Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    • July 2025
    • 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    • October 2023
    • Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    • September 2023
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
  • FREE Email Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
Twitter LinkedIn
Podcast
Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    1. July 2025
    2. 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    3. June 2025
    4. 2025 Innovation supplement
    5. May 2025
    6. April 2025
    7. March 2025
    8. 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    9. February 2025
    10. January 2025
    11. December 2024
    12. November 2024
    13. October 2024
    14. September 2024
    15. 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    16. August 2024
    17. 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    18. July 2024
    19. 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    20. June 2024
    21. 2024 Innovation supplement
    22. Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    23. May 2024
    24. April 2024
    25. March 2024
    26. February 2024
    27. January 2024
    28. December 2023
    29. November 2023
    30. Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    31. October 2023
    32. Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    33. September 2023
    Featured

    Poultry Business – July 2025 issue

    By Chloe RyanJuly 1, 2025
    Recent

    Poultry Business – July 2025 issue

    July 1, 2025

    Poultry Business – 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement

    July 1, 2025

    Poultry Business – June 2025 issue

    June 9, 2025
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
Poultry News
Housing

Adjust ventilation to avoid wet bedding, farmers advised

Chloe RyanBy Chloe RyanJanuary 23, 20183 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
With winter weather causing steep temperature drops, poultry farmers are being urged to adjust their ventilation settings in order to avoid the bird welfare issues and reduced returns caused by wet litter.
According to ventilation, heating and controls specialist, Hydor, wet bedding has been proven to be a key cause of red marks on the feet and legs of chickens, also known as hock burns.
Thanks in part to the rise in demand for chicken feet in China, where they are seen as a delicacy, farmers can now receive a premium for unmarked feet and thighs, yet some are unable to exploit this opportunity.
One of the key causes of wet bedding is the presence of cold air at floor level, which can lead to condensation.
Shaun Morris, a commissioning engineer at Hydor has outlined some of the key steps that can be taken to avoid wet bedding. Shaun said: “A steep drop in temperature can catch farmers unawares, so it’s important to ensure that whatever system they have in place can adjust quickly and effectively to changes in the atmosphere to prevent a negative impact on poultry.
“One of the primary causes of wet bedding is cold air reaching the floor, whether through open inlets, or rapidly falling air. It’s a constant battle at this time of year and it’s essential that farmers adjust their air intake so that it comes in at a higher pressure during the winter, closing up side inlets to ensure cold air is dragged along the ceiling towards the roof fans, so that as it drops it loses some of its humidity and heats up before reaching the floor.”
According to Morris, sheds that are using older control systems are at the greatest risk. “A fully automated control system will be continually monitoring and adjusting for humidity, CO2 and ammonia, as well as temperature. In most cases inlets will remain closed when fans aren’t operating and will open during operation to ensure effective air movement. With older systems you can find the opposite is true, so if you say that a fan is operating for just 30 seconds in a five minute period partially opened vents could be allowing cold air to drop directly down to the floor for much of the time, resulting in wet patches around the edge of the shed.
“Dry litter is essential to ensuring chicken feet and legs are kept in the best possible condition and allowing farmer’s to secure their premiums.”
Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Previous ArticleNigel Strain to Lead Cobb Europe Technical Team
Next Article Retail egg sales top 6bn in 2017
Chloe Ryan

Editor of Poultry Business, Chloe has spent the past decade writing about the food industry from farming, through manufacturing, retail and foodservice. When not working, dog walking and reading biographies are her favourite hobbies.

Read Similar Stories

Production

Comment: We need to attract young people to the poultry industry

July 8, 20252 Mins Read
Production

New RSPCA chicken welfare standards now available for RSPCA Assured members

July 7, 20252 Mins Read
Production

The Chicken and the Shed: A Tale of Two Growth Curves

July 7, 20252 Mins Read
Latest News

Comment: Why I still believe the Better Chicken Commitment has a future

July 14, 2025

Comment: A cautious welcome for Defra’s spending plans

July 14, 2025

EFSA warns of bird migration and US imports pathways for AI into Europe

July 11, 2025
Sponsored Content

Navigating Sustainability in Egg Production: Practical Steps for Producers

June 1, 2025

Maintain stable and continuous coccidiosis control amidst stocking density reductions

November 1, 2024
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions

  • Farmers Weekly
  • AA Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • Pig World

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.