APPLYING DIRECT EVAPORATIVE COOLING SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN RABBIT HOUSES

El-Maghawry, Hend A. M.

doi:10.21608/mjae.2018.95600

APPLYING DIRECT EVAPORATIVE COOLING SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN RABBIT HOUSES

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Hend A. M. El-Maghawry

Lecturer of Agric. Eng., Fac. of Agric., Zagazig Univ., Egypt.

10.21608/mjae.2018.95600

Abstract

Heat stress is a major problem that faces rabbit’s breeders. This problem adversely affects rabbit's growth and reduces the resistance to diseases. The present research was carried out to apply and evaluate the performance of a direct evaporative pad cooling system in rabbit houses to control environmental conditions. The direct evaporative pad cooling system performance was studied as a function of change in pad thickness (10 and 15 cm), water flow rate (3, 5 and 7 L/min.m²) and rabbit stocking density with an approximate average (0.5 and 1.0 rabbit/m²). Performance evaluation of the evaporative pad cooling system was carried out in terms of temperature reduction, cooling efficiency, temperature-humidity index, daily body weight gain and mortality ratio. The experimental results clarified that values of temperature reduction (7.3 and 6.8 ^oC), cooling efficiency (94.92 and 90.91 %), temperature-humidity index (26.30 and 27.40^oC), daily body weight gain (38.80 and 38 g/rabbit/day) and mortality ratio (0.2 and 0.4 %) are in the optimal limits under conditions of 15 cm pad thickness and 5 L/min.m² water flow rate for rabbit stocking densities of 0.5 and 1.0 rabbit/m², respectively.

Main Subjects

Agricultural Constructions Engineering

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