Effect of thermal insulate materials of broiler housing on broiler performance

Abstract

The objective of this work was to study the effect of thermal insulating materials of broiler houses on 1-39 days old broiler production. Four broiler houses at the State University of Ceará Campus- UECE, Fortaleza - Ceará, - Brazil, south latitude of 3° 48' 45'', west longitude of 38° 33' 45'' and altitude of 27 meters, were used. Each broiler house received 600 birds and a different thermal insulating material on the laterals and roof was used. It was used a layer of carnauba straw, recycled cardboard, white synthetic raffia and blue synthetic raffia. The environmental evaluation was based on internal temperature (AT), relative humidity (RH) and black globe temperature (GT). Observations were recorded 4 times a day, at 7; 14; 17 and 21 hours. All the birds were weighted in the first day, on the days of food change (8; 22 and 36) and in the 39° day, corresponding to the end of the experiment. The insulating materials (carnauba straw and recycled cardboard) significantly decreased the ambient temperature during the day and maintained the same conditions for more time, at night. The relative humidity that increased in the period of the night remained restrained for more time during the day in isolated environments with straw of carnauba and recycled cardboard. In conclusion, in the conditions in which the experiment was done, the better performance was with treatment A and the worst was with treatment D.