CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 08/15/00

Technology Helps Modern Chickens Cool It

Mayo Mims doesn't want his chickens to know about the extremely hot weather. He controls the lives of 100,000 chickens with his computer keyboard and mouse, watching the chickens' environment like a hawk, making sure each animal lives the good life.

MayoMims.jpg (10959 bytes)
Photo: Joe Courson
Mayo Mims' broiler farm is a far cry from the old days of raising "yard birds."

"That's what the whole thing's about," said Mims as he looked over a graph comparing the outside temperature with that inside one of his houses. "If you've got him comfortable and keep him fed and watered, he'll grow."

Cozy Chickens Mean Money

The faster the chickens grow, the more money his agribusiness makes. Mims is contented with that arrangement. He wants his chickens to be cozy, too.

And they should be. Each chicken has all the water and feed it can eat and drink. And with the click of his computer, Mims can change the room temperature in a house of 22,500 chickens.

He watches the outside temperature closely and turns on the special cooling system for the chickens when it gets too hot. Fans pull outside air through cardboard pads doused with water. The system drops the temperature a good 20 degrees. It feels like a gentle sea breeze inside the chicken house.

While other farmers worry about crop losses, Mims worries about comfort of his chickens.

Drought-resistant Industry

"Really, the poultry industry is somewhat drought-resistant in that (growers) don't feel the effects of a drought or the effects of heat as greatly as they would in other industries," said Keith Bramwell, an Extension Service poultry expert with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

When chickens live as well as they do at Mims' farm, they get to market faster. Shoppers could save about 2 cents per pound over the old way of cooling the houses: dropping curtains on the sides and using natural ventilation.

The meat may taste a little tenderer, too, because the birds live in such a climate-controlled house.

While Mims spends a lot of time with his computer, he stills walks through his four houses at least twice a day to check on each chicken. "I think we have some mighty contented chickens here," he said.

Experts/Sources:
Keith Bramwell
Mayo Mims
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time to spend more of the holiday with guests, taking time ahead of the day to set expectations can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. CAES News
Manage holiday stress with kindness, boundaries 11/21/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Much like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time allows you to spend more of the holiday with guests, setting expectations ahead of the celebration can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science.
Conner Hall CAES News
CAES welcomes 2024 cohort of Rural Scholars 11/20/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences welcomed its fourth cohort of students chosen for the CAES Rural Scholars Program this fall just weeks after celebrating the program's first graduation. Georgia Orman, one of four inaugural Rural Scholars in CAES, graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education. The new scholars for 2024, all from Georgia, are Ela Ash of Ocilla, Lauren E. Coley of Cochran, Amelia Housley of Canon, and London O’Steen of Ambrose.
Women play a vital role in rural American farming, but much of that work is "invisible," like raising children or household chores, according to a new UGA study. (Getty Images) CAES News
The women and stress behind rural farming in America 11/19/24 Leigh Hataway
Recent research from the University of Georgia suggests the unique stresses from farm life may be taking a toll on one of the pillars of the families that make your dinners possible: the women who keep farming families running. “If we don’t control our food sources, we don’t control our health and safety,” said Anna Scheyett, lead author of the study and a professor in UGA’s School of Social Work. “It’s a matter of national security that farmers survive in the United States. And one of the big factors in helping farms survive is women.”
Mergoum at Creature Comforts CAES News
That's the spirit! 11/18/24 Maria M. Lameiras, Claire Sanders Kinnard
Wheat breeders spend years meticulously crossing varieties to coax the best traits out of each species, carefully propagating plant varieties that are healthier, heartier and better suited for the environments where they are grown. Professional brewmasters are equally painstaking when choosing the components that will give their beers a specific flavor profile.
Contest-winning concept becomes viable business for alumnus who developed solar-powered, self-propelled chicken coop as a student. CAES News
Poultry in motion 11/14/24 Sean Montgomery
Chris Ayers emerged from his orange and black rough-terrain vehicle with an ear-to-ear grin. “This is Chiktopia,” he said, sweeping his arm wide to indicate the back half of a 3,600-square-foot warehouse on his family’s farm in Ball Ground, Georgia. “This is where I manufacture and assemble the chicken coops. Everything is done entirely from over here.”
UGA Grand Farm Site Plan web CAES News
UGA Grand Farm wins stage two of 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund competition 11/13/24 Jordan Powers
Startups in the agricultural technology sector face significant barriers on the path to establishment, including access to training and capital. These barriers are heightened for underrepresented entrepreneurs seeking to start new companies. The University of Georgia Grand Farm, part of a historic partnership between the University of Georgia and Fargo, North Dakota-based Grand Farm, aims to change that.