1. This work has been funded by BATFARM Interreg-Atlantic Area Project (2009-1/071):
Evaluation of best available techniques to decrease air and water pollution in animal farms.
September
0
50
100
150
200
0 4 8 12 16 20 24
Time, h
%
Ventilation rate ∆ CH4 concentration CH4 Emission
December
0
50
100
150
200
0 4 8 12 16 20 24
Time, h
%
Ventilation rate ∆ CH4 concentration CH4 Emission
RESULTS
• 52,000 hens were housed in a commercial laying
hen unit, Gamiz-Fika (Basque Country).
• CH4 concentration was measured continuously
by a photoacoustic infrared gas analyzer
(INNOVA 1412).
•Ventilation rate was 5-minutes interval recorded.
Each fan was individually calibrated using a hot
wire anemometer (Testo 425).
CONCLUSION
•CH4 emission is affected by hourly pattern.
•CH4 emission increased throughout the
light hours.
•There was not seasonality in CH4 emission.
INTRODUCTION MATERIAL & METHODS
•Scarce literature on methane (CH4) emission from
laying hen houses.
•Objective: to study daily pattern of CH4 emissions
in a laying hen facility adapted to the welfare
Directive (1999/74/EC) in two periods: cool
(December) and mild (September).
Figure 2. Average hourly pattern (calculated as % of mean value for each day) for each month.
•Average CH4 emission (4.0 kg CH4 day-1) did not differ
in both periods (P>0.05).
•Ventilation rate was proportional to outdoor
temperature (R2= 0.8 P<0.001), being more than two fold
higher in September with respect to December, with 124
and 46 m3 day-1 hen-1.
•Ventilation and CH4 emission (Figure 2) were affected by the hour of the day for both periods (P<0.05).
• Methane emission was 30-40% higher during light hours (P<0.05).
Figure 1:
(a) Laying hen houses,
(b) vertical tiered cage
system ,
(c) air flow calibration,
(d) gas monitoring system,
(e) air collector.
Alberdi, O.1*, Estellés, F.2, Arriaga, H.1, Calvet, S.2, Merino, P.1
(1) NEIKER-Tecnalia, Environment Quality Department, 48160, Derio (Bizkaia), SP
(2) Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Institute of Animal Science and Technology, 46022, Valencia, SP
*Corresponding author: oalberdi@neiker.net
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
DAILY VARIATION OF METHANE EMISSIONS FROM
A LAYING HEN FACILITY IN NORTHERN SPAIN