Chapter 7 - Air Velocity

Increased air velocity produces a windchill effect on broilers. The benefits arise from the increased convective heat loss with increasing air velocity. When evaluating the windchill effect in commercial production conditions, it should be kept in mind that air velocities around the broilers are approximately 50% lower than the air stream velocity in the open area of the house.

Caution is advised at air temperatures greater than 100°F. At these temperatures, increased wind speed actually causes a heat gain to the broilers and any heat loss from the broilers is almost entirely evaporative. When interior air temperatures are over 100°F, catastrophic broilers losses could result from operating ‘cooling’ fans without implementation of evaporative cooling.