An Ammonia-Controlled Ventilation System for Fattening Pigs

Abstract

In farm animal housing, a good stall climate is the prerequisite for ani- mals and humans in the stall to stay healthy. Taking this into account, the legislator has set maximum limits for certain gaseous pollutants such as ammonia (NH3 ) in the calf- and pig husbandry decrees. At the Bavarian Research Center for Agricultural Engineering, an ammonia-controlled ventilation system with NH3 as an additional regulation variable besides the temperature was developed in cooperation with ventilation compa- nies and successfully tested in a stall for fattening pigs. Low-cost NH3 sensors, which were tested during the project at a gas dilution station in the laboratory and in practical trials in the stall, currently do not yet seem suitable for long-term, reliable use in an ammonia-controlled ven- tilation system.