While diners may enjoy hot chicken wings and Nashville’s famous hot fried chicken, no one likes hot chickens — especially not poultry farmers.
Heat is a challenge for poultry production globally and must be managed by poultry farmers, and University of Georgia poultry scientists are continually looking for new ways to help farmers and their flocks keep their cool.
Poultry scientists and engineers who study poultry housing will present UGA’s annual Hot Weather Management Workshop/Webinar April 15-17. Each year, the workshop attracts hundreds of poultry industry professionals from around world. Last year’s turnout set a workshop record, with 141 people from 18 states and 10 countries traveling to Athens, Georgia, to attend the workshop, and 346 people from 20 states and 24 countries participating in the webinar.
High temperatures can be rough on chickens, so understanding and implementing methods of temperature control helps to humanely and efficiently combat the summer heat. The workshop is targeted to industry professionals who want to learn the ins and outs of managing modern poultry houses during hot weather. It will cover the basic principles and the latest research related to the health and housing of poultry flocks, including heat stress, how birds cool themselves, tunnel ventilation system design, tunnel fan selection and nighttime bird management.
“This workshop provides an opportunity to better understand the principles, design and operation of poultry houses during hot weather as a means to improve poultry performance, health, welfare and the bottom line,” said Brian Fairchild, professor of poultry science in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Presenters will consist of UGA poultry science specialists and professors including Brian Fairchild, Mike Czarick, Brian Kiepper, Connie Mou and John Worley. The in-person workshop will be held at the Oconee County Civic Center beginning with registration at 8 a.m. on April 15 and ending at noon on April 17.
Information from recent UGA studies will also be presented during the workshop.
Registration for the event is $425 for in-state residents and $525 for out-of-state attendees. The cost includes continental breakfast, lunch and dinners. The webinar cost is $125 for one to four participants on one computer and $300 for five or more. To register, visit tinyurl.com/PoultryVentilation2019.
For the latest information about poultry housing, visit www.poultryventilation.com.
