Department of Livestock Production and Management, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal-637 001.
* Part of M. V.Sc. thesis approved by Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai-51.
The effect of fogging on micro climate of commercial layer sheds wasstudied in Namakkal, of Tamil Nadu state during the summer of 1998. Sheds equipped with foggers had significant lower (P<0.01) air temperature and higher relative humidity, cooling power, air velocity than sheds, which are not having foggers. There was no significant difference in ambient temperature, maximum temperature and minimum temperature between sheds having foggers and sheds not having foggers. Sheds with asbestos roofing had significantly higher air temperature, cooling power, air velocity, and lower relative humidity than sheds with roofing. There was no significant difference among roofing types in ambient temperature, and internal maximum and minimum temperatures. Sheds with foggers had significantly higher (P<0.01) - hen day and hen housed egg production, better feed efficiency than sheds, which are devoid of foggers. However, there was no significant diference is feed consumption between the two groups. Sheds with asbestos roofing had significantly (P<0.01) higher hen day egg production, and mortality compared to sheds with tile roofing. Feed consumption, feed efficiency and hen housed egg production did not differ significantly between the roofing types.
Foggers, roof types, microclimate, layer sheds and production performance
