Design and Construction of Forced-Air Heating systems for Poultry Brooding: A Comprehensive Review

• George AKWEC

  Author

• Segun E. ADEBAYO

  Author

• Caroline O. ALENOGHENA

  Author

Brooding is among the most sensitive stages in the poultry production cycle because neonatal chicks bear premature thermoregulatory body systems making them rely totally on external sources of heat for growth and development however, the inadequacy and the inconsistency of the heat supply remain a major challenge as such, the design and construction of forced-air heating systems is vital in the chick’s production sector. The study is limited to the design and construction of these systems particularly for poultry brooding purpose and this information is crucial in the establishment of a precised forced-air heating system globally. This review discussed the fundamentals of heat generation and heat transfer in poultry brooding, different forced-air heating systems and their operational principles including construction procedures, material selection, the design approach for system’s components and insulation. The study found that, Computational Fluid Dynamics has the possibility of optimization of duct geometry, analysis of air flow velocity and heat distribution. It equally found that the recommended brooding temperature during the first week ranges between 32^oC – 36^oC with gradual reduction of approximately 5^oC every week. The study further identified the existing research gap such as experiments carried out under controlled laboratories without considering ambient environmental conditions, no evidence of affordably developed automated forced-air heating system suitable for small-scale farmers, no evidence of developed hybrid power system involving the common photovoltaic solar system and any other renewable energy system like biomass energy for poultry brooding with clearly stated future research directions.   The study concluded that, performance of the system doesn’t only rely on the heat source or mode of heat transfer but also on the proper design considerations, the fabrication workmanship while material selection and insulation remain indispensable.

• 54_Akwec et al. (2026)

Copyright (c) 2026 George AKWEC, Segun E. ADEBAYO, Caroline O. ALENOGHENA (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.