Molhamento da carga como método de atenuação do estresse térmico durante o transporte de frangos vivos

Abstract

The load wetting is a widely practice used in poultry production during the pre-slaughter loading and carrying operations. According to most producers, the practice of wetting is a way to release the stress of the chickens and minimize production losses. Several studies developed in the ambience of the area have focused their attention on pre-slaughter fasting operations, capture, loading, transportation and waiting. The wetting, however, is only mentioned as a widespread practice and it was not found, however, any analysis that proves its benefit. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of cargo wetting to reduce thermal stress. For this aim, they were measured the temperature and the relative humidity, with the help of meteorological mini-stations (Data Logger), and it was calculated the enthalpy of Comfort Index (IEC), to characterize the environments where there were pre-slaughter operations. For the bioclimatic characterization (microclimate) of the load, it was carried out the analysis of the temperature distribution of the boxes located in the outer parts (right, left, top and back) by thermography (thermal imagers). Concerning the boxes located in the center of the load, where it was not possible to use the Imager, they were used eighteen data loggers, thus distributed in strategic boxes, as a record, at every minute, of the temperature and relative humidity for subsequent calculation of the IEC. It as also performed, with the help of geostatistical techniques (kriging maps), the spatial determination of temperature, relative humidity and IEC during observations with and without load wetting. There was also an attempt to determine the thermal sensation of the load during the trip of the chickens located on the right side, on the left side and on the top of the load, with the help of three thermoanemometers to record, at every minute, the temperature and wind speed and, to calculate the real comfort sensation, we used the equation of equivalent temperature Wind Chill. The approach of this work emphasizes the use of IEC and enthalpy tables, and the use of the t hypothesis testing to verify the claim that there would be no difference between the means of the IEC load of wet and dry cargo in the region with the worst heat dissipation situation (central row) during transport. The results have shown that the load wetting was not effective in alleviating the thermal stress during transportation. It can also be perceived that the use of thermography as a thermal diagnostic tool, as well as studies for modeling an equation that might represent the wind chill of the chickens, depending on the temperature and wind speed, is of great importance for the design of vehicles to transport live load.