Water Delivery Equipment – How it can Impact Overall Water Use and Wastage Within a Facility

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This article looks at the impact of water delivery equipment on overall water use and wastage. Nipple drinkers, wet/dry feeders and total manure volume are linked with regards to water usage and waste. Drugs added to water should not be altered if water use is reduced compared to expectations due to equipment selection. Pigs consume the same amount of water regardless of delivery device.

Digestion Shift Reduces Waste Output

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Countries such as Denmark are urged to reduce feed antibiotic usage because of possible residues in meat and manure. Feed enzymes may be a profitable solution. They are natural catalysts and compliment the pigs own intestinal enzymes helping to digest raw materials in the diet. Pigs with feed enzymes in the diet have improved digestibility, need less feed intake to maintain growth and excrete less manure. Feed enzymes can contribute to reducing pollution risks by decreasing the nitrogen concentration in the manure spread on the land.

Pull-Plug Flushes Without Added Water

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Refinements in a pull-plug system now allow efficient removal of manure from shallow, totally slotted grow-finish buildings without needing extra liquid for a flush. The pull-plug flush removes manure through hydraulic force of the last 3 inches of liquid drainage from most tanks. Stored liquid from adjoining tanks is used to remove solids by a continuous flushing action, which moves solids toward the cross channel and into the drain. Plugs can be easily pulled once or twice to achieve multiple mini flushes if solid movement is a problem. Total manure removal would require pulling of all the plugs. Construction and dimensions of the system is outlined. Naturally ventilated buildings can use the pull-plug flush system.

Natural Ventilation (Part I)

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Naturally ventilated buildings depend upon the natural forces of wind and temperature difference (chimney effect) to move air. In naturally ventilated barns, the ventilation rate depends on the size of the wall opening and the speed and direction of the wind. Temperature within the barn can be varied by using thermostats to automatically adjust the size of openings in the sidewalls. The advantages and disadvantages of natural ventilation is outlined. For buildings less than 24m (79ft) long, it may be more economical to use mechanical instead of natural ventilation. Vertical panels with added windbreaks tend to minimize temperature fluctuations and provide good air distribution and mixing patterns within the animal room. The use of chimneys presents many advantages over the continuous ridge opening. The chimneys should be fully open during warm weather and closed when average daily temperatures are below the 8 to 10C range. An adjustable baffle can be installed in the chimney to reduce the opening area. End wall openings improve air circulation at the end of the barn where stagnant air tends to develop.

Dual Fan, Dual Duct Systems

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Tradeoffs between low energy use and good air quality are unavoidable when designing or operating most types of HVAC systems. Dual Fan, Dual Duct (DFDD) is a high quality system that can offer both good air quality and low energy use at low cost.
These benefits are achieved by use of high air change rates to flush pollutants, elinination of reheat to save energy and use of cost-effective design techniques made feasible by the system’s special characteristics.

Which Heating System for Piglets?

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A team of five University researchers in Germany assessed the quality of heat supply from 11 different creep heating arrangements. Radiant heaters needed the most effective energy. Power required for underfloor heating by electricity was about 1/3 lower than for the warm water panels. Cost for heating is not the only consideration, as efficiency in terms of energy use is not always best for the pig. The better the heat supply, the more time piglets spend lying on their side. A graph of ideal lying behavior and average piglet weight gains on the heating system tested is discussed.

Hot-Spots For Piglets

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The article looks at a number of multiple heat sources for baby pigs in farrowing houses. Electrical pads save on energy costs compared to conventional electric lamps. Historically because of low priced electricity, electric heating was predoninant. An increasing proportion of European farrowing places have 2 heated areas – one on each side of the sow’s crate. It is a trend that the new regional rules for solid pen floors are expected to encourage. New microwave radiation delivers heat directly to the animal and is therefore energy efficient as the heat is not carried away by the airflow in the room. Pad type piglet heaters are summarized from a trade show in France.

Radiant Heating vs. Floor Heating

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The article looks at a barn trial comparing the heating costs of infrared radiant tubes versus hot water floor tubes combined with forced air gas. Air is heated by an ATL 60,000 BTUH unvented forced air gas unit heater and a central Slant Fin 140,000 BTUH gas fired hot water broiler is used to heat the water being piped to each nursery. Radiant tube heating is much cheaper, controls humidity and requires litte maintenance. There is more even heat throughout the room and thus the producer gets more for each energy dollar spent. Tube type gas fired infrared heating radiates reflected heat to the objects in the room. It does not heat the air, it heats the pigs. The trial found a 48% difference between the systems. Radiant tube heat has better utilization of energy than the broiler for hot water and the forced air gas.

Watch for Hot Air in Ventilation Specs

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There are many ways to define the term energy use efficiency in the ventilating fan industry and everyone seems to choose the one -high or low- which supports their particular argument for buying or not buying. Use 240V motors not 120V to increase energy use efficiency. Do not use hp or amperage to compare fan efficiencies. Fan energy use efficiency can be determined by dividing the cubic feet air/min by the wattage. Simply look at the cfm/W rating; the higher the cfm/W, the more efficient it is.

New concept for the evaluation of biogas development in third world countries

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