Poultry house microclimate parameters as a possible etiological factor of keel “swelling” in turkeys
Authors: Fedyniak R. I. , Peleno R. A. 
Published: February 2025

In poultry farming, to achieve maximum results, it is essential, in addition to proper feeding conditions, to maintain an optimal ratio between physical and chemical microclimate parameters in poultry houses. Any ratio violation can cause a decrease in poultry productivity, its natural resistance, and the development of various diseases. The work aimed to investigate the dynamics of microclimate parameters in premises for keeping turkeys during the production cycle, to determine their relationship with the development of keel “swelling” in birds, and to establish these factors' role in the specific pathology's etiology. According to the results of the conducted studies, it was established that the air temperature of poultry houses was the highest at the stage from planting to the 30th day of the production cycle and was in the range from 31.2 ± 0.34 to 33.1 ± 0.29 °C. From 31 to 60 days of cultivation, its decrease to 21.8–22 °C was noted. However, it exceeded the established hygienic standards for birds of this age period in LLC “Indykat” by 3.8 °C, in LLC “UPG-Invest” by 3.9, and MPP “Dobrobut” by 4.0 °C. In the third month, there was another decrease in the air temperature of the poultry houses by 3.3 – 4.8 °C compared to the previous period; however, in this case, the temperature was higher than the standard value in LLC “Indykat” by 1.5 °C, LLC “UPG-Invest” by 2.6 °C and MPP “Dobrobut” by 1.2 °C. The air temperature of the premises closest to the body's physiological needs was from 121 to 150 days of the production cycle. Still, even then, it exceeded the standard value by 0.5 – 0.8 ° C. The relative humidity of the air in the premises of three poultry farms was within hygienic standards and ranged from 62.3 to 67.8 %. In the first period of cultivation, the lowest moisture content in the air (62.3 ± 0.48 %) was recorded in the poultry houses of LLC “Indykat”, and the highest (63.7 ± 0.62%) – in MPP “Dobrobut”. It has been proven that the indicator of the deficit of air saturation with moisture exceeded the hygienic standard by 2 – 2.5 times from planting up to the 60th day of the production cycle. In the following periods, it exceeded the upper limit of hygienic requirements by 0.5–1 g/m3. Its compliance (4.5 ± 0.16 g/m3) was established from 121 to 150 days only in LLC “UPG-Invest.” It was determined that the air velocity in the poultry houses of the experimental farms at different age periods of turkey breeding was in the range from 0.2 ± 0.01 to 0.6 ± 0.05 m/s. The highest air velocity in LLC “Indykat” was from 61 to 120 days of breeding, in LLC “UPG-Invest” – from 61 to 90 days, and in MPP “Dobrobut” – from 31 to 120 days. The ammonia content in the air of the poultry houses of the experimental farms in the period from planting to 30 days in all experimental farms was practically the same. It exceeded the hygienic norm by 4.3–4.7 mg/m3. In the following periods, the value of this indicator in LLC “UPG-Invest” and MPP “Dobrobut” was practically at the same level and ranged from 15.1 to 15.4 mg/m3. In the air of the premises of LLC “Indykat,” an increase in NH3 content was established up to 90 days, maintenance at the same level up to 120, and a decrease up to 150 days, where it turned out to be lower, compared to the other two experimental farms. The carbon dioxide content in the air of poultry houses of all three experimental farms was within the MPC throughout the production cycle and ranged from 0.19 ± 0.03 to 0.26 ± 0.05 %. It was determined that with practically the same average parameters of the internal environment of poultry houses of experimental farms, the number of birds with “sneezing” was different and amounted to 13.1, 16.2, and 18.9 %. Such results indicate a minor role of physical and chemical factors of the microclimate in the etiology of keel “swelling” in turkeys.