Analysis of The Application of A Natural Ventilation System To Improve Air Quality in Laying Hen Houses (Case Study: A Laying Hen House in Banyumas)

Abstract

Air quality is an important aspect in laying hen housing because it is closely related to thermal conditions, animal comfort, health, and productivity. Poor air circulation may cause heat and humidity accumulation and increase the concentration of pollutants such as ammonia (NH₃), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and airborne particles. The research gap addressed in this study is that most prior work on poultry-house air quality has focused on measuring environmental parameters in operating houses, while relatively little attention has been given to how air-quality principles can be integrated into the architectural design of a house before it becomes operational. This study aims to analyze the application of air-quality principles in the design of a laying hen house located in Banyumas, Stabat, Langkat Regency, North Sumatra. The study uses a qualitative descriptive approach through literature review, previous studies, comparative studies, and analysis of the proposed building design. The proposed house applies natural ventilation through openings on both sides of the building to create cross ventilation. A ridge vent is also provided at the highest part of the roof to facilitate the release of hot air from the building. In addition, the house is designed as a raised structure with a manure collection system using a movable tarpaulin placed beneath the battery cage; manure is planned to be removed periodically to reduce prolonged accumulation as one of the potential sources of ammonia. The analysis indicates that the combination of side openings, ridge ventilation, raised construction, and periodic manure removal has the potential to support better air exchange and reduce the accumulation of heat, humidity, and pollutants inside the poultry house. The novelty of this study lies in integrating natural-ventilation design principles with a manure-handling strategy at the design stage of a not-yet-operational commercial laying-hen house, rather than evaluating an already-operating facility. Since the building is still under construction, the effectiveness of the proposed design has not yet been verified through direct field measurements; further evaluation after the building becomes operational is therefore required to measure temperature, relative humidity, airflow velocity, NH₃, CO₂, and particulate concentrations.