My research interests include precision animal management, animal housing management and environmental control, poultry house design and construction, sensors and instrumentation, and spatial statistics and mapping. 

• Animal Housing Management & Environmental Control
• Poultry Housing Design and Construction
• Instrumentation, sensors, and data acquisition
• Statistics and Spatial Mapping

BROILER HOUSE LIGHTING 

Some alternative rearing programs in the U.S. are advocating for changes to lighting strategies in commercial broiler barns. Auburn University Biological & Agricultural Technology Management professor Dr. John Linhoss is leading a $298,000 grant that evaluates the effects of natural versus artificial light on broiler performance, broiler welfare, and the natural environment. This grant attempts to move broiler lighting research into innovative directions while furthering USDA research priorities of precision animal management and environmental synergies of animal production.

The long-term goals of this project are to compare natural and artificial lighting strategies in effort to 1) optimize broiler welfare, behavior and performance, 2) understand atmospheric emissions and overall environmental impact, and 3) use data generated to create Extension programming.

This project is a natural progression of Dr. Linhoss and his colleges research on light intensity in commercial broiler. An interdisciplinary team of agricultural engineers, animal scientists, and Extension specialists are working together on the project. It is a collaborative effort between Auburn University Biosystems Engineering and Poultry Science departments, Auburn University National Poultry Technology Center (NPTC), and USDA ARS Poultry Research Unit.

Dr. Linhoss has been researching lighting conditions in commercial broiler houses since 2017. “ Most of my research has focused on high-density sampling of light intensity in broiler houses in different seasons, times of the day, and various production conditions,” said Linhoss.

Researchers from Biosystems Engineering are also helping to build the framework for a life cycle assessment (LCA) of natural and artificial lighting strategies. LCA is a power tool to understand environmental impacts of products and production systems. Researchers will engage with partner farms to lay the groundwork to collect gas, power, and water usage information from commercial poultry to assist with the LCA development.

Much of Dr. Linhoss’ research is applied in nature and designed with a grower or industry in mind. “Data on the influence of providing natural light in broiler houses on welfare, behavior, performance, and the environment is needed to help companies make the most informed decisions as production priorities continue to change,” said Linhoss. The success of this research is monitored by the completion of objectives, data collection, and eventual publication of the results.