Adjusting Dairy Housing in Hot Climates to Meet Animal Welfare Requirements
Small dairy farms in hot climates are encountering several problems caused by the design flaws of the implemented housing designs. Consequently, heat stress increase and milk yield dramatically decreases, which leads to economic deficiency of the farm. One key issue is to develop simple means to rectify the design flaws with minimum costs. In order to develop feasible means, design flaws were detected on-site in 14 small dairy farms in Egypt to exemplify the flaws of housing designs in arid and semi-arid zones. A package of interconnected solutions is suggested to rectify the design flaws. Subsequently, the maximum temperature, dry-bulb temperature, black-globe temperature, dew point, relative humidity, shaded area, and air velocity were measured inside the rectified vs. non-rectified cowsheds and compared after conducting the statistical analysis. On the other hand, the Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) and Black Globe Humidity Index (BGHI) were calculated to find out the level of heat stress affecting the dairy cows. Furthermore, the milk yield, respiration rate, skin temperature, feed intake were recorded and compared. Moreover, the costs of the developed means were calculated and a feasibility study was carried out. The results show that the developed means are effective and feasible, where the heat stress decreased (THI decreased from 94.6 to 83.7; dry-bulb temperature decreased from 42.7 to 33.6 oC) and the average milk production increased from 18 to 26 kg/day.cow. Consequently, the costs were minimized and the revenues were maximized, which achieve economic efficiency for the farm where the profit increased by about 427 $/cow.year. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assistant Professor, Agricultural Engineering Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Gammaa Street, 12613 Giza, Egypt * Corresponding Author, Email: samer@cu.edu.eg Please Cite This Article As : M. Samer. 2010. Adjusting Dairy Housing in Hot Climates to Meet Animal Welfare Requirements. J. Exp. Sci. 1(3): 14-18.
Waste Management Practices and Profile of Selected Key Green House Gases at Selected Livestock Farms in Ibadan, Nigeria
Livestock farm waste contributes substantially to annual worldwide emissions of GHG (Greenhouse Gases), including CH4 (Methane) and CO2 (Carbon Dioxide). However, despite evidence of global climate change and its adverse health effects, studies on anthropogenic contributions to the increasing levels of GHG, particularly from livestock waste management practices, have not been adequately explored, especially in less developed countries. This study determined waste management practices and outdoor levels of CH4 and CO2 at three selected livestock farms (A-C) in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Each study farm consisted of poultry, cattle and pig units. A 30-point observational checklist documented adequacy of solid waste management practices. Ambient concentrations of CH4 and CO2 at farm buildings and at waste disposal sites were monitored every other day, twice each day of monitoring (morning and evening hours), for eight weeks during months of September-November in 2013. Average scores for the waste management practices for Farms A-C were 29.6%, 33.3% and 18.5%, respectively. Morning and evening CH4 concentrations in parts per million (ppm) at main buildings of Farms A-C were 2,538 ± 773 and 1,916 ± 662, 2,325 ± 773 and 1,180 ± 483, and 2,389 ± 687 and 1,854 ± 571, respectively. Morning and evening CO2 concentrations (ppm) at Farms A-C main buildings were 350 ± 130 and 330 ± 110, 470 ± 100 and 440 ± 100, and 430 ± 80 and 400 ± 70, respectively. Morning and evening CH4 concentrations (ppm) at Farms A-C waste disposal sites were 2,452 ± 495 and 1,614 ± 372, 1,527 ± 390 and 1,736 ± 269, and 2,345 ± 615 and 1,690 ± 387, respectively. Morning and evening CO2 concentrations (ppm) at Farms A-C waste disposal sites were 330 ± 90, 370 ± 60 and 350 ± 30, respectively. Waste management practices were inadequate; solid waste management practices like infrequent evacuation of slurry waste and open burning of waste may have contributed to the production of CH4 and CO2. This study suggested proper handling, removal and disposal of farm waste which can reduce production of GHGs like CH4 and CO2.
Airflow patterns related to polluted air dispersion in open free-stall dairy houses with different roof shapes
One–thirtieth scale models of naturally ventilated free–stall dairy houses were tested in a wind tunnel to 
investigate the relationship between roof type (open–ridge, semi–monitor, mono–slope), roof slope angle (16.7 
 
, 18.4 
 
), and 
wind direction and air movement inside and outside the house. Dispersion properties of gaseous contaminants from the house 
were predicted from these air movement results. A proposed parameter, PU , was developed with respect to airflow momentum 
and airflow vectors showing that the open–ridge house had characteristics to easily transfer contaminants from inside to 
outside and to increase dispersion at the leeward side. It was predicted that the mono–slope type might decrease contaminant 
transport and create a high concentration area near the leeward side of the building. When the open side of the semi–monitor 
type ridge faced windward, contaminants dispersed more readily than when the ridge faced leeward. In addition, a small 
difference in slope angle made a large difference in air movement and contaminant diffusion of open–ridge houses.