FAC9: Housing Requirements and Assessment Flashcards
What are the three factors that lead to problems in livestock buildings?
Moisture, fresh air, and air speed
Why is too much moisture in livestock buildings bad?
- Supports microbial activity
- Promotes bacterial growth
- Absorbs energy
- Increases slippery floors, leading to stress
Why is too little fresh air bad in livestock buildings?
- Increases survival time of airborne pathogens
- Increases concentration of gaseous emissions
- Reduced oxygen concentration
Why is too much airspeed bad in livestock buildings?
Associated with excessive energy loses (animals are cold)
Why is too little airspeed bad in livestock buildings?
Associated with lack of fresh air
Describe the stack effect?
Heat rises and exits through the roof, allowing fresh air to come in from the sides of the building
What should a good livestock building roof look like?
Slope of >17 degrees
Outlet area of 0.04m^2 per calf and 0.1m^2 per adult
How big should the airflow inlet be compared to the outlet?
The inlet should be at least twice (or x4) the area of the outlet
Is it better to have large openings for the airflow inlet or small ones? Why?
Small openings because large openings do not control air speed (they increase them)
What is the lower critical temp of a calf in the first week of life?
15C
Define Lower Critical Temp
The lowest temperature at which the animal does not need to expend energy to keep itself warm
Does the stack effect work on calves?
No! they must have a fan and duct to control airflow
How is body temperature increased by calves?
- Eat food
- Increase metabolic rate
- Brown fat catabolism
- Shivering
- Behaviour
- Huddling (share space)
- Lay down (reduce surface area
