Ammonia and Carbon Dioxide Emissions of Three Laying-Hen Housing Systems as Affected by Manure Accumulation Time

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2017-01-01
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Shepherd, Timothy
Xin, Hongwei
Stinn, John
Hayes, Morgan
Zhao, Yang
Li, Hong
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Xin, Hongwei
Distinguished Professor Emeritus
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Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

Since 1905, the Department of Agricultural Engineering, now the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE), has been a leader in providing engineering solutions to agricultural problems in the United States and the world. The department’s original mission was to mechanize agriculture. That mission has evolved to encompass a global view of the entire food production system–the wise management of natural resources in the production, processing, storage, handling, and use of food fiber and other biological products.

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In 1905 Agricultural Engineering was recognized as a subdivision of the Department of Agronomy, and in 1907 it was recognized as a unique department. It was renamed the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering in 1990. The department merged with the Department of Industrial Education and Technology in 2004.

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1905–present

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  • Department of Agricultural Engineering (1907–1990)

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Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Abstract

Laying-hen housing design and management are the most significant factors affecting the generation and release of gaseous ammonia to the atmosphere. Transitioning the hen housing type from traditional high-rise (where manure is stored within the house for about one year) to modern manure-belt style (where manure is removed every 1 to 4 d and placed into long-term storage) has significantly improved in-barn air quality and reduced farm-level ammonia emissions. As a direct result of the advantages, 100% of new construction for U.S. egg production incorporates manure-belt systems that regularly remove manure from the houses. However, manure-belt system designs (e.g., active vs. passive drying of manure on the belt) and management practices (e.g., frequency of manure removal) vary considerably across the industry, leading to large variations in system performance and efficiency. Thus, questions remain about the optimal design and management of manure-belt facilities to achieve the desired reductions in ammonia emissions. As part of the Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply (CSES) project, 27 months of continually monitored environmental data (including ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions) were collected from three hen-housing systems: a conventional cage house (CC) with a 200,000-hen capacity, an enriched colony house (EC) with a 50,000-hen capacity, and an aviary house (AV) with a 50,000-hen capacity. All three hen houses were located on the same farm and were populated with Lohmann white hens of the same age. All houses were equipped with manure-drying air ducts above the manure belts using recirculated indoor air (flow rate ranging from 0.46 to 1.49 m3 h-1 hen-1). Manure on the belts was completely removed every 3 to 4 d. Average daily house-level ammonia (NH3) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as affected by manure accumulation time (MAT, from 1 to 4 d) on the manure belts were analyzed. Results indicate that for all three types of houses, NH3 emission rates (g hen-1 d-1) were significantly lower for MAT of 1 and 2 d (mean ±SE of 0.061 ±0.005 and 0.064 ±0.004, respectively) than for MAT of 3 and 4 d (0.085 ±0.005 and 0.115 ±0.007, respectively) (p < 0.001). Emissions of CO2 (g hen-1 d-1) were not significantly affected by MAT, averaging 67.8 ±5.7 for CC, 74.7 ±10.2 for EC, and 75.9 ±10.5 for AV. Estimating annual NH3 emissions from each type of house revealed that shortening the manure removal interval from every 4 d to every 2 d has the potential of reducing NH3 emissions by 27% for the CC and EC houses and by 19% for the AV house. However, verification of the potential reductions is needed.

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This article is from Transactions of the ASABE. 60(1): 229-236. (doi: 10.13031/trans.11860). Posted with permission.

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Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 UTC 2017
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