Performance of Tunnel Ventilation for Freestall Dairy Facilities as Compared to Natural Ventilation with Supplemental Cooling Fans

Stowell, Richard R.; Gooch, Curt; Inglis, Scott

doi:10.13031/2013.7057

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…Characterized as having air inlets at one end and exhaust fans at the other (Gooch and Stowell, 2003;Tyson et al, 2004), tunnel ventilation barns work to enhance convective heat loss by removing excess heat and humidity from the immediate surroundings of the animals. Tunnel ventilation alone can provide adequate supplemental cooling in temperate environments (Stowell et al, 2001;Gooch and Stowell, 2003), but in regions where additional cooling is required, this technology can be combined with other cooling methodologies such as misters or evaporative cooling pads (Turner et al, 1991). By reducing the temperature of incoming air, evaporative coolers work to further promote the ability of the cow to dissipate excess heat.…”

Section: Tunnel Ventilationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaporative Tunnel Cooling of Dairy Cows in the Southeast. I: Effect on Body Temperature and Respiration Rate

Smith¹,

Chapa²,

Willard³

et al. 2006

Journal of Dairy Science

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The techniques used to mitigate the effects of heat stress on lactating dairy cows are often overwhelmed in the southeastern United States, where elevated heat and humidity often persist for extended periods. A model free-stall barn located at the North Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Holly Springs was used to evaluate the potential of tunnel ventilation with evaporative cooling to alleviate heat stress in lactating dairy cows. Two studies were conducted using 2 groups of 10 lactating Holsteins housed in the tunnel barn (inside) and 2 groups of matched herdmates housed in an adjacent covered free-stall barn (outside), which was cooled by fans and sprinklers during 2001 or by shade and fans alone in 2003. Peak daytime temperatures inside were 5.2 +/- 0.18 degrees C below that outside in 2001 and 3.1 +/- 0.20 degrees C lower in 2003. Although evaporative cooling increased humidity by 22%, cows housed in the tunnel barn received 84% less exposure to moderate heat stress (temperature-humidity index > 80) in both years. Cooling cows with evaporative tunnel ventilation reduced respiration rates by 15.5 +/- 0.56 breaths/min and rectal temperatures by 0.6 +/- 0.02 degrees C compared with shade and fans alone in 2003. Cooling cows with evaporative tunnel ventilation reduced respiration rates by 13.1 +/- 0.78 breaths/min and rectal temperatures by 0.4 +/- 0.03 degrees C compared with fans and sprinklers in 2001. Thus, tunnel ventilation cooling dramatically reduced the exposure to heat stress and improved the comfort of lactating dairy cows when compared with traditional cooling technologies under the conditions present in the southeastern United States.

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Section: Tunnel Ventilationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaporative Tunnel Cooling of Dairy Cows in the Southeast. I: Effect on Body Temperature and Respiration Rate

Smith¹,

Chapa²,

Willard³

et al. 2006

Journal of Dairy Science

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“…Under this system, the cow hauls herself to the feedstuff in the field thereby reducing human labor and equipment inputs. Further, ventilation is an ongoing issue in confinement systems (Kirkhorn et al, 2001;Stowell et al, 2001;Wilkinson and Tilma, 2002;Gainet et al, 2007). Graziers will make the extra grasses and legumes into hay, baleage, or silage depending on their feed set up.…”

Section: Confinement Dairies Versus Dairy Grazingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Connecting Sustainable Agriculture to Rural Development: The Case of Pasture-Based Dairy Grazing

Morton¹,

Miller²

2007

Community Development

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When economic rural development projects include a vision and goals for sustainable agricultural systems the capacity to achieve economic and social viability is increased. In this paper we offer a case study of how a group of Ohio dairy graziers have transformed their own and neighboring farms into economically successful pasture-based dairies and impacted farm communities in their region and beyond. Their success is a community development story that connects the building of technical and social infrastructures to create new rural economic opportunities. Some of the distinct characteristics of this grass roots ecosystem management model are citizen leadership, development of community through pasture walk groups, and the continual search and exchange of information and science to build the local knowledge base and capacity to adjust practices to localized conditions.

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“…E-mail: ezra.shoshani@gmail.com Wolfenson, 1988a and1988b;Kadzere et al, 2002). The effects of barn structural components on ambient temperature at cow level in free-stall barns were examined in several studies: temperature differences between the inside and outside of naturally ventilated free-stall barns with curtain side walls were below 0.48C during the warmest month of the year (Stowell et al, 2001b). Relative humidity inside the barn was found to be higher than that outside throughout the year (Janni and Allen, 2001;Stowell et al, 2001a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Relative humidity inside the barn was found to be higher than that outside throughout the year (Janni and Allen, 2001;Stowell et al, 2001a). Also tunnel ventilation was compared with natural ventilation (Stowell et al, 2001a and2001b). Under freezing weather roof insulation combined with thermal curtains inside the barn was maintained a uniform temperature of 208C (Buffington et al, 1983), but in hot weather the temperature inside the barn was 18C to 38C higher than outside (Stowell et al, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimal barn characteristics for high-yielding Holstein cows as derived by a new heat-stress model

Shoshani

Hetzroni

2013

Animal

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Meticulous planning is required to minimize heat-stress conditions in barns. The objective of this study was to determine optimum barn characteristics for high-yielding dairy cows under Israeli (Mediterranean) summer ambient conditions, by using a new stress model that takes ambient temperature, relative humidity and wind velocity into account. During the summers of 2004 and 2005, three meteorological stations were alternately installed in 39 barns: two stations inside the barn at the prevailing downwind direction, and a third station outside the upwind end of the barn. Ambient temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction were measured and recorded every 10 min for 3 to 5 consecutive days at each barn in turn. The data were collected at different geographical and climatic conditions. Therefore, the data collected by an outside station were used as covariates. A heat-stress model was used to determine the threshold temperature (THRT) at which a cow begins to increase its respiratory rate; THRT was the response variable in the statistical model. The THRT model takes in account assumed values of a cow's physiological characteristics: daily milk yield of 45 kg, containing 3.5% fat, and 3 mm fur depth. The independent variables were: orientation, barn type, roof slope, roof ridge, marginal height, roof type (fixed or sliding) and barn width. Results showed that the optimal barn for high-yielding cows is the loose-housing type, oriented with its long axis perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction. Advantageous to the design would be an open ridge or pagoda with marginal height of over 4.7 m for north-south orientation and over 5 m for east-west orientation, roof slope over 11%, and barn width between 43 and 51 m for north-south orientation but lower than 42 m for east-west orientation. A sliding roof was also found to be an excellent solution when outside yards are banned by environmental regulations.Keywords: barn, heat stress, dairy cow ImplicationsThis work lays the basis for the design of optimal naturalventilated barns for cows to suppress thermal heat stress. Our research took into considerations the main contributors to heat stress including ambient temperature, humidity and wind speed. The latter was previously ignored in heatstress models. The results indicate that with proper design, potential heat stress can be reduced thus decreasing or even eliminating the decline of milk production of dairy animals.

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Performance of Tunnel Ventilation for Freestall Dairy Facilities as Compared to Natural Ventilation with Supplemental Cooling Fans

Cited by 13 publications

References 0 publications

Evaporative Tunnel Cooling of Dairy Cows in the Southeast. I: Effect on Body Temperature and Respiration Rate

Evaporative Tunnel Cooling of Dairy Cows in the Southeast. I: Effect on Body Temperature and Respiration Rate

Connecting Sustainable Agriculture to Rural Development: The Case of Pasture-Based Dairy Grazing

Optimal barn characteristics for high-yielding Holstein cows as derived by a new heat-stress model

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