Effects of a Sprinkler and Cool Cell Combined System on Cooling Water Usage, Litter Moisture, and Indoor Environment of Broiler Houses

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Water scarcity is an increasing problem facing the global agricultural industry, particularly livestock production. The poultry industry is actively seeking opportunities to reduce the use of water for cooling broiler houses during hot summer months. We investigated a sprinkler system combined with a cool cell system and a cool-cell only system for cooling heavy broiler chickens for two summer flocks. We found the sprinkler/cool cell combination exhibited a higher house temperature, lower relative humidity, and a 64% reduction in average cooling water use. Litter moisture also tended to be lower in the combination system. Findings are similar to previous reported research and offer additional confirmation that sprinklers in conjunction with cool cells maintain litter conditions while reducing cooling water use, thus lessening the threat to the economic and environmental sustainability of the poultry industry and improving its water efficiency efforts. ABSTRACT: Climate change is a serious challenge to food production around the world. Sustainability and water efficiency are critical to a poultry industry faced with global production concerns including increased demands for high-quality, affordable animal protein and greater environmental pressures resulting from rising global temperatures, flock heat stress, and limits on water availability. To address these concerns, a commercial sprinkler system used in combination with a cool cell system was evaluated against a cool cell system alone for two summer flocks of heavy broilers at Mississippi State University to determine effects of sprinkler technology on cooling water usage, litter moisture, and in-house environments. Environmental data were calculated and recorded throughout the flocks. The combination house exhibited a 2.2 °C (4 °F) increase in daily maximum temperature, lower coincident relative humidity, and a 64% (62,039 L/flock) reduction in average cooling water usage over the cool cell-only house. Litter moisture for the combination house tended to be numerically lower but showed no significant difference at several time points between and across flocks. A combined sprinkler/cool cell system reduced cooling water use by 64% over two flocks compared to a cool cell alone system and decreased in-house relative humidity levels.