Case Study: Improving Livestock Environments with Fabric Ducting Systems

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Background

Fabric ducting systems have transformed ventilation in various settings, offering a versatile, efficient, and hygienic solution for any application. In livestock environments, maintaining optimal air quality is crucial for animal health and productivity. Matt Davies, a U.K. based dairy consultant, has leveraged FabricAir systems extensively in his work with his customers.

For more than five years, Matt has completed approximately 140 positive pressure tube ventilation (PPTV) installations using FabricAir ducts in different types of livestock housing. His experience spans calf housing, beef cattle housing, sheep housing, and heat abatement strategies in dairy cow facilities. Davies has also implemented these systems in milking parlors to enhance staff comfort during hot summers.

Problem

Livestock housing often faces significant ventilation challenges that can negatively impact animal health and productivity:

• Poor air quality: Traditional ventilation systems can struggle to provide consistent fresh air into the zone of the animal, leading to respiratory issues and other health problems in animals.
• Heat accumulation: Effective cooling strategies are essential, especially for lactating dairy cows and dry cows, to maintain dry matter intakes and lying times.
• Staff discomfort: In milking parlors, staff can suffer from high temperatures during summer, impacting their comfort and efficiency.
• Cleaning difficulties: Traditional plastic ducts, commonly used in livestock housing, can accumulate contaminants over time, which negatively impacts air quality. These systems often lack the ease of cleaning required to maintain a hygienic environment.

Solution

To address these issues, Davies turned to FabricAir fabric ducting systems for his PPTV installations. These systems have been implemented in various livestock housing environments with notable success:

• Calf Housing: Low-speed fresh air is introduced directly into the calf zone, improving air quality and health.
• Beef Cattle and Sheep Housing: FabricAir ducts provide consistent and clean air, enhancing the overall environment.
• Dairy Cow Heat Abatement: The ducts help reduce heat stress in lactating and dry cows by supplying high speed fresh air into their lying space. This improves lying times and decreases excessive standing.
• Milking Parlors: High-speed fresh air is injected during summer to improve staff comfort.

The FabricAir systems for these installations utilize Combi 60 fabrics and are suspended using a parallel cable system. The ducts are washable, which is a significant advantage for maintaining animal health and a hygienic environment. The sections quickly zip together to make installation straight forward.

Results

The implementation of FabricAir fabric ducting systems has led to significant improvements in the conditions of livestock housing and staff environments:

• Enhanced Air Quality: The washable FabricAir ducts ensure clean air, reducing respiratory issues and improving overall animal health.
• Reduced antimicrobial usage: Providing continuous fresh air at appropriate speeds reduces the pathogen loading of the air inhaled by the livestock housed within the building. This typically helps to lower treatment rates for respiratory diseases.
• Improved Productivity: Healthier animals have improved feed conversion, leading to increased growth rates and increased production.
• Positive Customer Feedback: Initial skepticism from customers about the value of washable ducts dissipates once they experience the improved air quality. As Matt Davies notes, "The ability to wash the ducts is key in animal health, and this provides a distinct advantage over other ducts typically used in agriculture."
• Easier Maintenance and Installation: The easy to install system simplifies the installation process, saving time and reducing labor costs.
• Staff Comfort: The introduction of high-speed fresh air in milking parlors during summer significantly enhances staff comfort and efficiency.

Overall, FabricAir fabric ducting systems have proven to be a valuable investment for livestock housing, offering both health and operational benefits.

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The adoption of FabricAir fabric ducting systems in livestock environments has transformed air quality management, resulting in healthier animals and more comfortable working conditions for staff.

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Additional Information

Fabric ducting for food processing applications

Frequently asked questions about fabric ducting