Ventilating sometimes requires brooders or furnaces to operate to keep the house at the ideal temperature. Unfortunately, growers often ventilate less during cold weather to reduce fuel costs. This is a mistake. Clean fresh air is just as important to growing broilers as fresh feed and water. Ammonia and other toxic gases build up in underventilated broiler houses during the cooler months of the year.
Experts strongly recommend that broiler growers ventilate to remove ammonia during winter.
Ventilation requirements will vary depending upon the tightness of housing, humidity, litter condition, etc. A minimum rate of 0.10 cubic feet of air per minute per chick is probably sufficient the first week but should be increased as the birds grow. If you detect ammonia at any time, immediately increase the ventilation rate to eliminate it. The diet that a broiler consumes greatly influences feed conversion. Nevertheless, you must maintain the quality of the feed once it is put in your feed bin.