As many producers know, litter quality is at the top of the list of important factors to manage in poultry production. Wet litter can lead to foot lesions and ammonia build-up, providing perfect conditions for the proliferation of pathogens, which can hinder performance. Areas prone to higher humidity levels can make litter moisture control difficult and expensive as more ventilation is required to remove the moisture to maintain proper litter conditions.
The ESA-3000 heat exchangers add a level of control for litter moisture, as they can minimize the amount of humid outside air entering the barn through minimum ventilation. This process also reduces the temperature differential between internal and incoming air, reducing the energy needed in the form of fuel to heat it. Take Colin Breukelman and Dave Lutton’s experiences with the ESA-3000 heat exchanger, for example.
Colin Breukelman’s Story
Colin has been producing broilers for 3 years in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In October 2022, he had three ESA-3000s installed in his 10,000-square-foot barn. He started noticing the difference in the first flock after installing them. With the higher humidity on Canada’s west coast, the litter condition was one of the most immediate improvements. Moving into the winter months, the savings in his gas bill became very apparent as he reported between 50-60% of savings.
As you can tell from the dialog, once he began closing out flocks, he became more impressed with the results from the ESA-3000 heat exchanger in terms of mortality and flock performance. Colin’s initial hesitancy quickly diminished once he began running the ESA-3000 and saw his investment add dollars back into his pocket.
Dave Lutton’s Story
Dave Lutton is another ecstatic user of the ESA-3000 located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Dave has 5 ESA-3000s in his 25,000-square-foot barn, where he raises flocks of approximately 32,000 birds to 2.5kg in an antibiotic-free system. Dave has been a broiler grower for seven years. He admits to some skepticism around heat exchangers before installing the ESA-3000s in his barn.
After coming across them through his equipment supplier, he was intrigued by the advertised cost savings and the self-cleaning and flushing system. Dave reports “a huge difference in litter moisture” in his barn. By minimizing hot spots and cold spots, Dave also attributes “far more even air quality” throughout his facility and is now convinced “it is the best decision we’ve made” to improve his production. This statement was reinforced even more as Dave’s fuel bills began to come in. In the first 2 months after installation, Dave reports a 65% reduction in heating costs.
These real-world experiences show that the ESA-3000 improves producers’ processes by improving litter quality, overall performance, and heating costs; it has also enhanced sustainability and animal welfare aspects. Reducing fuel usage lowers carbon footprint while improved environmental conditions result in less animal stress.
