The application of poultry behaviour responses on heat stress to improve heating and ventilation systems efficiency

Poultry is particularly vulnerable to heat stress conditions. Birds have no possibility to loose the heat by sweating, thus losses by convection and respiration remain the only mechanisms for taking the heat out of them. Whereas there is common consensus among scientists and growers on optimum ambient temperature range for well feathered 4-6 weeks old broilers, there are considerable differences in evaluation of potential negative effects of their exceeding in terms of production result, health status or animal welfare.