Heating Systems

There are primarily six heating systems
used in poultry houses today:
Poultry House Heating Systems
Forced air furnaces

Conventional brooders
Radiant brooders
Radiant tube heaters
High intensity radiant
heaters
Alternative heating
systems
Michael Czarick
The University of Georgia
They all can work
Forced air furnaces
But there are significant differences as to how they heat a

house.
As a result they need to be installed and managed
differently.
How much of a problem is stratification with

forced air furnaces?
Forced air furnaces
Most simplistic type of

heating system where100%
of heat produced is the form
of very hot air
Since the hot air is
significantly lighter than the
rest of the air in the
houseit quickly rises to
the ceiling leaving coolest air
next to the floor.
95.0F
95
90
85
During brooding air temperature increases approximately

one to three degrees per foot as you move towards the
ceiling.
80
75.0F
Stratification
Stratification
(1oF per foot)
(2oF per foot)

99.0F
103.1
100.4
99.4
97.4
100.0F
100
95
90
94.2
90
88.7
84.6
80
92.1
89.6
86.1
70
85
83.6F
Stratification
65.0F
Stratification can be further magnified if there is

leakage
(3oF per foot)

100.0F
100
102.8
90
80
83.4
70
In general, the cooler the weather, the

longer the furnaces operate, the greater
the amount of stratification
65.0F
Thermocline
Thermocline
100.0F
100
85.6
95.0F
95
83.6
90
80
70
90
78.9
85
80
76.2
60.0F
75.0F
Half house curtain leakage can also lead to

thermocline formation
Circulation fans are a must in houses with

forced air furnaces!
95.0F
95
102.9
90
88.4
80.4
74.0
85
Must move the hot air down to bird level

80
75
70.0F
Furnaces are best suited for house with:
And should be avoided in high ceiling

houses
Low ceilings
In low ceiling houses the hot is trapped

near the floor
High ceiling house using furnaces

(cloud of hot air collecting near the ceiling)
100.0F
100
90.0
100.0F
100
90
90
80
80
84.1
82.6
73.8
75.5
70.0F
70.0F
Hot air flow pattern in low ceiling house

100.0F
100
Best suited for:
Totally enclosed tight houses
90
80
70.0F
Best suited for:
Relatively low initial cost

per Btu produced
Few heating units required
(turkey breeder house with furnaces)
Totally enclosed tight houses

Or with older birds where maintaining a proper floor
temperature is not as crucial
Advantages:
But, furnaces can still be problematic
Installation
Maintenance
Disadvantages:
Inefficient floor heating.
Ceiling heating system
Relatively low energy

efficiency
No pilot lights
To obtain floor
temperatures in the low to
90sair temps have to be
in the mid to high 90s.
Uniform floor
temperatures
Floor temperatures
Floor temperature histogram

%
100.0F
100
0.0
Birds cannot self thermo-regulate
100.0
0.0
98.0
0.0
96.0
95
0.0
94.0
7.3
92.0
89.1
90
90.0
3.0
88.0
0.4
86.0
85
0.1
84.0
0.1
82.0
0.0
80.0
80.0F
Conventional pancake brooders
0.0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Conventional pancake brooders produce

two forms of heat
Hot air like furnaces
Conventional pancake brooders produce

two forms of heat
The hot air tends to increase room air

temperature
100.0F
100
90
Radiant heat
80
70.0F
The radiant heat warms the floor near the

brooder above air temperature
The radiant heat warms the floor near the

brooder above air temperature
100.0F
100
100.0F
100
90
90
80
80
70.0F
The closer to the brooder, the greater the amount of floor heating
How much the floor is warmed depends to a large

extent on proximity
70.0F
The floor heating profile can be fairly

dramatic
100.0F
100
90
Degrees above air

temperature
70
60
80
50
40
30
70
20
88.4
69.5
10
0
63.0F
0
Distance from brooder (ft)
A variety of floor temperatures from

which the birds can choose
Conventional brooder-benefits
Chicks can seek their own comfort zone
120.0F
120
120.0F
120
110
100
100
90
118.9
110.3
97.2
87.7
112.2
80
88.8
93.0
80
70.0F
71.8
60.0F
House temperature 80oF

Air temperatures can drop below ideal without
necessarily adversely affecting bird performance.
110.0F
110
100
90
76.0
80
86.5
78.1
113.1
70
96.7
66.3F
Brooder rings are often used in turkey

housing to keep poults near heat source
Cold room brooding

110.0F
110
96.0F
95
90
100
85
90
80
74.0
80
75
81.0
76.0
80.4
Cold room brooding
70.0F
70.0F

Air temperatures can drop below ideal without
necessarily adversely affecting bird performance.
Drafts can occur and birds will not be harmed as much as
houses with forced air furnaces.
Radiant heat and drafts
Drafts in house with brooders

100.0F
100
90
80
70
68.0F
Birds gathering near brooders in drafty

house
Birds gathering near brooders in drafty

house
110.0F
100
80
60
50.0F
Draft in furnace house
80.0F
80
Brooders are much better suited for producers with

older, looser houses or poor managers than are furnaces.
70
60
50
49.8F
Conventional brooder - weaknesses
Relatively small floor area covered per brooder, which

results in a large number of brooders
How much floor area is heated (radiant

heated) by a single conventional brooder?
Area
= 3.14 X R2
100.0F
100
Especially in todays larger houses

100.0F
100
90
90
80
80
LI01
70
70
65.0F
65.0F
Floor heat profile of a conventional brooder

100.0F
100
How much floor area is heated by a single

conventional brooder?
Area
90
80
LI01
70
65.0F
F
110
= 3.14 X R2
= 3.14 X 52
= 3.14 X 25 ft2
= 80 ft2 (approximately)
105
100
95
90
85
4 - 5
80
75
70
How many conventional brooders should be

installed in a house?
For a curtain-sided house we need somewhere around

500,000 Btus of heat in 40 X 250 brooding area.
Advantages of having a surplus of

brooders:
More floor area receiving radiant heat
# Brooders = 17 (500,000/30,000)
We typically install somewhere around 24

Why is this?
24 in a 40 X 250 brood area approximately 20% of the floor

area would receive some amount of radiant heating.
With 17 conventional brooders only 14% of the floor would be
receiving a significant amount of radiant heat.
Birds are never that far from radiant heat source

Safety factor
Protects from floor overheating
Large number of brooders
Conventional brooder placement
Fewer brooders
Near feed and water
Near feed and water

Near side wall
Offsets radiant heat loss from curtain
Encourages chicks to feed and water
Radiant heat gain from curtain
When the sun hits a curtain, it is often heated well above

air temperature.
The hot curtain surface radiates heat to the floor near
the side walls.
10
Warm curtain
Warm, south facing curtain on a cold day.

(40oF outside)
84.6
90.0F
90
79.1
80
74.6
70
60.0F
Radiant heat loss from curtain
Floor temperatures in furnace house
If the curtain is colder than the floor, the floor heats the
curtain, which lowers the temperature of the floor.
100.0F
100
95
LI01
90
85
80.0F
Floor temperature profile
Warm, south facing curtain on a cold day.

(40oF outside)
F
84.6
90.0F
90
79.1
80
94
92
90
74.6
70
88
86
60.0F
11
Cold, north facing curtain on cold day.
Southern side wall
(40oF outside)
(40oF outside)
61.4
65.5
90.0F
90
90.0F
90
80
80
74.8
72.1
70
70
60.0F
60.0F
Pancake brooders near the side walls can

help offset radiant heat loss from the curtains
Northern side wall

(40oF outside)
100.0F
100
90.0F
90
72.2
80
90
70
80
70.0F
60.0F
Conventional brooders placement
Near feed and water

Near side wall
Draft in house with brooders

100.0F
100

Close to leakage
90
80
70.0F
12
Curtain leakage
Conventional brooders placement

100.0F
100
Near feed and water

Near side wall
90
90
90
90
90
80
80
80
80
70
80
70
70
60
70
60

Close to leakage
Last but not least, promotes litter drying
50.0F
55.0F
60.0F
70.0F
65.0F
Most moisture is added in the vicinity of the

feeder/drinker lines
summary
Advantages over furnaces:
radiant heat
relatively large number need because of relatively small heating

zone
How can we reduce the number of brooders

required?
Increase the amount of floor are covered by each

brooder
better bird performance
Disadvantages over furnaces:
Initial cost
Maintenance
Control
Increase the size of the radiant element
Larger emitting surface tends to produce more radiant

heat
110 in2
250 in2
13
Radiant heat profile comparison
Since they produce

significantly more
radiant heat the need to
be installed higher above
floor to it over a larger
area.
70
Degrees Above Ambient (F)
Radiant brooders
Radiant Brooder
Pancake Brooder
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
2
3
4
5
6
Distance From Brooder (ft)

100 .0F
100
F
110
105
LI01
95
100
90
95
85
90
80.0 F
85

1 0 0 .0 F
100
F
110
105
95
100
LI01
90
95
85
90
8 0 .0 F
85
14
Floor temperatures in house with radiant

brooders prior to chick placement
Histogram of floor temperatures

F
102.0
1 0 0 .0 F
100
100.0
98.0
96.0
95
94.0
92.0
90
90.0
88.0
85
86.0
84.0
82.0
AR01
8 0 .0 F
How large of an area does a radiant brooder

heat?
80.0
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Radiant brooder floor temperature

profile
F
100
100.0F
100
100.0F
100
90
80
LI01
95
70
60.0F
90
90
85
LI01
80
80
70
75
70
60.0F
How large of an area does a radiant brooder

heat?
Area
65
Radiant heat zone radius

approximately 8
How many radiant brooders should you

install?
= 3.14 X R2
= 3.14 X 82
= 3.14 X 64 ft2
= 200 ft2 (approximately twice that of a conv. brooder)
Based on heat demand a 40 X 250 brood area, curtainsided house requires approximately 500,000 Btus/hr of
heat.
Radiant brooder produces approximately 40,000 Btus/hr
of heat
500,000 / 40,000 = 12
15
How much of the floor is receiving radiant

heat?
coverage area = 200 ft2 X 12 = 2,400 ft2
Percentage of brooding area covered with radiant heat
General radiant brooder specifications
Coverage area of 12 conventional brooders
% = 2,400 ft2 / 10,000 ft2

= 24%
No surplus of heating capacity/safety margin
Using this guideline how much of the floor

is receiving some level of radiant heating?
Does a totally enclosed house require fewer

radiant brooders?
Coverage area of 14 conventional brooders

(approximately one per 750 ft2)
Coverage area = 200 ft2 X 14 = 2,800 ft2
Percentage of brooding area covered with significant

amount of radiant heat:
% = 2,800 ft2 / 10,000 ft2

= 28%
Totally enclosed housing with fewer radiant

brooders
Minimal coverage area (16%)

With high minimum ventilation rates a totally enclosed
house can have the same heating demand as a curtainsided house.
Just because a house has more brooders doesnt mean it
will use more gas.
40 X 250 brood area, curtain-sided house
Approximately one for every 750 square feet of floor

space (brooding end)
Approximately one for every 1,200 square feet of floor
space (nonbrooding end)
approximately 40% less Btus/hr

300,000 Btus/hr
Radiant brooder produces approximately 40,000 Btus/hr

of heat
300,000 / 40,000 = 8
Advantages over conventional brooders
Fewer needed
Less maintenance
No pilot lights
16
Pilot lights
Gallons
= 1,200/92,000
= 0.013 gallons/hour
Gallons per day per 26 brooders
Radiant brooder placement
A pilot light produces about 1,200 Btus/hr of heat
Gallons
= 0.013 X 26 brooders X 24 hrs

= 8.1 gallons per day
Using 14 radiant brooders with spark ignition would save

a producer approximately 80 gallons ($162 @ $2/gal)
over a ten day period.
Same as conventional brooders for the same reasons
Two rows staggered
With pairs in the ends to add a little

extra radiant heat where it tends to be
needed most
Helps to compensate for tunnel curtain

leakage
More floor heating near cool side walls

100.0F
100
100.0F
100
90
90
80
80
70
100.0F
100
70.0F
100.0F
100
65.0F
90
90
80
80
70.0F
70.0F
17
Helps to compensate for half house curtain

leakage
Tunnel curtain leakage
100.0F
100
100.0F
100
90
90
80
100.0F
100
70.0F
80
90
70
80
65.0F
70.0F
Offsets house curtain leakage
Helps to compensate for end door leakage

100.0F
100
105.0F
90
100
105.0F
100
80
90
90
70.0F
80
100.0F
100
80
70
90
65.0F
80
70
70.0F
Nonbrooding end radiant brooder placement
65.0F
Most houses dont have sufficient radiant

brooders on nonbrooding end
105.0F
105.0F
100
100
90
90
80
80
70
Minimum of 65% of what is

installed on brooding end
70
65.0F
12 radiant brooders
65.0F
5 radiant brooders,
4 operational
18
Back of non brood end
105.0F
105.0F
100
100
90
90
80
80
70
If an insufficient number of radiant brooders are installed,

placing them over feed and water can lead to very high
floor temperatures under the brooders.
70
65.0F
65.0F
105.0F
100
90
80
70
65.0F
Radiant brooder overheating caused by not installing a

sufficient number of radiant brooders.
Brooders down the center can still be

problematic even in totally enclosed houses
Which has lead some to install radiant brooders down

center of house
To be effective.
100.0F
100
100.0F
100
100.0F
100
90
90
80
80
86.7
89.2
90
107.3
80
70.0F
70.0F
Sensor should be placed near side wall

Circulation should be used
70.0F
19
Whats wrong with this picture?
Radiant brooder too low

1 2 0 .0 F
120
110
100
90
LI01
8 0 .0 F
Very steep temperature gradient

F
140
120 .0F
120
110
100
130
How can we reduce the number required

even further?
Increase the size of the radiant heat zone of the brooder

even furtherincrease the size of the radiant element
even more.
90
LI01
80.0 F
120
110
100
90
Floor temperatures in house with radiant

tube brooders prior to chick placement
105.0F
105
88.1 90.3
93.1
98.4
100
95
101.3
90
85
80.0F
20

F
110
1 0 5 .0F
10 5
10oF variation in 35
LI01
10 0
105
95
100
90
95
85
90
8 0 .0 F
85
Histogram of floor temperatures
2 days later
F
102.0
1 0 5 .0 F
1 05
100.0
98.0
1 00
LI01
96.0
94.0
95
92.0
90.0
90
88.0
86.0
85
84.0
82.0
80.0
10
15
20
25
30
8 0 .0 F
35
110.0F
110
2 days later
F
110
100
20oF
variation in 35
90
LI01
108
80
106
70.0F
104
102
100
F
100
95
98
96
94
90
85
92
80
90
88
86
75
70
20oF gradient in 8
21
Pancake brooders

100.0F
100
95.0F
94
90
92
90
80
88
70
86
65.0F
85.0F
Percent of floor area covered by radiant

heat in typical house with tube heaters?
Four tube heaters in a 40 X 250 brooding area
95.0F
125,000 Btus/hr
94
Coverage area per tube heater
Factors affecting floor heating pattern of a

tube heater
Approximately 30 X 50 = 1,500 square feet
92
% coverage area = 4 X 1,500

= 6,000/(40 X 250)
= 6,000/10,000
= 60%
90
88
86
85.0F

tube heater
summer

tube heater
winter
100.0F
100
100.0F
100
120.0F
120
120.0F
120
110
90
110
90
97.6
100
90.9
90
80
90
80
80
127.2
70.0F
100
70.0F
Heating system run time

The less it runs the more uniform the floor temperature
70
70.0F
80
88.8
70
70.0F
Level of side wall insulation
22
Curtain-sided house
Curtain-sided house
105.2F
105
110.0F
110
100
105.1
100
95
85.0
90
90
85
80
80.0F
75.0F

tube heater
Totally enclosed house
110.0F
110
Tube length
115.0F
115.0F
100
110
110
100
100
115.0F
110
100
108.7
91.1
90
90
80
75.0F
80
75.0F
Temperature variation along length of

tube heater
100.7
90
90
80
80
75.0F
75.0F
The longer the tube the greater the variation

Tubes should be kept to a maximum of 40
Temperature variation along tube length
130.0F
130
130.0F
130
120
120
110
110
100
100
129.9
90
100.9
90
80
80.0F
75.0F
23
Resulting in an egg shaped coverage

area
Best way to reduce variation

reduce tube length
105.0F
20 long tube heater
100
90
80
70.0F
20 tubes are the ideal, producing more

of an oval/rectanglar pattern
U tubes heaters can also create much

more uniform floor temperatures
105.0F
100
90
80
70.0F
10 U-Tube radiant heater create a more

circular pattern
U-Tube radiant heater

800.0F
800
105.0F
100
Hot
Warm
600
90
400
Cool
Warm
80
200
50.0F
70.0F
24
Reflector design also affects floor heating

pattern
Reflector design
110.0F
110
A closed design
A more open design
100
90
80.0F
Reflector design
Open reflector design

110.0F
110
110.0F
110
100
100
90
90
110.0F
110
100
90
80.0F
80.0F
80.0F
Reflector design
Closed designs are better suited for high ceiling houses
Advantages:
Disadvantages
Large amount of floor space covered with radiant heat

Fewer units to maintain
Up out of the way
Exhaust gases can be piped out of the house.
Potential ceiling overheating
Open designs are better suited for low ceilings and/or

wider houses.
25
High ceiling temperatures
Circulation fans
150.0F
161.4
140
140.6
128.3
120
100
87.9F
Advantages:
Large amount of floor space covered with radiant heat

Fewer units to maintain
Up out of the way
Exhaust gases can be piped out of the house.
Disadvantages
Potential ceiling overheating

Most radiant heat is not where it is most neededthe center
of the house which can be problematic in loose curtain-sided
houses.
Can be problematic in wider houses.
Radiant tube heaters can be problematic in

wider houses
Radiant tube heaters in wide houses
Tube heater in a 40 open ceiling house
The lower the ceiling, the wider the house, the more of a
difference there will be in floor heating
26
Tube heater in a 40 wide dropped ceiling

house
Radiant tubes in 40 wide
100.0F
100
100.0F
100
90
90
80
80
70.0F
70.0F
Coverage width approximately 30
Coverage area in 8 ceiling..half as

much coverage area
Tubes in 60 wide house with 16

ceilingmuch wider coverage area
105.0F
136.0F
100
120
90
100
80
70
80.0F
But a tube heater in a 60 wide dropped ceiling house

has the same coverage area as in a 40 wide dropped
ceiling house with a 10 ceilingabout 30
65.0F
Radiant tube in 60 wide house

101.6F
100
110.7
90
80
70
68.0F
27
As a result wider houses should have

two rows of tubes
Radiant tubes in 60 wide house

(side wall)
101.6F
100
76.3
90
80
70
68.0F
Two tubes on side walls?
Quick preheating of incoming air
To get good floor coverage the side walls need to be relatively high
High intensity radiant brooders
High intensity radiant brooder vs.

conventional radiant brooders (50 house)
80,000 Btus/hr
way between a radiant
brooder and a
conventional tube heater
110.0F
110
100
90
80
50 wide house
77.0F
28
Radiant brooders (back ground)

HI radiant brooder (foreground)
High intensity radiant brooder

110
Installed close to the

ceiling like a radiant tube
because the heat output is
similar to a tube
100
112.6F
80,000 vs 125,000 Btu/hr
90
80
75.0F
The first high intensity radiant brooder

was the Quadratherm (CTB)
Floor heating pattern of high intensity

radiant brooder
Reflector designed to
direct the radiant heat
more outward
Less of a hot spot directly
underneath the brooder.
110.0F
110
100
LI01
90
Feed line to feed line = 40

80.0F
High intensity radiant brooder

F
120
Coverage area
(approximately 30 35 X 30)
105.0F
105
115
110
105
100
95
100
95
90
90
85
85
80
80.0F
29
Though the coverage area is similar

between these units
Then came the AV Heater (HH)
Quadratherm
There are differences some differences
AV-Heater
800.0F
800
650.0F
600
600
400
400
200
200
60.0F
Avheater
Quadratherm
60.0F
Quadratherm
Avheater
30
Av heater
Floor heating comparison
Quadratherm
Then.L.B. White - Oval 80

20 long 80,000 Btus/hr
20 tube LB White
Quadratherm - Choretime
(same widthbut about 10 longer length)

110.0F
110
110.0F
110
100
100
90
90
80
80
70.0F
70.0F
31
Yet, other 80,000 Btu/hr radiant

heaters
Space Ray Big Foot and 20 tube
110.0F
110
100
90
80.0F
Bigfoot Space Ray
20 Tube - Space Ray
(a little narrowera little longer)
(similar width 10 longer length)

110.0F
110
110.0F
110
100
100
90
90
80
75.0F
80.0F
Ceiling temperatures
(Quadtherm vs. AV Heater)

110.0F
110
180.0F
180
160
100
150.6
156.6
129.3170.0
154.9
151.0
90
140
120
100
80
75.0F
80
70.0F
32
(Quadtherm vs. L.B. White Oval 80)
(Quadtherm vs. Space Ray Big Foot)

160.0F
160
106.4
145.2109.9
140.1 132.7
133.0
160.0F
160
140
140
185
119
177178
130
151
120
120
100
100
80
80
70.0F
70.0F
Number required to heat a broiler house?
(Quadtherm vs. Space Ray 20 tube)

160.0F
160
140
111.1
169.4
165.6
120
146.3
129.5
Brooding area
100
80
70.0F
40 X 500 broiler house
Five tube heaters in a 40 X 250 brooding area
80,000 Btus/hr
Coverage area per tube heater
Approximately one per 2,400 square feet of floor space
Installing fewer can lead to heat distribution problems as

well as problems with floor overheating
Percent of floor area covered by radiant

heat in house with HI radiant heaters?
Approximately one per 1,500 square feet of floor space
Nonbrooding end
Approximately 35 X 30 = 1,050 square feet
% coverage area = 6 X 1050

= 6,300/(40 X 250)
= 6,300/10,000
= 63%
6 to 7 brooding end
4 to 5 nonbrooding end
33
H.I. brooders center of a 40 wide house vs.

radiant brooders
Conventional radiant brooders

105.0F
100
6 down the center

40 X 250 brood area
90
100.0F
100
100.0F
100
90
90
80
80
80
75.0F
70.0F
70.0F
Side wall conditions with conventional

radiant brooders
High intensity radiant brooders

105.0F
105.0F
100
100
90
90
80
80
75.0F
75.0F
Side wall conditions with high intensity

radiant brooders
Side wall with conventional radiant

brooders
105.0F
105.0F
100
100
90
90
80
80
75.0F
75.0F
34
Side wall with high intensity radiant

brooders
Installation in wider houses

105.0F
100
90
80
75.0F
54 wide house installed in the center of

the house
Very little side wall heating

85.0F
85.0F
80
80
70
70
60
60
55.0F
55.0F
Two rows of radiant brooders have

better overall floor coverage
Two rows of radiant brooders have

better overall floor coverage
105.0F
105
105.0F
105
100
100
88.3 85.4
95
95
85.5
83.8
90
90
85
85
80.0F
80.0F
35
Two rows or HI radiant heaters?
Two rows in 54 wide house
Two rows in 54 wide house
Improved side wall coverage

90.0F
90
90.0F
90
85
85
80
80
75
75
70.0F
70.0F
Lastly.there are alternative heating

systems
There are basically two types of alternative heating

systems (do not burn propane/natural gas)
Hydronic - Hot water systems

Hot air systems
poultryventilation.com
36
Hydronic systems
Boilers themselves are fairly similar
A group of houses is heated using a central boiler that

burns some type of low cost fuel to heat water to a
temperature of between 150oF 200oF:
Black steel pipe
The heated water is circulated to the houses on the farm.

Some type of heat exchangers are then used to heat the
air/floor in the houses
The slightly cooler water (-20oF) is then returned to boiler to
be heated again.
Types of hot water heat exchangers:
Biggest difference between these systems is the type of

heat exchanger used.
There are primarily four types of hydronic heat
exchangers used in poultry houses
Black steel pipe heat exchangers:
Typically installed on the

side walls
Each foot of pipe is capable of adding a specific amount of

heat to a house (more pipe more heat):
1 black steel pipe
If you wanted to add up to 500,000 Btus/hr of heat to a

house
1 black steel pipe = 150 Btus/hr per foot
500,000/150 = 3,300
Black steel pipe installed on side wall

500,000/170 = 2,900
Thermal image of hot water radiator pipes

on side walls
Basically a hot air heating system
(furnaces producing warm air)
Dont produce a substantial amount of

radiant heat compared to conventional/radiant
brooders
2 black steel pipe
37
Cost?
500,000/170 = 2,900
$3 per foot = $8,700
Types of hot water heat exchangers
Black steel pipe

Finned tube
Finned tubes have greater surface area

(approx. five times the heat output per foot)
1 finned tube = 750 Btus/hr per foot (150 bsp)

2 finned tube = 850 Btus/hr per foot (170 bsp)
Finned tubes
Traditionally installed in vicinity of air inlets to warm cold

incoming air.
If you wanted to add up to 500,000 Btus/hr of heat to a

house
1 finned tube
More surface area

More heating produced per
foot
Less pipe required
500,000/750 = 670
2 finned tube
500,000/850 = 590
Finned tubes on ceiling near side wall

inlets
Finned tubes on side wall below inlets
38
Finned tubes on side wall and ceiling
Finned tubes install next to two way attic

inlet/circulator
Finned tubes installed below attic inlets
Cost?
105.0F
2 finned tube = 750 Btus/hr per foot
100
500,000/850 = 590
$15 per foot = $8,900 ($8,700 bsp)
90
80
70
60
53.4F
Types of hot water heat exchanger:
Radiator with blower fan located next to

ceiling
Fin pipes
Black steel pipe
Individual radiators with
blower fans
Lower cost option

Similar to forced air
furnaces but air produced
is not as hot.
39
Cost?
Types of hot water heat exchanger:
Btu/hr output = 225,000 to 150,000 Btus/hr

$1,000 per unit.
Very expensive
500,000 Btus/hr system would require 3 possible 4

exchangers
$3,000 - $4,000
Floor heating systems
Black steel pipe

Finned tubes
Individual radiators with
blower fans
Floor heating
Floor heating systems
Concrete floor with pipes running through it
Concrete floor is required adding substantial cost to a

house.
Litter depth has to be carefully controlled because litter
is a very good insulating material.
Often houses with floor heating systems also

have a secondary heating system
Hydronic floor heating systems

100.0F
100
100.0F
100
Most of these systems are installed in houses that clean out

after each flock.
Floor heating:
90
90
80
80
Primarily designed to provide background heat

Tends to have a very slow response time
70.0F
70.0F
100.0F
100
90
80
70.0F
40
Supplemental brooders in turkey brooding

barn
Often houses with floor heating systems also

have an another heating system
110.0F
110
110.0F
110
100
100
Floor heating:
90
90
80
80
75.0F
75.0F
Primarily designed to provide background heat

Tends to have a very slow response time
Yes, the litter tends to be dry but this tends to be true

with any hydronic system
Not a very common type hydronic heating system cost
110.0F
110
100
90
80
75.0F
All Hydronic systems require a substantial

initial investment
Fuel storage
First, there is the boiler
Pumps
Hot water delivery system
41
and of course there are the heat

exchangers
To reduce initial cost hydronic systems tend

to be total farm heating systems
The boiler is the largest single cost and the cost

difference between a boiler to do a single house and
multiple houses is not substantially greater.
To reduce initial cost hydronic systems tend

to be total farm heating systems
The boiler is the largest single cost and the cost

difference between a boiler to do a single house and
multiple houses is not substantially greater.
In some areas of the country the entire farm (poultry
houses, dwelling houses, farm shop, etc) is heated using a
single boiler.
1.4 million Btus/hr
Hot air systems
Combustion air flow through heating

unit
Each house has its own heating unit that burns some type
of low cost fuel:
Air is drawn from the house,

Runs over the burning chamber/heat exchanger,
Returned to the house where it is distributed using either duct
system and/or circulation fans
42
House air flow through heating unit
House from air flowing into and out of

heating unit
Primarily two types of hot air

distribution systems
Rigid duct system
Rigid duct system
Perforated plastic duct
43
Perforated plastic duct ran the length of the

house
Short duct with circulation fans
Circulation fan distribution system
Circulation fans moving heated air towards

the brooding end wall.
Circulation fans moving heated air towards

the brooding curtain
Circulation fan in half house curtain to

move heated air to nonbrooding end
44
Alternative heating systems
There are a number of benefits associated with these

systembut they can come with very high initial cost.
poultryventilation.com
45

Heating Systems

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Heating Systems

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There are primarily six heating systems

used in poultry houses today:

Poultry House Heating Systems

Forced air furnaces

They all can work

Forced air furnaces

But there are significant differences as to how they heat a

How much of a problem is stratification with

Forced air furnaces

Most simplistic type of

During brooding air temperature increases approximately

(1oF per foot)

(2oF per foot)

Stratification can be further magnified if there is

(3oF per foot)

In general, the cooler the weather, the

Half house curtain leakage can also lead to

Circulation fans are a must in houses with

Must move the hot air down to bird level

Furnaces are best suited for house with:

And should be avoided in high ceiling

In low ceiling houses the hot is trapped

High ceiling house using furnaces

Hot air flow pattern in low ceiling house

Best suited for:

Totally enclosed tight houses

Best suited for:

Relatively low initial cost

(turkey breeder house with furnaces)

Totally enclosed tight houses

But, furnaces can still be problematic

Inefficient floor heating.

Ceiling heating system

Relatively low energy

Floor temperature histogram

Birds cannot self thermo-regulate

Conventional pancake brooders

Conventional pancake brooders produce

Hot air like furnaces

Conventional pancake brooders produce

The hot air tends to increase room air

The radiant heat warms the floor near the

The radiant heat warms the floor near the

How much the floor is warmed depends to a large

The floor heating profile can be fairly

Degrees above air

Distance from brooder (ft)

A variety of floor temperatures from

Chicks can seek their own comfort zone

House temperature 80oF

Chicks can seek their own comfort zone

Brooder rings are often used in turkey

Cold room brooding

Cold room brooding

Chicks can seek their own comfort zone

Radiant heat and drafts

Drafts in house with brooders

Birds gathering near brooders in drafty

Birds gathering near brooders in drafty

Draft in furnace house

Brooders are much better suited for producers with

Conventional brooder - weaknesses

Relatively small floor area covered per brooder, which