University of Maryland Extension Delmarva Broiler Farm Water Usage Jennifer Timmons...

University of Maryland Extension

Delmarva BroilerFarm Water Usage

Jennifer Timmons (mdchick@umd.edu)

www.mdchick.umd.edu

University of Maryland Extension

Acknowledgements

• Richard Nottingham• Jennifer Rhodes

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Introduction• Ground water is 81-100% source of all drinking

water on the Eastern Shore.• Demand for water is expected to increase by

more than 20% between 2000 and 2030.• Water Use Permits:– Maryland and Virginia: greater than 10,000

gallons/day– Delaware: greater than 50,000 gallons/day

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Introduction• Bird water consumption is somewhat easy to

predict.• Evaporative cooling system is harder to

predict.

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Introduction• Flock water usage varies depending on a many

factors.– Age of bird– House density– Outside temperature and relative humidity– Type of cooling system– Evaporative cooling set temperatures

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Introduction• University of Georgia monitored water usage

of a 50 ft X 560 ft broiler house in Athens, GA (Czarick and Fairchild, 2009).

• Evaporative cooling system used between 40,000 and 45,000 gallons during the summer.

• Evaporative cooling system used between 10,000 and 20,000 gallons during the spring.

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Background of Study

• Water meters were placed on evaporative cooling pad system (recirculation system) of 15 broiler houses.

• Drinker consumption data also collected (10 houses).

• Data collection started April 2008.• Flocks were placed at various times

throughout the study.

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Background of Study

• Average house size: 29,708 ft2

• Average broiler capacity: 40,057 birds• Average flock age: 52 days• Assume 5 ½ flocks/year = 286 production days

(52 days X 5.5 flocks)

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Results (7/2009)• Average gallons of water used by evaporative

cooling pad system for one flock:– 533 gallons/day/house

• Average gallons of water consumed for one flock: – 1,598 gallons/day/house

• Therefore total gallons used/day/house for one flock = 2,131 gallons/day/house

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Results (7/2009)• Estimated total gallons used for 5 ½ flocks

(286 days) in one house = – 609,466 gallons (286 d X 2,131 gallons)

• Average gallons used per day in one house for 1 year (365 days) = – 1,670 gallons (609,466 gallons ÷ 365 days)

• Average gallons per ft2 =

– 0.0562 gallons/ft2 (1,670 gallons ÷ 29,708 ft2)

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How much water do I use on my farm per

year?• Example: – Five houses (33,600 ft2)– Total ft2 = 168,000 ft2 (33,600 ft2 X 5 houses)– Total average gallons used/day = • 9,442 gallons water/day (168,000 ft2 X 0.0562 gallons/ft2)

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Questions