Researchers Evaluate The Effects Of Combined Sprinkler And Cool Cell Cooling On Broiler Performance And Water Use

Project #740: Effects of Combined Sprinkler and Cool Cell systems on Cooling Water Usage, Water and Feed Consumption Rates, Bird Performance and In-house Environment of Commercial Broiler Barns

Researchers from Mississippi State University evaluated a combined evaporative cooling and sprinkler system (ECSS) as an alternative to conventional evaporative cooling (EC) for managing heat stress in commercial broiler production. Two commercial-sized broiler houses were studied across two summer flocks to assess impacts on in-house environment, water use, bird performance and welfare. Results showed that ECSS reduced in-house relative humidity and achieved a numerical reduction of approximately 39% in cooling-water use while maintaining bird core body temperatures and performance comparable to EC. These findings indicate that ECSS is a viable cooling strategy that may improve water-use efficiency without compromising bird welfare in hot, humid production environments.