During the demonstration on calf health, one of the workshops was a demonstration of the tube ventilation present on the fam (the Goderis CowCompany - A farm with several fattening animals, suckler cows and calves). Via a smoke test, we could see the air pushed out of the tube ventilation and being spread evenly.
The farmer says: “By using this system, we saw that we were creating an even barn climate over the entire barn, with no under or over ventilated parts. Colony forming units were reduced by approx. 75 percent per cubic meter. The experience is that the animals don’t get sick that often or if they do get sick the symptoms are much less severe than before. The stable climate is also much fresher and has lower ammonia levels.”
It is not difficult to implement, however, the tube ventilation should be installed by a professional. It is important that the size of the tube, the size of the holes and the pressure of the air are adapted to your barn specifically. To install this type of ventilation, €2000-€3000 should be invested for the whole system, excluding labour costs.
The farmer would recommend tube ventilation in other farm, especially in sub-optimal stables to improve the climate. It is sometimes applied in new buildings to ensure natural ventilation (on windless days).
The pictures below show the smoke test in the fattening barn (for practical reasons). The same type of ventilation is present in the barn for the calves.
