Poultry shed heat exchanger.

[shumungus]

Anyone on here running long heat exchangers in their poultry houses namely the long tube type the length of the house with lots of little holes?
I have a Plettenburg system here and am wondering how other people run theirs. Heights, period of use etc.

 

[Nearly]

@chickens and wheat

 

[chickens and wheat]

Mine are different, no long tube

 

[chickens and wheat]

This is my system, louvres, a curtain then 6 transport fans. Works very well.
As its also the heater its quite noisy and attracts too many in chicks first few days, otherwise no problems. Simple to clean.
Every now and then i get someone to blow the radiator out while i stand inside, you can see how quickly the dust travels down the shed, showing

the good air/heat spread.

 

[Chickcatcher]

@chickens and wheat
Asking do you run on pre heat for the first 36 hrs chicks are in shed and if so what speed are you running the circulating fans? Eggs placed 5/2 In the "pensioners shed" no chicks yet at 1800hrs so far on 6/2 one shed had a chick before we had placed all the eggs in that shed, takes 40 minutes too place the 31K eggs.

 

[shumungus]

@chickens and wheat
Asking do you run on pre heat for the first 36 hrs chicks are in shed and if so what speed are you running the circulating fans? Eggs placed 5/2 In the "pensioners shed" no chicks yet at 1800hrs so far on 6/2 one shed had a chick before we had placed all the eggs in that shed, takes 40 minutes too place the 31K eggs.

Forgive me if I'm not reading this right but are you placing eggs in shed to hatch instead of day olds?

 

[Chickcatcher]

@shumungus
Yes just placed third batch 217,000. By the way do you know of a chap called Denver use to be my area Manager some years ago before he went back to NI.

 

[shumungus]

@shumungus
Yes just placed third batch 217,000. By the way do you know of a chap called Denver use to be my area Manager some years ago before he went back to NI.

Can't say I know a Denver. I am intrigued by the egg placing. What are the benefits? We have only ever worked with the day old system. I take it you go around after a set amount of days and lift any unhatched eggs? What about 'bangers' bound to be a bit of a mess and a smell? Talk about walking on egg shells

 

[Chickcatcher]

@shumungus
I think he was Denver Washington.
Just been for a look round and got 2 hatched out of my sheds 43650. Benefits Hatchery has 14% greater capacity, less cross contamination, Not had a banger yet, I think it all depends on the "candling" early hatchers can get water and feed up to 2 days ahead if early hatching in incubators, minus for Farm taking egg temperature every 3 hrs and yes it is really walking on egg shells as they are left in shed for chicks to play with but by 15 days all disappear. non hatchers are removed 3-4 days after placement depends on how quick they start hatching

 

[shumungus]

What floor and air temps do you need to be successful?

 

[Chickcatcher]

Bedding on straw shaving mix about 60mm where the eggs are placed air temp 36c egg temp 36+ they raise in there own temp the closer they get to hatch a lot getting to 38.4c at temp we find they start hatching. Its scary

 

[Chickcatcher]

its a lot easier to kill the embryo if its too hot than cold, cold just delays hatch

 

[chickens and wheat]

No preheat setting just set at 32 no external air and hope gshp can manage . It does in most weather, recircs at 30%
If not gas heaters on

 

[shumungus]

Everyday is a school day. Been growing chickens for 12 years now and visited sites in GB and Holland and this is the first I have come across this.

 

[Chickcatcher]

@chickens and wheat
what I have been seeing today is that I was getting air spill out of catch sheet and eggs in that area were getting a lot hotter than further away. egg spread from the middle takes about 65% of shed length. 2rows

 

[chickens and wheat]

Venco do an in house hatch system, quite technical, placing eggs above trays to catch the shells

 

[shumungus]

@chickens and wheat
what I have been seeing today is that I was getting air spill out of catch sheet and eggs in that area were getting a lot hotter than further away. egg spread from the middle takes about 65% of shed length. 2rows

Is catch sheet the green thing in @chickens and wheat picture above? Why don't you run a pipe from louvres up to ridge and then a 't' piece with a fan on each side? Surely this would catch and throw more air?

 

[chickens and wheat]

Extreme weather i guess more heat than normal? gshp only kicks heat out at 44c ish. What does biomass manage through eco unit?

 

[Chickcatcher]

@shumungus I have been doing it for 56 years

 

[chickens and wheat]

Other sheds have the pipe and big T.

Suprisingly the louvres work just as well, electric louvres adjust to fan speed to ensure air velocity upto sheet.
I just had to move a light fitting as it got in the air flow slightly, my dust test showed that up.