Project Number: 6406-32630-005-01
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jun 17, 2002
End Date: Apr 30, 2007

Objective:
The objective of this cooperative research project is to improve broiler house environment by reducing ammonia, the impact of nitrogen excretion, and mortality and to evaluate the engineering and biological controls/strategies to reduce broiler production costs and improve broiler house environment.

Approach:
Day old broiler chickens will be obtained from a commercial hatchery and reared to develop management strategies to reduce ammonia in broiler litter, evaluate methods to block the transfer of nitrogen levels in broiler litter to volatile forms of nitrogen including ammonia in house environment, and to determine management practices that reduce physiological stress and improve the performance of broilers. Data will be obtained pertaining to dietary factors, ammonia production, carbon dioxide production, broiler performance, and mortality. These data will be analyzed to determine the optimum production and dietary factors necessary to optimize broiler performance and poultry house environment.