TY - JOUR
T1 - Design and testing of a novel environmental preference chamber
AU - Maia, Ana Paula de A.
AU - Moura, Daniella J.
AU - Green, Angela R.
AU - Silva, Wagner T.
AU - Sarubbi, Juliana
AU - Massari, Juliana M.
AU - Barbosa, Leonardo Valentino Soares
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors are grateful to the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) for funding this project [grant #2009/10552-5] and for the PhD scholarship awarded to Ana Paula Maia [grant #2009/09717-0]. The authors also wish to thank of the College of Agricultural Engineering (FEAGRI/UNICAMP) and State University of Campinas for administrative support. Assistance with the construction of the chamber and with the tests was provided by the research team of the Thermal Comfort Laboratory, especially Rayanna Ferreira (undergraduate student), and is greatly appreciated. Furthermore, special thanks should be given to the Animal Welfare and Environmental Systems Laboratory (awesome.illinois.edu) at the University of Illinois for scientific guidance and advice on commissioning the chamber, which contributed to accomplishing this research study.
Funding Information:
The authors are grateful to the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) for funding this project [grant # 2009/10552-5 ] and for the PhD scholarship awarded to Ana Paula Maia [grant # 2009/09717-0 ]. The authors also wish to thank of the College of Agricultural Engineering (FEAGRI/UNICAMP) and State University of Campinas for administrative support. Assistance with the construction of the chamber and with the tests was provided by the research team of the Thermal Comfort Laboratory , especially Rayanna Ferreira (undergraduate student), and is greatly appreciated. Furthermore, special thanks should be given to the Animal Welfare and Environmental Systems Laboratory (awesome.illinois.edu) at the University of Illinois for scientific guidance and advice on commissioning the chamber, which contributed to accomplishing this research study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2019/2
Y1 - 2019/2
N2 - Preference testing is one method for assessing animal perceptions regarding their housing environment and can assist with animal welfare assessment. No literature was found detailing specific designs for the compartments and their temperature and ammonia distribution. A novel system was designed and built as an environmental preference system (EPTS); the system has three parallel connected compartments separated by an automatic door. For the appropriate interpretation of animal responses for environmental testing, it is important to ensure precise control, stability, and uniformity of environmental control. Set-point values of 15, 22, and 30 °C and 0, 20, and 40 ppmv NH3 were randomly applied to all compartments during the testing. The system has proven to be capable of providing distinct simultaneous environments in each compartment (tdb of 15.8 ± 1.4 °C, 22.4 ± 1.0 °C, 30.1 ± 0.8 °C and NH3 concentrations of 3.5 ± 2.8 ppmv, 19.4 ± 4.1 ppmv, and 38.2 ± 4.4 ppmv). The validation of the EPTS was conducted with a group of nine broilers that could transit between the compartments of the EPTS and avoid the heat stress environment. This system can be used for environmental preference studies with animals within the limits reported for the stability, repeatability, and uniformity of the environments.
AB - Preference testing is one method for assessing animal perceptions regarding their housing environment and can assist with animal welfare assessment. No literature was found detailing specific designs for the compartments and their temperature and ammonia distribution. A novel system was designed and built as an environmental preference system (EPTS); the system has three parallel connected compartments separated by an automatic door. For the appropriate interpretation of animal responses for environmental testing, it is important to ensure precise control, stability, and uniformity of environmental control. Set-point values of 15, 22, and 30 °C and 0, 20, and 40 ppmv NH3 were randomly applied to all compartments during the testing. The system has proven to be capable of providing distinct simultaneous environments in each compartment (tdb of 15.8 ± 1.4 °C, 22.4 ± 1.0 °C, 30.1 ± 0.8 °C and NH3 concentrations of 3.5 ± 2.8 ppmv, 19.4 ± 4.1 ppmv, and 38.2 ± 4.4 ppmv). The validation of the EPTS was conducted with a group of nine broilers that could transit between the compartments of the EPTS and avoid the heat stress environment. This system can be used for environmental preference studies with animals within the limits reported for the stability, repeatability, and uniformity of the environments.
KW - Air quality
KW - Animal welfare
KW - Automatic control
KW - Free-choice testing
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U2 - 10.1016/j.compag.2018.12.026
DO - 10.1016/j.compag.2018.12.026
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85058676231
SN - 0168-1699
VL - 157
SP - 23
EP - 37
JO - Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
JF - Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
ER -