Broiler house requirements — equipment and climate
A broiler house is a climate-keeping machine — from day one it must hold a stable temperature, exchange air and give the birds dry litter, water and feed. We have gathered everything the house must provide in one place, with links to detailed guides for the specifics.
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A broiler cannot regulate its body temperature as well as an adult bird — for the first few days it depends entirely on house conditions. That is why the house is treated as a climate-keeping machine: it must hold the set temperature, remove moisture and carbon dioxide, and deliver fresh air regardless of the weather outside. The whole rearing process is covered in the guide on broiler farming.
Why is it such a sensitive system?
Too cold — chicks huddle together, eat less and grow slower. Too warm or too little air — the birds overheat, litter gets wet, ammonia builds up. If just one element fails (a fan or a heater), the house climate can run out of control within hours. Hence the emphasis on air-tightness, good control and alarms — we describe them below and link to detailed pages.
Where do the numbers in this guide come from?
Target parameters (temperature by age, humidity, air exchange, air speed in the tunnel) follow the Aviagen guides for the Ross 308 line and Cobb. These are indicative values* — a starting point, not a fixed norm. Actual settings depend on the genetic line, the season and the specific house. This page is an overview of the whole; the details of each area are in separate guides linked in the text.
What to check when planning and preparing a broiler house
- 1
Insulation and air-tightness of the house
Good wall and roof insulation and an air-tight house are the foundation — without them you cannot hold the temperature or control ventilation. Leaks (gaps at doors, inlets, chimneys) let cold air in where it should not be and chill birds locally. Air-tightness is checked with a static pressure test: with inlets closed and a fan running, the house should hold a set negative pressure — if it does not, air leaks and minimum ventilation will not work properly.
- 2
Heating and pre-heating the house (preheating)
The house must have enough heating power to raise the temperature to the starting level (about 30–34°C*) before the chicks are placed — this is pre-heating. Not only the air but also the litter and floor are warmed, because a cold floor chills chicks from below. The type of heating (gas heaters, radiant heaters, underfloor heating) affects cost and evenness. Details and cost comparison: house heating — costs. The full start-up procedure is in preparing the house before placement.
- 3
Ventilation: minimum and maximum
A house needs two modes. Minimum (winter) ventilation exchanges air and removes moisture and ammonia when it is cold and the birds must not be chilled — it runs in cycles, dosing fresh air. Maximum (summer, tunnel) ventilation cools the birds in hot weather with a large airflow through the house. Both modes must be sized to the house and stocking. Calculation and setting details: broiler house ventilation.
- 4
Drinking and feeding — area and number per bird
Every bird must have easy access to water and feed. For nipple drinkers a rough guide is about 10–12 birds per nipple*, and drinking lines are laid out so no bird is more than a few metres from water. Feeders are sized similarly — by the number of pans or feed-line length per bird. Line height is adjusted as the birds grow. On drinking lines and their setting: drinking lines in the house.
- 5
Lighting and the dark-period programme
A broiler needs a bright start (the first days — long, bright light so chicks find water and feed), then a programme with dark phases that order the daily rhythm and improve health. The house must have even lighting that can be dimmed and, where needed, the windows darkened, so the light programme works regardless of the season. Full programme: broiler house lighting programme.
- 6
Climate control and alarms
Everything above is tied together by a climate computer (controller) that, using temperature, humidity and CO₂ sensors, drives heating, fans and inlets. Alarms (temperature too high/too low, power failure, ventilation failure) with a notification to the farmer, plus backup power or safety flaps that open the house on power loss, are essential. They save the flock when the climate starts to fail. More: house climate controllers.
Target parameters in a broiler house
Four groups of values the house should hold. Indicative figures* from the Aviagen Ross 308 guides.
Temperature by age
Start about 30–34°C* on day 1, then a gradual drop of about 2–3°C per week to about 20–22°C* in the final phase. More telling than the thermometer is bird behaviour: evenly spread = good; huddled = too cold; spread to the walls panting = too warm. Details: temperature and humidity in the house.
Relative humidity 50–70%
Target about 50–70%*. Too dry (below ~40%) — dust and irritated airways; too humid (above ~70%) — wet litter and higher ammonia. Humidity is controlled mainly by ventilation and heating. More: temperature and humidity in the house.
Ventilation: minimum and tunnel
Minimum air exchange doses fresh air even in frost to remove moisture and ammonia. In the tunnel (summer) air speed at the birds rises to about 2–3 m/s*, cooling them by wind-chill. Both values scale to stocking and house size.
Litter and stocking
Dry, friable litter (e.g. shavings, chopped straw) about 5–10 cm* deep at the start. Litter is the litmus test of the climate — when it gets wet it signals that ventilation or stocking needs adjusting. Related: litter in the house and broiler stocking density.
The most common mistakes in house equipment and climate
These mistakes regularly spoil flock results — worth ruling out at the house planning stage.
A leaky house
Gaps at doors, inlets and ducts mean minimum ventilation cannot build negative pressure, and cold air enters locally and chills birds. The result: wet litter under the leaks and uneven growth. Run a static pressure test before the season and seal the house — without it even the best controller will not help. Related: broiler house ventilation.
Skipping pre-heating (preheating)
Placing chicks into a cold house or onto a cold floor is one of the most common mistakes. A cold floor chills chicks from below despite warm air — the result is a weak start and poorer feed and water intake. Warm the house and litter in advance. Procedure: preparing the house before placement.
Poor minimum ventilation in winter
Fear of chilling the birds leads to choking the house — too little fresh air, rising humidity, ammonia and wet litter. Minimum ventilation must remove moisture even in frost, dosing air in cycles. The effect of neglect shows in the litter: wet litter — causes and effects.
Too few drinkers and feeders or bad setting
Too few nipples or pans per bird, badly set line height or too low water pressure mean uneven access to water and feed — some birds grow slower. Check the number of drinking/feeding points per bird and adjust height with age. More: drinking lines in the house.
Frequently asked questions about broiler house requirements
What temperature should there be in a broiler house?add
At the start (day 1) about 30–34°C*, then lowered gradually by about 2–3°C per week to about 20–22°C* in the final phase. The figures are indicative per the Aviagen Ross 308 guides — bird behaviour matters more than the thermometer: evenly spread chicks mean a good temperature. The details are in the guide on temperature and humidity in the house.
What ventilation does a broiler house need?add
A house needs two modes: minimum (winter) ventilation, which doses fresh air and removes moisture and ammonia without chilling the birds, and maximum tunnel (summer) ventilation, which cools the birds with a large airflow in hot weather. Both modes scale to stocking and house size. Calculation details: broiler house ventilation.
How many drinkers and feeders should there be per bird?add
For nipple drinkers a rough guide is about 10–12 birds per nipple*, and feeders are sized by the number of pans or feed-line length per bird. Line height also matters — it is adjusted as the birds grow so every bird has easy access to water and feed. More: drinking lines in the house.
What humidity should there be in a broiler house?add
Target about 50–70%*. Too dry means dust and irritated airways; too humid means wet litter and higher ammonia. Humidity is controlled mainly by ventilation and heating. When litter starts to get wet it is the first sign that the climate needs adjusting — we cover this in the guide on wet litter — causes and effects.
Why does a house need a climate controller and alarms?add
A climate computer uses temperature, humidity and CO₂ sensors to drive heating, fans and inlets, keeping a stable climate without constant manual work. Alarms (temperature, power failure, ventilation failure) plus backup power or safety flaps save the flock when something fails — on a hot day a ventilation failure can endanger birds within tens of minutes. More: house climate controllers.
In hot weather, is ventilation enough or is water cooling needed?add
In very high temperatures tunnel ventilation alone may not be enough — then additional evaporative cooling (evaporative pads or fogging) is used, lowering the temperature of the air entering the house. This depends on the regional climate and stocking size. Details: evaporative pads in the house and broiler stocking density.
Keep an eye on house climate in DlaFerm.pl
Want temperature, humidity and ventilation status in one place? DlaFerm.pl integrates with climate sensors and controllers and warns you before house conditions run out of control. Create a free farm account or write to us.
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