Thermal comfort in reduced models of broilers' houses, under different types of roofing materials

The research was developed to evaluate the use of different types of roofing materials regularly used in poultry houses. Measurements of thermal comfort were made through the use of techniques such as the Black Globe and Humidity Index (BGHI), the Thermal Heat Load (THL) and Enthalpy (H). Conducted in the State University of Goiás, during the months of April and May, 2011, the experiment was composed of five different treatments: AC - Asbestos cement tiles, BA -Bamboo tiles, BAP - Bamboo tiles painted in white, FB -Vegetable fiber tiles and bitumen, FBP -Vegetable fiber tiles and bitumen painted in white. The experiment consisted in 15 repetitions, which were considered the different days of measurements taken. Throughout the studied period, the time of the day considered the least comfortable was the one observed at 2:00pm, and the coverage of vegetable fiber and bitumen showed the highest value of BGHI (84.1) when compared to other types of coverage, characterizing a situation of lower thermal comfort, and no difference was found for THL and H on treatments in the studied region.

Evaluation of roof slope and exposure with different roofing materials in reduced models of animal production facilities in spring and summer

The present study was conducted at the Department of Rural Engineering and the Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology of FCAV/Unesp, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil. The objective was to verify the influence of roof slope, exposure and roofing material on the internal temperature of reduced models of animal production facilities. For the development of the research, 48 reduced and dissemble models with dimensions 1.00 × 1.00 × 0.50 m were used. The roof was shed-type, and the models faced to the North or South directions, with 24 models for each side of exposure. Ceramic, galvanized-steel and fibro tiles were used to build the roofs. Slopes varied between 20, 30, 40 and 50% for the ceramic tile and 10, 30, 40 and 50% for the other two. Inside the models, temperature readings were performed at every hour, for 12 months. The results were evaluated in a general linear model in a nested 3 × 4 × 2 factorial arrangement, in which the effects of roofing material and exposure were nested on the factor Slope. Means were compared by the Tukey test at 5% of probability. After analyzing the data, we observed that with the increase in the slope and exposure to the South, there was a drop in the internal temperature within the model at the geographic coordinates of Jaboticabal city (SP/Brazil).

Environment in poultry production covered with thermal and aluminum roofing tiles

Brazil is a country of tropical climate, a fact that hinders the poultry production in the aspect of thermal comfort. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the thermal environment in commercial poultry houses with different covers during the months of December 2012 to May 2013, in the municipality of Rio Verde, Goiás. The experimental design was completely randomized in split plots with factorial arrangement of treatments 2x3, being two shed models (thermal and aluminum roof tiles) and three sections within each shed (initial, central and final) for 182 days, having the days as replicates. The thermal environment was assessed through thermal comfort indices: Temperature and Humidity Index, Black Globe Temperature and Humidity Index, Radiant Heat Load and Enthalpy. The data was analyzed by SISVAR 5.1., through the analysis of variance, the Scott Knott test used to compare the means, considering a significance level of 1%. The results showed a significant statistical difference between the sheds and the points assessed (P < 0.05). The thermal shed had the lowest values for the environmental variables (Dbt and Bgt) and thermal indices studied, but larger values for the RH compared to the shed with aluminum covering. The use of thermal covers minimizes the difference in temperature range throughout various times of the day, being at 14:00 o'clock the prominence time to others.

Internal ambience of beehives Apis mellifera with different colors and roofing materials in the sub middle of the São Francisco Valley

ABSTRACTThe current study aimed to evaluate the influence of three colors and two types of roofing materials under the internal temperature of bee colonies Apis mellifera. The experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Sciences Campus at the Federal University of Sao Francisco Valley located in Petrolina-PE, in November and December 2013, using 24 colonies housed in Langstroth hives. The experiment was a completely randomized factorial design (3x2) with three colors of box (blue, white, and traditional) and two types of cover (with and without the use of plaster) with six treatments and four replications. The internal temperature dates of the colonies were hourly recorded, during 24 hours, and surface temperatures were hourly recorded between 08h00 and 17h00. The highest values for surface and internal temperature were registered in the blue painted boxes without the use of plasterboard, and the blue painted boxes covered with plasterboard respectively. However, the lowest values ​​were found in the white painted hives and hives that have not received the plasterboard. It is recommended to paint boxes with bright colors, and the use of plasterboard had no effect in reducing the internal temperature.

Control of parasitic infections among school children in the peri-urban area of Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil

Tide prevalence of intestinal parasitosis ivas investigated in a primaiy school located in Rubiâo Júnior, a peri-urban district of Botucatu, São Paulo slate, Brazil, in order to assess the effect of treatment and practical measures of prophylaxis in the control of parasitic infections among 7-to- 18-year-old school children of a low socio-economic status. The first series of parasitological examinations included 219 school children, ef which 123 (56.1 %) were found to be infected with one or more parasite species. Eighty- four children canying pathogenic parasites were submitted to various anti-parasitic treatment schedules. We re-evaluated 15 (89 %) students after 4 to 6 months post- chemotherapy. The results indicate that the combination of treatment with prophylactic measures has been successful in the control of parasitic infections, since reinfection rates were generally low (< 5-3 %), except for Giardia lamblia infections (18.6 %), and a marked reduction oti the prevalence rates was obsewed with a significant percentage of cure (> 73-1 %) in children infected with most parasite species. The reasons for the apparent failure in the control of infections caused by Hymenolepis nana and Strongyloides stercoralis are discussed.

Aspects of peridomiciliary ecotopes in rural areas of Northeastern Brazil associated to triatomine (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) infestation, vectors of Chagas disease

Artificial ecotopes of 121 peridomiciliary environments in four rural localities in the state of Ceará, Brazil, were studied and the type of material of the ecotopes was identified as triatomine infestation. Two thousand two hundred and four Triatoma brasiliensis Neiva, 340 Triatoma pseudomaculata Corrêa and Espínola, 121 Rhodnius nasutus Stall, and 5 Panstrongylus lutzi (Neiva and Pinto) were captured. Out of the 323 ecotopes found (X =2.0 ± 1.8 per dwelling) such as pigpens, henhouses, corrals, perches, dovecotes, piles of roofing tiles, bricks, wood, and straw 30.3% were infested by triatomines in all different developmental stages, including eggs. A substantial number of triatomines were found in perches, however the largest infestation took place in roofing materials used in the construction of goat/sheep corrals, henhouses, and pigpens, where 98% of them were captured: 1372 triatomines were located in the roofing tile covers, 285 in the straw, 187 in the perches, 77 in the coverings of roofing tiles and straw, and 13 in the straw and wood. Among all the different pile of materials, roofing tiles were the most infested (50%) followed by bricks (38.9%) and woods (36.1%). T. brasiliensis colonized mainly brick piles (chi2=16.539; p < 0.05) and roofing tiles (chi2=5,090.58; p < 0.05); T. pseudomaculata preferred wood perches (chi2= 472.39; p < 0.05) and woodpiles (chi2=126.0 p < 0.05), and R. nasutus was principally found in roofing straw (chi2=384.43; p < 0.05). These findings suggest that triatomines tend to colonize peridomiciliary ecotopes similar to their original habitats.

Closed soilless growing system for producing strawberry bare root transplants and runner tips

The objective of this work was to test a closed soilless growing system for producing bare root transplants and runner tips of two strawberry clones, using two categories of substrates. The system used corrugated roofing panels of fiber-cement, over which a substrate layer was used as a growing bed. The nutrient solution was pumped from a reservoir toward the upper end of the roofing panels and drained back to a reservoir. Plant growth and development were determined for two advanced strawberry clones, grown in sand or in Plantmax organic substrate. Growth of the stock plants and the number and dry mass of bare root transplants were similar in the substrates, but bare roots differed in their crown diameters by substrate. For number of runner tips, no significant differences were found in total, small, and medium categories in the substrates. A mean production of about 590 runner tips per square meter and 145 bare root transplants per square meter was obtained. For both clones, a large number of bare root transplants and runner tips of adequate size were produced in the closed soilless growing system using sand or organic substrate.

Thermal efficiency of individual shelters for girolando calves in brazilian semi-arid regions

ABSTRACT The objective of this research was to evaluate the thermal efficiency of roofs used on individual shelters during milk-feeding stage of Girolando calves. The research was conducted at a farm located in a dry region of Pernambuco state, Brazil. The experimental design was completely randomized, with 27 Holstein × Gir dairy crossbred calves housed in shelters with three roofing materials (fibre cement tile, recycled tile, and thatched roofs). The recycled tiles and thatched roofs provided reductions of 18.7 and 14.6% in radiant thermal load, respectively. Regardless the roofing material, all animals increased their respiratory rate to maintain thermal equilibrium.