Retrofitting Tunnel Houses to 600 ft/min can be Costly

Though keeping any market age bird cool on a hot summer day can prove to be a difficult task, for producers growing birds to an age of 50 or more days it can be especially challenging. Large broilers tend to be better feathered, less mobile, placed at a higher stocking density (lbs/ft2), and have less surface area per pound of weight than birds grown to a weight of four to five pounds. Because of these differences, research trials have indicated that a large broiler may require 50% or more air s...peed than smaller broilers to optimize weight gains and feed conversions during hot weather.