• OCT / NOV 2020
FARM BUILDINGS & EQUIPMENT 25
naturally and exit the building as soon as possible .
I hear all too often that we need a big tall building with lots of air for all these animals . The basis of this is totally wrong .
What is needed is a high rate of natural air exchange to keep your animals healthy , which overall will reduce vets visits and antibiotic use , possibly saving you thousands of pounds annually , all for a bit of time planning and no more expense than a couple of thousand upfront to begin with .
All too often I get told we have to put a fibre cement roof on livestock housing to stop the condensation . This approach can have a disastrous effect on animal health because it absorbs the condensation and hides any ventilation problems .
You only get condensation through a build-up of humidity , if this is happening there is a ventilation problem .
‘ fresh air is free , where else
can you get free animal health ?’
You have to do something to increase the air exchange .
A more significant volume of air won ’ t increase the air exchange it will probably only exasperate the problem .
Your starting point needs to be air exchange and getting the correct number of air exchanges per hour , and this needs to happen every day of the year , not just on windy days . The cheapest is always the stack effect from warm air rising , and , in reality , a lower ridge height will allow the air to leave the building quicker . In a tall building , the warm air rises cools and comes back down before reaching the ridge . Fresh air is free , where else can you get free animal health ?