Developing strategies for animal welfare-compliant livestock buildings, to minimize health risks to workers

Description

This project addresses the risks posed by new breeding practices that were developed to improve animal welfare. An increase in the animals’ movement and the space allotted per animal, as well as the presence of bedding, degrades air quality and affects the health of workers. This project is divided into four main stages:

1. Compile and compare air quality data in conventional livestock buildings versus new-generation buildings, in order to document the qualitative and quantitative deterioration in air quality.
2. Select the best mitigation techniques and assess their efficacy.
3. Test, on a commercial scale, the best mitigation technique or combination of techniques.
4. Conduct an analysis to determine the cost of implementing new technologies over the lifetime of a commercial building.

Objective(s)

• Assess and compare air quality in conventional versus new-generation livestock buildings for egg, dairy, and pork production.
• Determine the best strategies for these different productions.
• Adapt the best strategies for a commercial scale.
• Assess the economic impact of implementing the new technologies.