The aim of this study was to monitor and evaluate the thermal environment and undertake a complete mapping of the variables air temperature, air relative humidity, and temperature-humidity index for broilers. The research was conducted during the winter, in Brazil, in a commercial poultry house fully walled with concrete-block masonry, equipped with a full-time negative-pressure mechanized ventilation system and indoor-environment air heating by a wood-burning furnace located outside the facility. The shed was fully automated and housed 30,000 birds at a density of 15 birds m^-2. Thermal-environment data analysis revealed that the masonry-wall model did not ensure homogeneous thermal distribution within the poultry house, with the central region showing the highest air temperature and lowest air relative humidity values. The indoor environment did not provide thermal comfort to the housed birds, which were under thermal discomfort in certain situations in some internal regions of the shed.

RESUMOObjetivou-se, com este trabalho monitorar, em tempo real, o ambiente térmico de um aviário de postura e realizar o mapeamento completo da distribuição das variáveis temperatura do ar, umidade relativa do ar e índice de temperatura e umidade no alojamento. O trabalho foi conduzido no mês de janeiro de 2013 em uma granja comercial de aves de postura, sistemas verticais, com seis andares de gaiolas. O aviário é totalmente automatizado possuindo 100.000 aves alojadas na densidade de 300 cm2 ave-1. A partir dos dados coletados foram determinadas as médias de temperatura e umidade relativa do ar para período diurno e noturno de diferentes posições na instalação. Os mapas térmicos resultantes demostram que ocorreu uma variabilidade térmica em diferentes posições espaciais no interior do aviário, com a região central apresentando temperaturas superiores às das extremidades porém dentro da faixa de conforto térmico das aves considerando a situação de temperaturas médias, durante calor extremo a temperatura interna na instalação alcançou 33 oC. A umidade relativa do ar apresentou pequenas variações durante o dia e maiores no período da noite. Em relação ao índice de temperatura e umidade a maior parte da instalação permaneceu dentro da faixa de conforto.

The main goal of the AWARTECH project (Animal Welfare Adjusted Real Time Environmental Conditions of Housing) was to develop an innovative precision livestock tool that will support and reinforce the pig value chain, through the management of solutions based on monitoring, analysis and control of environmental, physiological, behaviour and animal performances parameters. Environmental data was collected by sensors of temperature, relative humidity, air velocity and gas concentration, which are integrated in an environmental control system (Webisense) and in a platform (Nidus). Webisense controlled the ventilation system, the cooling system and the heating system. The rectal and body surface temperatures were registered manual and automatically. In order to monitor the behaviour of the animals, video cameras were installed. An individual feeding machine equipped with a scale has been also installed. This equipment allow, through an RFID system, the individual monitoring and control of the amount of food supplied and ingested; the number and duration of visits; and the animal’s weight. The development of the AWARTECH platform resulted from the integration of data provided by Webisense, Nidus, feeding machine and video analytics as well as physiological data. This platform allows the control the environmental conditions based on welfare indicators promoting animal welfare.

Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar as condições bioclimáticas de um galpão experimental de frangos de corte da Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), no campus JK, em Diamantina, MG. A avaliação foi feita com base na mensuração das variáveis ambientais de temperatura do ar, umidade relativa do ar, temperatura de globo negro e velocidade do ar no interior da instalação, em 42 dias de período experimental. Com os dados coletados foram calculados os índices de temperatura e umidade (ITU), o índice de temperatura de globo negro e umidade (ITGU), a carga térmica de radiação (CTR) e o índice de entalpia (Hº). O desempenho foi avaliado aos 42 dias de idade dos frangos, através dos parâmetros de peso vivo (PV), ganho de peso médio diário (GPMD), consumo de ração (CR), conversão alimentar (CA) e viabilidade criatória (VB). Verificou-se que, na maior parte do período experimental, a temperatura no interior do galpão esteve fora da zona de conforto térmico para as aves e a umidade relativa do ar encontrou-se acima dos limites recomendados, exceto no horário de 15:00 horas. O ITU esteve abaixo da zona de conforto até a segunda semana, indicando que as aves estiveram em estresse por frio neste período. O ITGU às 21:00 horas esteve fora do preconizado durante todo o período experimental. A CTR e o Hº também estiveram abaixo do preconizado em todo o período experimental, indicando pouca quantidade de calor na instalação onde os animais foram alojados. O desempenho dos frangos de corte mostrou-se inferior ao esperado. Neste sentido, recomenda-se realizar alterações no galpão como: reduzir as entradas de ar, diminuir o volume de ar a ser aquecido nas primeiras semanas de vida das aves e fornecer aquecimento suplementar ao nível de galpão, afim de, proporcionar o melhor conforto térmico e, consequentemente, maior desempenho produtivo dos frangos.

Air quality is one of the main factors that must be guaranteed in animal production. However, the measurement of pollutants is still a problem in several countries because the available methods are costly and do not always apply to the reality of the constructive typology adopted, as in countries with a hot climate, which adopt predominantly open facilities. Thus, the objective of the present study was to develop predictive models for the potential generation and emission of ammonia in the production of broiler chickens with different types of litter, different reuse cycles and under different climatic conditions. Samples of poultry litter from thirty commercial aviaries submitted to different air temperatures were analyzed. The experiment was conducted and analyzed in a completely randomized design, following a factorial scheme. Models were developed to predict the potential for generation and emission of ammonia, which can be applied in facilities with ambient conditions of air temperature between 25 and 40 °C and with wood shaving bed with up to four reuse cycles and coffee husks bed with up to six reuse cycles. The developed and validated models showed high accuracy indicating that they can be used to estimate the potential for ammonia generation and emission.

The adoption of Circular Economy approaches in agriculture offers opportunities to transform agricultural waste into valuable resources. This study was conducted within the TANGO-Circular project, which implemented Rural Lab training activities in four European countries: Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. A structured questionnaire was administered to participants involved in these activities. Overall, 197 questionnaires were collected, of which 195 valid responses were included in the final quantitative analysis. Respondents included farmers, technicians, students, and other actors connected to agricultural and sustainability-related contexts. The results indicate that, despite differences in sample composition across countries, no statistically significant differences were observed in awareness and interest toward Circular Economy practices within the analyzed sample. Conversely, statistically significant differences emerged in gender distribution, professional profile, and perceived barriers among countries. Overall, respondents exhibited a generally positive attitude toward agricultural waste valorization and a high level of interest in further training activities. However, key barriers were identified, including lack of technical knowledge, limited institutional support, lack of awareness, and high initial costs. These findings suggest that the adoption of Circular Economy practices in agriculture requires not only positive attitudes, but also targeted training, accessible support services, and institutional and logistical frameworks adapted to local contexts.