Hands-on Ventilation Workshops
David Stender,
swine field specialist
Situation
Workers in swine confinement units need to know the basics of environmental
needs of pigs and how pigs interact with their environment, cooling systems
for pigs, and troubleshooting common ventilation problems. Swine confinement
operators are pressured to keep up with the advances in technology. From Dec.
2003 to Jan. 2004 122 producers, veterinarians, and agricultural professionals
attended one of five workshops held during that period. A key component of the
workshops was ‘hands-on’ demonstrations of ventilation principles
using a 6’ x 8’ x 8’ demonstration room. The demonstration room
is equipped with fans, various inlets, heaters, and controllers and allows practical
demonstrations of many of the ventilation principles taught in the classroom
portion of the workshop.
Response
An evaluation returned by participants at the end of the workshop indicated
that the attendees rated the benefit gained from attending the all-day workshop
at 3.2 based on a 1 to 4 scale with 4 being ‘quite a lot’. The biggest
changes in knowledge, based on their rankings of before and after knowledge,
were in the areas of temperature and airflow needs of pigs, understanding the
basics of ventilation including static pressure, and troubleshooting techniques.
A majority of the comments on the evaluations indicated changes were planned
in swine facilities based on the knowledge gained of static pressure and the
impact of inlets on static pressure. A majority of comments also included statements
regarding knowledge gained regarding correct design and application of cooling
systems for pigs.
Impact
When asked to estimate the production value of the meeting,
responses varied from $100 or less total value to $10 per hog on some farms.
A majority of the attendees rated the value at between $1000 and $5000.
The following are reported changes in ventilation management implemented because
of what was learned from the program:
Adjustment of air inlets; Lowered the set point temperatures in finishers; Cooled
the nursery for the last 1-2 weeks as pigs get bigger; Checking inlets;
Use sprinklers sooner and more often; Change inlet settings; Check for static
pressure; Close inlets that are too close to the wall; Change inlet spacing
and size in farrowing; Adjust ceiling inlets to barn attic; Measure air flow;
Clean fans up; Check fan curves; Change settings to keep air flow at optimum
level; Change air flow for better air distribution and less drafts; Insulate
one finisher with new curtains; Reduce static pressure in one new building,
increase in two older buildings; Reduce the air flow in some rooms; adjust inlets
to maximize air flow potential; Find unexpected leakages; Stop drafts on pigs
by adjusting inlets; Tighten up uncontrolled air inlets; Shut down one air inlet
that is beside another one so the air doesn’t drop right down to the pigs;
Use a surface temperature tester; Let the North curtain down first; Purchase
a monometer; Clean the fan louvers; Buy tools to test airflow; Insulate our
barns.
Page last updated:
July 9, 2006
Page maintained by Linda Schultz, lschultz@iastate.edu
