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Delmarva Broiler Farm Water Usage . Jennifer Timmons ( mdchick@umd.edu ) www.mdchick.umd.edu. University of Maryland Extension. Acknowledgements. Richard Nottingham Jennifer Rhodes. University of Maryland Extension. Introduction.
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Delmarva Broiler Farm Water Usage Jennifer Timmons (mdchick@umd.edu) www.mdchick.umd.edu University of Maryland Extension
Acknowledgements • Richard Nottingham • Jennifer Rhodes University of Maryland Extension
Introduction • Ground water is 81-100% source of all drinking water on the Eastern Shore. • Demand for water is expected to increase by more than 20% between 2000 and 2030. • Water Use Permits: • Maryland and Virginia: greater than 10,000 gallons/day • Delaware: greater than 50,000 gallons/day University of Maryland Extension
Introduction • Bird water consumption is somewhat easy to predict. • Evaporative cooling system is harder to predict. University of Maryland Extension
Introduction • Flock water usage varies depending on a many factors. • Age of bird • House density • Outside temperature and relative humidity • Type of cooling system • Evaporative cooling set temperatures University of Maryland Extension
Introduction • University of Georgia monitored water usage of a 50 ft X 560 ft broiler house in Athens, GA (Czarick and Fairchild, 2009). • Evaporative cooling system used between 40,000 and 45,000 gallons during the summer. • Evaporative cooling system used between 10,000 and 20,000 gallons during the spring. University of Maryland Extension
Background of Study • Water meters were placed on evaporative cooling pad system (recirculation system) of 15 broiler houses. • Drinker consumption data also collected (10 houses). • Data collection started April 2008. • Flocks were placed at various times throughout the study. University of Maryland Extension
Background of Study • Average house size: 29,708 ft2 • Average broiler capacity: 40,057 birds • Average flock age: 52 days • Assume 5 ½ flocks/year = 286 production days (52 days X 5.5 flocks) University of Maryland Extension
Results (7/2009) • Average gallons of water used by evaporative cooling pad system for one flock: • 533 gallons/day/house • Average gallons of water consumed for one flock: • 1,598 gallons/day/house • Therefore total gallons used/day/house for one flock = 2,131 gallons/day/house University of Maryland Extension
Results (7/2009) • Estimated total gallons used for 5 ½ flocks (286 days) in one house = • 609,466 gallons(286 d X 2,131 gallons) • Average gallons used per day in one house for 1 year (365 days) = • 1,670 gallons (609,466 gallons ÷ 365 days) • Average gallons per ft2 = • 0.0562 gallons/ft2 (1,670 gallons ÷ 29,708 ft2) University of Maryland Extension
How much water do I use on my farm per year? • Example: • Five houses (33,600 ft2) • Total ft2 = 168,000 ft2 (33,600 ft2 X 5 houses) • Total average gallons used/day = • 9,442 gallons water/day (168,000 ft2 X 0.0562 gallons/ft2) University of Maryland Extension
Questions University of Maryland Extension