The demand for a more sustainable food production increases every year. To live up to this, food producers must keep enhancing their production and make sure that the animals have the best living conditions possible in order to avoid mortality, enhanced FCR, and poor meat quality. This calls for accurate real-time data.
Constantly monitoring the climate in livestock houses is essential to create optimal animal welfare and the most efficient production. It is no longer enought to measure the temperature, humidity, CO2, and ammonia once in a while. Climate sensors of the future provide accurate real-time data allowing for more timely and effective decision-making, when it comes to managing the production, since the farmer or farm manager get an up-to-date picture of the production.
One of the key benefits of using climate sensors in poultry houses is that they can help prevent the spread of disease. Poultry are particularly susceptible to respiratory infections, which can be exacerbated by poor air quality. By monitoring the levels of carbon dioxide, ammonia, and humidity, you can make sure that the air inside the poultry house is fresh and free from harmful gases.
In a poultry production, the temperature and humidity play an important role during the entire life of the chicken from hatchery and hatching until they are sent to slaughter. Chickens are very sensitive to temperature changes. If it is too cold, the chickens might eat more and stick together to keep warm, meaning they produce more fat than meat due to the combination of high feed consumption and low movement. A low temperature might also cause egg laying problems.
Whether the data from the climate sensors is accurate or not has a huge impact on the production. As mentioned, temperature and humidity have a great effect on the production and animal welfare which makes it vital that the measurements are accurate. Accurate data can lead to less stress on birds and thus greater productivity.
A too high humidity can cause formation of mold and ammonia. Ammonia can harm the birds foot pads and breasts and reduce their weight. Ammonia (NH3) concentrations as low as 25 ppm can reduce bird weights at 28 days of age by 2-7%, so having accurate data on the level of ammonia is vital as well.
Monitoring the ammonia level in your barn with the award-winning DOL 53 Ammonia Sensor you can earn up to $3,000 extra per batch.
Climate sensors of the future are designed to last longer to decrease the cost of monitoring the climate and the need for maintenance and replacement of sensors.
These sensors are robust and protected against dust, high-pressure cleaning, temperature swings, and high levels of humidity and ammonia. Thus, climate sensors of the future withstand the harsh environment in livestock facilities and help making a sustainable production.
There is a common expectation that in the future agriculture will be required to document the climate in the stables and the discharge of e.g. ammonia. Some even believe that there will be requirements on documentation of the climate during transportation to ensure a documented animal welfare between livestock houses and slaughterhouses. Thus, climate sensors of the future must deliver real-time data that can be collected, saved, and shared with authorities.
All climate sensors from dol-sensors are designed for the extreme environment in livestock houses and have a high accuracy and a long service life.
Our sensors can be connected with any Farm Management System and can be customised to fit you exact needs.
Contact one of our dealers or our sales professionals to get more information on how dol-sensors can help you manage your farm.
Read more about sensors for smart farming here.
dol-sensors A/S
Agro Food Park 15
8200 Aarhus N