“Ventilation Alone Is Not The Answer To Control Ammonia Gases In Confinements”

1. “Ventilation Alone Is Not The Answer To Control
Ammonia Gases In Confinements”
Swine
Research from the University of Illinois has concluded that ammonia is one of the biggest
problems facing confinement operation today.
 Major cause of dysentery and pneumonia today.
 Ammonia gases increase rhinitis problems in swine
 Surface and pit levels in confinements are usually high. Increasing ammonia gases,
viruses, bacteria, yeast, fungus and protozoa’s.
 Ammonia damages the respiratory system and causes degradation of enzyme activity.
 Ammonia gas is the most common irritant to membranes that line the eyelids and eye
sinuses and dissolves in the fluid of the eyes and mucus membranes to produce ammonia
hydroxide, an irritating alkaline compound causing inflammation, decreasing eyesight.
 Ammonia gas attacks the circulatory system and breaks down cell metabolism (reduced
energy levels), opening up to bacterial outbreaks.
Researchers have concluded that the presence of ammonia gas at 10-20 ppm, can cut daily
average gain by 12%.
Humans usually cannot detect ammonia gas at these levels!
Poultry
“Ammonia can kill a flocks health and performance at 20 ppm” Dr. Terick (DVM)
University of Pennsylvania.
 Ammonia levels cause health and performance problems by damaging the respiratory
system.
 Ammonia destroys the (cilia) hair-like projections in the trachea that traps and eliminates
dust and airborne bacterial pathogens. The birds natural defense system is impaired,
allowing viruses, mycoplasmas, and bacterial to cause infections that lead to declining
bird health. Cost of high ammonia levels!
 E coli is significantly increased in the lungs, air sacs and livers of birds exposed to
ammonia.
 Tracheal damage and subsequent E coli infection is not always detectable during grow
out, but becomes apparent when condemnations show up at the processing.
 Ammonia damages respiratory systems, weakening their defenses; specific disease
conditions increase along with E coli infection.
 Ammonia has its worst effect early in a flocks life.
(American society of Agricultural Engineers, American Journal of Veterinary Research,
Poultry Science, Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory)