There are primarily five heating systems used in

poultry houses today:

 Forced air furnaces
 Conventional brooders
 Radiant brooders
 Radiant tube heaters
 High intensity radiant heaters

Poultry House 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.

Stratification can be a serious problem in houses

Forced air furnaces forced air furnaces
 Most simplistic type of heating system  During brooding air temperature will typically increase approximately one to
 100% of heat produced is the form of very hot air three degrees per foot as you move from the floor to the ceiling.
 Since the hot air is significantly lighter than the rest of the air in the house it
quickly rises to the ceiling leaving coolest air next to the floor resulting in
stratification
95.0°F
95

90

85

80

75.0°F

1
Stratification Stratification
(1oF per foot) (2oF per foot)
100.4 103.1
99.0°F 100.0°F
100
99.4

97.4 95 90

94.2
88.7
84.6 80
90
92.1

89.6
70
86.1 85

83.6°F 65.0°F

Stratification
(3oF per foot) Stratification can be further magnified if there is leakage…
100.0°F
100

102.8

90

In general, the cooler the weather, the

longer the furnaces operate, the greater
80
the amount of stratification

83.4
70

65.0°F

Cold air falling to the floor can result in the formation of a

theromcline… Thermocline examples
 A very rapid change in air temperature in a short distance 100.0°F
100

83.6
90

95.0°F
80 95
85.6

70 90

76.2
78.9
85
60.0°F

80

80oF
70oF 75.0°F

2
A loose half house curtain can lead to thermocline Circulation fans are a must in houses with forced air
formation furnaces!
95.0°F
95
102.9

90
88.4
80.4
74.0 85

80

75
We must actively move the hot air down to bird level

70.0°F

Furnaces are best suited for houses: Should be avoided in houses with high ceilings
 With low ceilings 100.0°F
90.0 100

100.0°F
100

90
84.1
90

80 82.6 80

70.0°F

73.8

75.5 70.0°F

Furnaces are best suited for houses: Conventional “pancake” brooders

 With low ceilings
 That are tight and totally enclosed
 Or with older birds where maintaining a proper floor temperature is not as
crucial

3
Conventional “pancake” brooders produce hot air like
forced air furnaces but… they also produce radiant heat

The radiant heat increases floor temperatures above

The hot air increases room air temperature… the ambient air temperature
100.0°F 100.0°F
100 100

90 90

80 80

70.0°F 70.0°F

How much the floor is warmed depends to a large The closer to the brooder, the greater the amount of
extent on proximity to the brooder floor heating
100.0°F 100.0°F
100 100

90
90

80

80

70
88.4
69.5

70.0°F 63.0°F

4
Advantages: Advantages:
 Chicks can seek their own comfort zone  Chicks can seek their own comfort zone
120.0°F
 Air temperatures can drop below ideal without necessarily adversely affecting
120 bird performance.
110.0°F 120.0°F
110 110 120

100 100
100

90 90
118.9 110.3 97.2 87.7
76.0 112.2
80 88.8 80
80 93.0
86.5 113.1

78.1 70
96.7
70.0°F 71.8
66.3°F 60.0°F

Advantages: Drafts in house with brooders

 Chicks can seek their own comfort zone 100.0°F
100
 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 90
air furnaces.

80

70

68.0°F

Birds gathering near brooders in drafty house Draft in house with furnaces
80.0°F
80

70

60

50
49.8°F

5
Advantages: Disadvantages:
 Brooders are much better suited for producers with older, looser houses or  Relatively small floor area covered per brooder, which results in a large
poor managers than are furnaces. number of brooders
100.0°F
100

90

80

70

65.0°F

How much floor area is heated (radiant heated) by a How much floor area is heated (radiant heated) by a
single conventional brooder? single conventional brooder?
Area = 3.14 X R2 Area = 3.14 X R2
100.0°F
  100

100.0°F  = 3.14 X 52 90

100
 = 3.14 X 25 ft2 80

 = 80 ft2 (approximately) LI01

70

90 65.0°F

°F
110

105

80
100

95

90
LI01
70 85

80

75
65.0°F
70

4 - 5’

How many conventional brooders should be installed

in a house? Advantages of having a “surplus” of brooders:
 For a curtain-sided house we need somewhere around 500,000 Btu’s of heat  Keep in mind we are not just looking for maintaining air temperature but
in 40’ X 250’ brooding area (heating requirement spreadsheet). having adequate floor temperature as well
 Number of brooders = 500,000/30,000 per brooder  Surplus results in more floor area receiving radiant heat
 = 17  24 in a 40’ X 250’ brood area approximately 20% of the floor area would receive
 We typically install somewhere around 24 some amount of radiant heating.
 Why?  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

6
Conventional brooders Conventional brooders
 Large number of brooders  Fewer brooders

Conventional brooder placement Conventional brooder placement

 Near feed and water
 Encourages chicks to feed and water

Conventional brooder placement Brooders located near cold/leaky curtain

 Near feed and water 100.0°F
100

 Near side wall

 Close to cold leaky curtain 90
100.0°F
100

80

90

70.0°F
80

70.0°F

7
Brooders located near cold/leaky curtain Conventional brooders placement
100.0°F  Near feed and water
100
 Near side wall
90  Close to cold/leaky curtains
90
90
90  Close to incoming inlet air
90
80
80
80
80
70
70
80
70
60
70
60

65.0°F
50.0°F
60.0°F
55.0°F
70.0°F

Most moisture is added in the vicinity of the feeder/drinker

Conventional brooders placement lines
 Near feed and water
 Near side wall
 Close to cold/leaky curtains
 Close to incoming inlet air
 Last but not least, promotes litter drying

Conventional brooders How can we reduce the number of brooders required?

 Advantages over furnaces:  Increase the amount of floor are covered by each brooder
 radiant heat
 better bird performance
 Disadvantages over furnaces:
 relatively large number need because of relatively small heating zone

8
We do this by increasing the size of the radiant
element Radiant brooders
 Larger emitting surface tends to produce more radiant heat  Since they produce significantly more radiant heat the need to be installed
higher above floor to it over a larger area.

110 in2 250 in2

How large of an area does a radiant brooder heat? Radiant brooder floor temperature profile
115.0°F
brooder
Radius=8’ (approx)
110
110
105

100 100
Feed line
105
LI01
90
90

85
80

75.0°F Water lines

Floor temperatures in house with radiant brooders prior to

How large of an area does a radiant brooder heat? chick placement
 Area = 3.14 X R2 1 00 .0°F
100
 = 3.14 X 82
 = 3.14 X 64 ft2
95
 = 200 ft 2 (approximately twice that of a conventional brooder)

90

85

8 0.0 °F
AR01

9
Histogram of floor temperatures How many radiant brooders should you install?
°F
102.0
100.0
98.0
96.0
94.0
92.0
90.0
88.0  Based on heat demand a 40’ X 250’ brood area, curtain-sided house requires
86.0 approximately 500,000 Btu’s/hr of heat (heating requirement spreadsheet).
84.0  Radiant brooder produces approximately 40,000 Btu’s/hr of heat
82.0
 500,000 / 40,000 = 12
80.0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

General radiant brooder specifications for heating and

How much of the floor is receiving radiant heat? floor coverage
 Coverage area of 12 conventional brooders
 coverage area = 200 ft2 X 12 = 2,400 ft2
 Percentage of brooding area covered with radiant heat
 % = 2,400 ft2 / 10,000 ft2
 = 24%
 No surplus of heating capacity/safety margin

 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)

Using this guideline how much of the floor is receiving Does a totally enclosed house require fewer radiant
some level of radiant heating? 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%
 40’ X 250’ brood area, curtain-sided house
 approximately 40% less Btu’s/hr
 300,000 Btu’s/hr
 Radiant brooder produces approximately 40,000 Btu’s/hr of heat
 300,000 / 40,000 = 8

10
Totally enclosed housing with fewer radiant brooders General brooder specifications:
 Minimal coverage area (16%)  The number of radiant heaters installed in a house should be based on both…
 With high minimum ventilation rates a totally enclosed house can have the  Heat balance
same heating demand as a curtain-sided house.  # required to maintain proper house temperature
 Just because a house has more brooders doesn’t mean it will use more gas.  Floor coverage
 # required to heat a significant percentage of floor area in a house…around 30%
minimum

Radiant brooder placement More floor heating near cool side walls
 Two rows staggered approximately 10’ from the side walls 100.0°F
100

90

100.0°F
80 100

90
70.0°F

80

70.0°F

Too far from side walls Too far from side walls
103.8°F
103.8°F
100

100
90

103.8°F

80.0°F 100 90

90

80.0°F
80.0°F

11
Radiant brooder placement Helps to compensate for tunnel curtain leakage
 Two rows staggered 100.0°F
100

 With pairs in near the ends wall/brood curtain to add a little extra heat where
it is needed most. 90
Radiant brooder house

80 100.0°F
100

70

90
65.0°F

Furnace house 80

70.0°F

Tunnel curtain leakage Helps to compensate for half house curtain leakage
100.0°F
100.0°F 100
100

90

90
100.0°F
80 100

80 90
70.0°F

80
70

65.0°F 70.0°F

Helps to compensate for half house curtain leakage Helps to compensate for end door leakage
100.0°F
100
105.0°F
105.0°F
90
100
100
80

90 90
70.0°F

80 100.0°F
100
80

90
70
70
80

65.0°F
65.0°F
70.0°F

12
 Most houses don’t have sufficient radiant brooder
Common issues with radiant brooders capacity on nonbrooding end
 Insufficient capacity on nonbrooding end 105.0°F 105.0°F

 Minimum of 65% of what is installed on the brooding end 100 100

90 90

80 80

70 70

65.0°F 65.0°F

12 radiant brooders 5 radiant brooders,

4 operational

Most houses don’t have sufficient radiant brooder

capacity on nonbrooding end Common issues with radiant brooders
105.0°F 105.0°F
 Insufficient capacity on nonbrooding end
100 100
 Installing a single row of radiant brooders
90 90

80 80

70 70

65.0°F 65.0°F

Common issues with radiant brooders Common issues with radiant brooders
 Insufficient capacity on nonbrooding end  Insufficient capacity on nonbrooding end
 Installing a single row of radiant brooders  Installing a single row of radiant brooders
 Too close to the floor
100.0°F 100.0°F
100 100

90 90

80 80

70.0°F 70.0°F

13
 How can we reduce the number required even
Reduces coverage area.. further?
 and results in a very steep temperature gradient  Increase the size of the radiant heat zone of the brooder even further by
°F increasing the size of the radiant element.
140

120 .0°F
120 130

110

120
100

90 110
LI01
80.0 °F
100

90

Floor temperatures in house with radiant tube

Radiant tube heaters brooders prior to chick placement
105.0°F
105

88.1 90.3 93.1 98.4

100

95

101.3
90

85

80.0°F

Radiant tube floor temperature profile Radiant tube floor temperature profile
°F
105 .0°F 110
105
Coverage radius of approximately 15’
LI01
100 105 (roughly twice of a radiant brooder)

95 100

90
95

85
90

80.0 °F
85

14
 Percent of floor area covered by radiant heat in typical
Coverage area of typical 40’ long tube heater house with tube heaters?
 Roughly rectangular in shape  Four tube heaters in a 40’ X 250’ brooding area
 Area = length X width  125,000 Btu’s/hr
 = (40’ +10’) X 30’  Coverage area per tube heater
 = 1,500 square feet  Approximately 30’ X 50’ = 1,500 square feet
 % coverage area = 4 X 1,500
 = 6,000/(40’ X 250)
 = 6,000/10,000
 = 60%

Radiant tube heaters tend to have a more gradual

temperature gradient than pancake or radiant brooders Radiant tube heater temperature gradient
°F
105 .0°F 110
105
108
Roughly 20oF variation in 35’ width
106
LI01 100
104
102
95 100
98
90 96
94
85 92
90
88
80.0 °F 86

110.0°F
110

Radiant brooder floor temperature profile

Pancake brooder
100

115.0°F 90

brooder
LI01
110

Radius=8’ (approx)
110 100
80

90

70.0°F
105 80

75.0°F °F
100

100
95
Feed line
105
90

90 85

85 80

75

Water lines 70

20oF gradient in 16 - 20’ width 20oF gradient in 8’

15
Factors affecting floor heating pattern of a tube Factors affecting floor heating pattern of a tube
heater… heater…
95.0°F  Heating system runtime
 The less it runs the more uniform the floor temperatures
94

92 100.0°F 100.0°F
100 100

90
90 90

88
80 80

86

85.0°F 70.0°F 70.0°F

summer winter

Factors affecting floor heating pattern of a tube

heater… Curtain-sided house
 Level of side wall insulation 110.0°F
110
 The better the side walls are insulated the better tube heaters tend to work

100
120.0°F 120.0°F
120 120

110 110
90
97.6 100 100
90.9

90 90

80
80 80

127.2 88.8
70 70
70.0°F 70.0°F
75.0°F

Factors affecting floor heating pattern of a tube

Totally enclosed house heater…
110.0°F  Tube length
110

100 115.0°F 115.0°F 115.0°F

110 110 110

100 100 100

90
108.7
91.1
90 100.7 90 90

80 80 80
80
75.0°F 75.0°F 75.0°F

75.0°F

16
The longer the tube the greater the variation in floor The longer the tube the more egg shaped the floor heating
temperature along the length of the tube heater pattern becomes
130.0°F
130 105.0°F

120
100
110
130.0°F
130
100
120 90
90
110

80.0°F 100 80
129.9 100.9
90

80

75.0°F 70.0°F

20’ tubes are the ideal, producing more of an

Best way to reduce variation…is to reduce tube length oval/rectangular pattern
20’ long tube heater 105.0°F

100

90

80

70.0°F

“U” tubes heaters can also create much more uniform

floor temperatures U-Tube radiant heater
800.0°F
800

“Hot” “Warm” 600

400

“Cool” “Warm”
200

50.0°F

17
10’ U-Tube radiant heaters create a more circular Factors affecting floor heating pattern of a tube
pattern heater…
105.0°F  Reflector design

100 110.0°F
110

90
100

80 90

70.0°F 80.0°F

Reflector design
Reflector design (open foreground – closed background)
110.0°F 110.0°F
110 110

A “closed” design A more “open” design

100 100

90 90

80.0°F 80.0°F

Reflector design
(open foreground – closed background) Reflector design
110.0°F  “Closed” designs are better suited for high ceiling houses
110

100

90

80.0°F  “Open” designs are better suited for low ceilings and/or wider houses.

18
Factors affecting floor heating pattern of a tube Tube heaters in houses with high ceilings tend to
heater… have wider coverage areas (40’)
 Installation height
 The lower in installation height…the narrower the coverage area

Tube heaters in 60’ wide house with 16’ ceiling 11’ tall ceiling - moderate coverage widths (30’)
105.0°F

100

90

80

70

65.0°F

Radiant tube heater in house with 8’ tall ceiling…

Radiant tubes in house with 11’ tall ceiling narrow coverage area
136.0°F
100.0°F 100.0°F
100 100

90 90
120

80 80

100

70.0°F 70.0°F

80.0°F

19
 Radiant tube heaters can be problematic in wider
Radiant tube heaters in wide houses houses
 Often as houses become wider, the ceiling height doesn’t change much

Wider house…same ceiling height…same coverage

width Radiant tube in 60’ wide house
101.6°F
100

90
110.7

80

70

68.0°F

Radiant tubes in 60’ wide house

(side wall) As a result wider houses require two rows of tubes
101.6°F
100

76.3 90

80

70

68.0°F

20
Two tubes on side walls? Quick preheating of incoming air

To get good floor coverage the side walls need to be relatively high..10’

High intensity radiant brooder vs. conventional

High intensity radiant brooder radiant brooders (50’ house)
 Essentially ½ way between radiant tube heater and radiant brooder 110.0°F
110
 Installed close to the ceiling like a radiant tube because the heat output is
similar to a tube
 80,000 vs 125,000 Btu/hr 100

90

80

50’ wide house 77.0°F

The first high intensity radiant brooder was the Floor heating pattern of high intensity radiant
Quadratherm (CTB) brooder
 Reflector designed to direct the radiant heat more “outward” 110.0°F
110
 Less of a hot spot directly underneath the brooder.

100

LI01

90

Feed line to feed line = 40’

80.0°F

21
 Coverage area
High intensity radiant brooder (width 30’ X length 30’)
°F
120 105.0°F
105
115

100
110

105 95

100
90
95

90 85

85

80.0°F
80

Then came the AV Heater (HH) Very similar coverage areas

Then….20’ long tube heaters – 80,000 Btu’s/hr

(LB White and others) Quadratherm - Choretime
110.0°F
110

100

90

80

75.0°F

22
20’ long tube – LB White, Oval 80 Number required to heat a broiler house?
105.0°F

100

90

 Brooding area
80
 Approximately one per 1,500 square feet of floor space
 Nonbrooding end
 Approximately one per 2,400 square feet of floor space
70.0°F

Percent of floor area covered by radiant heat in house

40’ X 500’ broiler house with HI radiant brooders?
 Six HI radiant heaters in a 40’ X 250’ brooding area
 80,000 Btu’s/hr
 Coverage area per tube heater
 Approximately 30’ X 30’ = 900 square feet
 % coverage area = 6 X 900
 = 5,400/(40’ X 250)
 = 5,400/10,000
 = 54%
 6 to 7 brooding end
 4 to 5 nonbrooding end

H.I. radiant brooders vs.

Conventional radiant brooders Conventional radiant brooders
105.0°F

100

90

80

75.0°F

23
 Side wall conditions with conventional radiant
High intensity radiant brooders brooders
105.0°F 105.0°F

100 100

90 90

80 80

75.0°F 75.0°F

Side wall conditions with high intensity radiant

brooders Side wall with conventional radiant brooders
105.0°F 105.0°F

100 100

90 90

80 80

75.0°F 75.0°F

Side wall with high intensity radiant brooders Installation in wider houses
105.0°F

100

90

80

75.0°F

24
54’ wide house installed in the center of the house Very little side wall heating
85.0°F 85.0°F

80 80

70 70

60 60

55.0°F 55.0°F

Two rows of radiant brooders have better overall floor Two rows of radiant brooders would actually have
coverage better overall floor coverage
105.0°F 105.0°F
105 105

100 100
88.3 85.4

95 95
85.5 83.8

90 90

85 85

80.0°F 80.0°F

Two rows of HI radiant heaters? Two rows in 54’ wide house

25
Two rows in 54’ wide house Improved side wall coverage
90.0°F 90.0°F
90 90

85 85

80 80

75 75

70.0°F 70.0°F

Heating zones Heating zones

 Generally speaking there should be a minimum of three heating zones in each
end of a partially brooding house
 These heating zones corresponding to differences in heating requirements
 Ideally, no more than 200,000 Btu/hr per zone

More heating zones…

tighter control over house temperature Larger house may require additional heating zones

26
Temperature sensor should be located approximately 20’ The closer the sensor is to the end wall the smaller the
from end walls/brooding curtains “cool spot”
100.0°F
100

90

S S S S
80

70

60

S S S S
55.0°F

Entire house…more zones…better control Center house brooding

S S S S S S

S S S S S S S S

S S S S S S S S

Sensor placement Center of the house vs. feed line

85
 Do no place sensors in the center of the house 83
 Center of the house tends to have the lowest heat demand 81
79
77
Temperature (F)

105.0°F 75
73
71
100
69
67
65
63
90 61
59
57
55
14-May

15-May

16-May

17-May

18-May

19-May

80

75.0°F l1 l2 l3 l4 l5 l6 center

27
Temperature sensors should be installed roughly 10’ from
the side wall Sensor placement
 Do no place sensors too close to a radiant heater
 Should be outside active heating zone of a radiant heater
 Pancake brooder = 4’
 Radiant brooder = 8’
115.0°F
 Tube heater, HI radiant heater = 15’
110

100

90

80

75.0°F

Sensor placement Sensor height

 Do no place sensors too close to a radiant heater  12 to 18” above floor

105.0°F
105

100

95

90

85

80.0°F

Not too close to the floor Not too close to the floor
98
96
94
Temperature (F)

92
90
88
86
84
82
8-Oct

9-Oct

10-Oct

11-Oct

12-Oct

13-Oct

14-Oct

15-Oct

16-Oct

17-Oct

Date

28
Not too high either… (3’ above floor) Sensors should be raised as birds get older
90
88
86
84
82
80
78
76
74
72
11:00 AM

12:30 PM

2:00 PM

3:30 PM

5:00 PM

6:30 PM

8:00 PM

9:30 PM

11:00 PM

12:30 AM

2:00 AM

3:30 AM

5:00 AM

6:30 AM

8:00 AM

9:30 AM
brood end wall center brood brood curtain end floor brood curtain

Rh sensor location
 Three feet above floor, toward center of house

Rh

29