31/03/16
Yolks for Folks is a poultry farm run by farmer Allan Steen in Stanley, Falkland Islands. The company supplies brown table eggs to the market in half dozen and dozen boxes.
The birds are managed as free range, in a naturally ventilated barn environment, however, it was noticed that on calm days there was a problem with insufficient ventilation in the poultry house which, in turn, resulted in an accumulation of high humidity and poor air quality.
Mr Steen needed to improve the air performance for his hens to ensure they maintained good health. His search for the right air ventilation system started online, due to his geographical location, and led to him being recommended to Hydor as the experts in agricultural ventilation.
“I spoke to Dennis Farr from Hydor” said Mr Steen – Dennis has been in the industry himself with Hydor for over 50 years. “That man knows his stuff when it comes to ventilation,” he added, “he was instrumental in putting the whole proposal together”.
Specification
The fans and control system proposed by Hydor were based upon the room dimensions, stock density, bird weights and the air movement required.
Hydor supplied a bespoke control panel and two fans (HXP450mm). The panel consisted of two Polar HP58 0-10V Proportional Units: one monitoring the temperature and the other monitoring the humidity, in conjunction with the appropriate sensors. As the temperature and the humidity varied above and below the required settings, the output signal increased or decreased. This varied the voltage to the fans accordingly, from 10-100% speed. The HP58 thermostat also switched the fans on or off as required.
The equipment was shipped in May and was later installed in September 2015 by Mr Steen himself. He said: “I found the products to be constructed to a very high standard. Having worked in the telecom industry, I can appreciate the quality that went into building the custom enclosure and the wiring of the components contained within it”.
Completion
The overall impact on the chickens has had a dramatic improvement on bird health and their overall environment. There is no irritant in the air and the smell in the barn, even on hot days, is comfortable for the birds and the farmer. “The temperature side of the system works very well. It easily maintains the desired temperature, no matter what the weather outside. I don’t have any heating so the system switches off when external temperatures drop or when natural ventilation takes over”, Mr Steen explained.
“Without a doubt the fan system is the best investment that could have been added to the barn. The whole experience from contacting Hydor to receiving the goods was seamless, especially given the logistics involved in purchasing and shipping to the Falkland Islands! I would have no issue with using their products again or recommending them to others in the poultry industry”.
For more information please contact Hydor on +44 (0) 1725 511422, info@hydor.co.uk or visit us at the Pig & Poultry Fair (Hall 3, Stand 284) at NAEC Stoneleigh, 10-11 May, 2016.