Abstract:
An integrated system of technology applications and methods to provide comprehensive management of poultry waste improves the productivity of poultry housing facilities while reducing the environmental and public health impacts of poultry production. The method utilizes a plurality of housing units, each including plenum flooring and ventilation to improve the health of birds as they grow from hatchlings to market size adults. After the birds are removed from the housing units, manure is immediately removed from the flooring system and preferably transported to a processing facility. The units are cleaned and fumigated with ozone so that they are ready to receive a new flock within approximately 48 hours from removal of the preceding flock.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/321,431 filed Apr. 12, 2016. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is in the technical field of agricultural food animal production. More particularly, the invention relates to poultry waste management and, specifically, to fumigation of a commercial poultry housing unit that is equipped with a ventilated plenum flooring system. A properly installed and operated ventilated plenum flooring system eliminates the need for bedding material and facilitates manure removal immediately after collection of each market ready flock. However, widely accepted industry practice requires at least fourteen full days of “layout time” to lower airborne ammonia concentrations and reduce housing unit microbial pathogens through fresh air ventilation for an extended period before a poultry housing unit is restocked with a new poultry flock. Conventional practice overlooks the potential benefits of a ventilated flooring system with just-in-time manure cleanout and fumigation after each flock, virtually eliminating ammonia and achieving managed reduction of pathogens within a brief time interval. The reduction of flock cycle time through just-in-time manure removal and managed pathogen reduction allows increased operational efficiency while also reducing adverse environmental, public nuisance and potential health impact from commercial meat poultry production. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention is an integrated system of technology applications and methods to provide comprehensive management of poultry waste (manure), thereby increasing the productivity of poultry housing facilities and improving animal welfare while reducing adverse environmental impact, operational biosecurity risks and public health risks. Although detailed descriptions contained herein are, in some cases, specific to chickens, the concepts also apply to turkeys and other meat poultry species. 
         [0004]    Plenum flooring systems are permanently installed in poultry housing units to improve internal environmental conditions without the need for bedding materials, chemical poultry litter treatment (PLT), or high volume dilution air ventilation. Plenum flooring systems improve environmental quality within a housing unit by controlling manure moisture without the need for absorbent bedding materials. Low moisture and absence of carbonaceous bedding material inhibit the biochemical formation and release of ammonia and other harmful gases. Effective control of manure moisture results in a dry, friable matter surface for bird comfort and safety. A high standard of environmental quality within housing units is beneficial to the health and welfare of the birds, allowing growth and development at or near the full genetic potential of the species and minimizing incidence of mortality from environment-related physical and biological challenges. Maintaining environmental quality within housing units also improves local outdoor air quality and reduces nuisance to neighbors by reducing flies, ammonia, dust and odors. These environmental improvements also reduce operational biosecurity risks of avian influenza and other vector- and air-borne pathogens that may accumulate during conventional manure management practices. 
         [0005]    Once birds have grown to their target market weight, they are collected and removed from the housing units. Within the same day, manure is also collected and removed from the housing units. The housing units are then fumigated by flooding the interior space with a dry air-ozone (O 3 ) mixture, produced by one or more onsite or mobile ozone generator units. Ozone generator capacity is sized to achieve and maintain an ozone concentration for effective destruction of target pathogens, insects and fungi. The ozone generator units are equipped with timing devices to automatically stop ozone production after a pre-set run time and provide a “safe entry” signal after a programed delay to allow natural decomposition of ozone to safe and stable diatomic oxygen (O2). The fumigation process reduces biological challenges to bird health and lowers the spread of pathogens throughout the poultry transportation and processing supply chain and to the general public through worker contamination and poultry housing unit ventilation exhaust. Reduction of insects such as flies reduces operational biosecurity risks such as pathogenic avian influenza. 
         [0006]    Generally, the inventive process includes installing plenum flooring, making poultry housing unit modifications and implementing methods for the generation and distribution of ozone within poultry housing units. By controlling ozone concentrations and exposure duration, the fumigation method provides managed reduction of pathogens, allowing reduced flock cycle time, lower mortality rates, reduced operational biosecurity risk, improved animal welfare and reduced public nuisance and health risk. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0007]    Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following drawing when viewed in the light of the accompanying drawing, in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a flow chart of the method according to the invention; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a schematic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the comprehensive poultry waste management system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    Commercial production of meat poultry is generally performed in large housing units that are designed to protect birds from external threats such as predators and harsh weather conditions and to facilitate uniform delivery of nutrition to large flocks. In most cases, the birds are confined within the housing unit throughout their development from hatchlings to market weight adult birds. During this confinement, a bed of manure accumulates on the floor of each housing unit. 
         [0011]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the steps for poultry production and waste management  2  will be described. Plenum flooring, ventilation and fumigation systems are installed  4  within large poultry housing units, and additional modifications to the units are made so that the flooring, ventilation and fumigation systems will function properly. Each housing unit is divided into segments. The segments are preferably approximately one hundred feet long. At the geometric center of each segment, a reversible ventilation fan is installed. The flooring ventilation fan is sized and configured to regulate flooring temperature and evacuate moisture from the flooring plenum space. Once the flooring, ventilation and fumigation systems and associated modifications are installed in the housing units, the production facilities are preferably certified  6  according to the protocols within the meat poultry industry. The grower or producer is also preferably trained  6  to perform proper operation and maintenance of the flooring, ventilation and fumigation systems. 
         [0012]    Following certification of installation and producer training, flocks of birds and feed are delivered  8  to the housing units. The birds are fed  10 , and the housing units are serviced and maintained. Once the birds have reached their target market weight, they are removed  12  from the housing units. Following bird removal, mobile equipment is used to remove all manure from the housing units  14  and loaded onto trucks. 
         [0013]    Once the manure is removed and the flooring system is swept, inspected and serviced as required, the housing units are fumigated with ozone  16  to further prepare them for a new flock. Manure is preferably transported  18  to an offsite manure processing facility, eliminating the need for storage or disbursement of the manure at the housing facility site. After fumigation with a programmed delay for ozone decomposition, a new flock of birds is placed in each housing unit  8  and the feeding and grow out production process is repeated. 
         [0014]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the comprehensive poultry waste management system  20  according to the invention will be described. The system preferably may include approximately 250 to 350 producer-owned, new or legacy poultry or broiler housing units  22 . 
         [0015]    A modular plenum flooring system with associated ventilation, fumigation systems and other modifications is installed  24  in each housing unit, and the poultry producer is trained and certified for proper operation and maintenance of the modified housing features. The flooring system is a ventilated plenum system such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,132,535. A properly installed ventilated plenum flooring system eliminates the need for bedding materials, use of chemical poultry litter treatment (PLT) and use of high volume dilution air ventilation to maintain air quality conditions necessary to achieve the genetic growth potential of commercial meat poultry species. Removal of manure after each poultry flock is known to provide animal welfare as well as productivity benefits for poultry producers. Well managed poultry production facilities with plenum flooring systems can accomplish this on a just-in-time basis, immediately after each flock removal. 
         [0016]    As housing facility plenum flooring, ventilation and fumigation system installations are completed, poultry hatchlings  26  are delivered each unit. The birds are grown to a pre-defined market weight (usually 3.0 to 8.5 lbs) under the care of the producer. Due to the high-quality environment of the modified housing facility, the integrator will normally implement an antibiotic free (ABF) feeding and growth regimen. 
         [0017]    The flock grows to market weight  28 . During this period, feed is provided to the birds, and the producer manages the housing facility operations. 
         [0018]    Once the target market weight is achieved, the mature birds  30  are removed from the housing units. A waste management service provider performs housing unit cleanout, preferably on the same day as the birds are removed. More particularly, mobile equipment is used to remove all manure from the housing units. The manure is preferably transported to an offsite processing facility  32 . 
         [0019]    After manure is removed from the housing units and the flooring system is swept, inspected and serviced, the each housing unit and its flooring plenum space are fumigated with a mixture of dry air and ozone (O 3 )  34  to complete preparations for receiving a new flock  36 . Due to its oxidation potential, ozone is effective in destroying pathogens, fungi, insects and their larvae within a brief exposure period. Since the ozone molecule is unstable and quickly decomposes into diatomic oxygen (O 2 ), ozone fumigation enables restocking of a housing unit within minimal time after flock removal. Rapid restocking of a housing unit reduces overall flock cycle time, allowing a poultry producer to maximize housing unit annual production while also reducing mortality rates, improving animal welfare, reducing operational biosecurity risks (by eliminating flies and other insects) and lowering pathogen related risks to public safety. Using “just-in-time” management practices as described above, the flock cycle time, i.e. the time from when the birds are introduced into the housing units to when the birds reach market weight and the housing units are serviced to receive a new flock of birds, is reduced by approximately  12  or more days when compared to the typical flock cycle time with conventional manure management methods. 
         [0020]    As noted above, the plenum flooring system is of a specialized type known in the art. It is constructed of non-corrosive and non-biodegradable materials and is designed and installed to ensure sufficient rigidity and durability to withstand repeated live loads of heavy mobile equipment commonly used for poultry house manure cleanout. The plenum flooring ventilation system is configured to operate in coordination with customary poultry house heating and ventilation systems. 
         [0021]    The ozone fumigation method improves poultry production economics by reducing poultry flock cycle time. Managed reduction of pathogens, insects and fungi within poultry housing units reduces biological challenges to bird health, thereby lowering mortality rates and improving overall animal welfare and, ultimately, improving producer performance under an antibiotic-free feeding and growth regimen. Managed reduction of poultry housing unit pathogens, insects and fungi also reduces operational biosecurity risks and public health risks associated with the spread of pathogens through ventilation exhaust and worker contact within the community. In addition, improved poultry house productivity allows greater flexibility for capacity expansion in geographic areas with high density poultry production. These improvements enable poultry producers and other poultry meat supply chain participants to achieve higher profitability through reduced costs, increased efficiencies, improved poultry product quality and improved response to consumer demand for antibiotic free food production while also lowering operational biosecurity risks, improving animal welfare and reducing public nuisance and safety concerns. 
         [0022]    While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.