Dust and odour emissions from meat chicken sheds

Abstract

Odour, dust and non-methane volatile organic compound (NMVOC) emissions were measured at tunnel ventilated broiler (meat chicken) farms over several production cycles in Queensland and Victoria. Emission rates were found to vary between farms due to numerous management and environmental factors. The variability in emissions prevented the development of a robust odour emission model; however, the emissions data that has been collected will improve scientific understanding and support improved planning of new broiler farms.
NMVOCs are the building blocks of odour—mixtures of specific odorous NMVOCs combine to form what people recognise as poultry odour—and influence its character and strength. NMVOC composition of broiler odour samples was analysed to provide knowledge that will be vital for the
strategic development of odour mitigation strategies and real time monitoring.
Instrumental methods to continuously monitor odour, dust and in-shed environmental conditions were trialled during this project. A prototype artificial olfaction system (AOS) was able to successfully measure in-shed odour concentration and enabled continuous measurement of odour emissions when combined with ventilation rate data. AOS technology could one day form the basis of a continuous
odour monitoring system for enhanced research of broiler shed odour emissions. Sensor networks were used to monitor in-shed conditions such as temperature, humidity, ammonia, airspeed and relative concentrations of dust and VOCs were found to be generally unsuitable for use in poultry sheds and further development of sensors, sensor placement and network design will be required.