive fans. One of the biggest benefits with direct drive fans is that you’re eliminating a lot of the maintenance that’s required on belt drives.
“Add to that the ability to run direct drive fans at varying speeds, giving you more control over airflow and temperature with the greatest efficiency when fans are running at 60 to 80 per cent speed.”
Exacon President Mark Relouw notes that “electronically commutated (EC) direct-drive variable-speed motors, available now for fans up to 72 inches, are an emerging solution for significant electricity savings.”
Martin explains that because EC motors adjust their speed based on conditions inside the barn, they reduce energy use without sacrificing airflow. “This trend,” says Martin, “has really allowed for a completely new fan layout to optimize performance.”
He adds that modern high-efficiency fans move more air with less power by using better blade shapes and materials, and in addition, fans that use permanent magnet motor technology provide energy-efficient performance at all fan speeds and static pressures.
6 Better automated control
In Canada, it’s becoming more common to see additional ventilation sensor types in poultry barns, among them CO2NH3 and air pressure. However, fans themselves are also getting their own sensor arrays.
“Systems available today monitor fan power, RPM and motor temperature,” says Relouw. “They provide failure alerts, activate backup fans and simplify wiring by requiring only high-voltage connections to fans and low-voltage communication wires to controls.”
Monitoring and acting on sensor data is of course increasingly achieved by software. Indeed, Black says advancements in using AI in controller technologies is among the biggest trends in ventilation.
Longtin also sees the integration of AI as a growing trend. “Unlike fixed-stage systems, AI continuously adapts environmental factors such as feel-like temperature, CO2NH3 and oxygen levels in real time,” he explains.
“This ensures optimal bird welfare while lowering energy costs. Additionally, proactive weather monitoring powered by AI allows growers to anticipate drastic temperature changes outside that could impact energy usage.”
That is, by analyzing weather patterns and adjusting barn conditions in advance, systems such as those offered by Agrimesh help maintain optimal barn conditions “while preventing sudden spikes in energy consumption,” says Longtin, “further enhancing efficiency and sustainability.”
Ventilation by the Numbers: Trends Shaping Poultry Barns
As Canadian poultry barns evolve, ventilation technology is driving improvements in efficiency, bird health, and sustainability. Here are some key figures shaping the future:
- 30% – Potential heating cost reduction with advanced ventilation and heat recovery systems.
- 10-15% – Lower ammonia levels reported on some farms, leading to improved air quality and bird performance.
- 40% – Reduction in energy consumption with modern, high-efficiency fans compared to traditional models.
- 80% – Maximum heat recovery from barn air using heat exchangers, significantly cutting fuel use.
- 2-5% – Potential improvement in feed conversion rates when airflow is optimized to reduce bird stress.
