Extension Efforts to Save Energy and Dollars for Poultry Growers

Biosystems engineering faculty member Jim Donald and extension economist Gene Simpson are working on a project in North Alabama that could have a major impact on reducing the costs of heating poultry houses. Working with inventors, poultry growers, and the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, Donald and Simpson have implemented a heating system for broiler houses that utilizes recycled motor oil rather than propane or natural gas.

Preliminary indications are that costs of heating broiler houses might be reduced by as much as 50 to 60 percent, while improving in-house bird performance. Further testing will be carried out during fiscal year 2004-2005. With petroleum prices at record high levels, this proves to be a very timely and useful piece of extension and applied research work being conducted by these two faculty members.

With an estimated 13,000 poultry houses in production in Alabama and an average fuel bill of nearly $4,000 annually per house, these efforts have the potential of having a multi-million dollar impact on Alabama's poultry industry and the state's economy.