VAL-CO, recently appointed as international distributors of the Weeden sprinkler will display the system on their Booth B10021. Weeden Sprinkler Systems was established in 1995 and has remained in the founder family after acquisition by Kevin Weeden in 2003.
The system is design to supplement conventional pad cooling during periods of high temperature. Sprinklers are installed at approximately 24’ intervals down the length of the house located in two rows 12’ from the side walls. The system is operated in conjunction with evaporative cooling pads that should be activated only when ambient temperature exceeds 88 Fº. The Weeden sprinkler system permits delaying the operation of cool cells reducing humidity in the house and saving water.
The Weeden control panel incorporates two separate time clocks to activate the sprinklers that stimulate movement of the flock and contribute to cooling of birds. Specific zones can be selected in the house to operate independently. This permits operation of sprinklers at a higher intensity at the exhaust end of the house where temperatures may be higher than at the air inlet end when houses are operated in tunnel mode. The controller can be pre-programed for flock age and temperature to conform to the biomass in the house and to respond to weather conditions.
Activating the sprinkler system promotes growth by stimulating birds to rise from recumbency on litter and to seek food and water. Droplets on the head and back plumage evaporate subject to adequate air movement, producing an external cooling effect.
Sprinkler intervals commence for a ten second duration at 30-minute intervals and can increase up to a 20-second cycle every seven minutes during extreme heat. At maximum duration of 20 seconds, each sprinkler operated at line pressure above 30psi releases 10 ounces of water covering an area of 500 sq. ft. Again, depending on the critical airflow, the system can release five gallons of water within a 25,000 sq. ft. house per 20 second cycle. Maintaining a high rate of evaporation limits litter moisture since droplets are converted to vapor that is exhausted from the house.
Coarse droplets from the Weeden sprinkler system are approximately 1mm in diameter and approximately 10 times the size of mist particles released by high-pressure foggers. Sprinklers are equipped with check valves to prevent dripping, and all sprinklers start and stop at the same time.
The Weeden sprinkler system has been evaluated by the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture Research and Extension. Studies have shown that relative humidity in houses is lower using the Weeden system compared to houses fitted with conventional pads that tend to be overused. This results in reduced water usage and drier litter. In a typical broiler house located in Mississippi, operation of the Weeden system resulted in a 64 percent reduction in water used to an average of approximately 9,000 gallons per cycle with a 5 percent reduction in average in-house humidity at the expense of a 3F increase in average summer temperature within the house. Stimulating feed, and water intake contributed to enhanced growth providing the grower with 0.16 cents per pound higher settlement value over two successive summer cycles compared to controls without Weeden Sprinklers.
The Weeden sprinkler system operated in accordance with recommended parameters in conjunction with evaporative cooling pads could enhance growth and return subject to maintaining appropriate longitudinal air movement through the house.