The greatest heat requirement in the poultry house is the first day the chick arrives: the whole house is increased to 30 °C, the concrete floor is preheated and the minimum ventilation lets in cold air. In a 12×100 m poultry house, the floor preheating alone is 45 kW, i.e. one third of the load of the 1st day; therefore, the preheating time and the building insulation affect the boiler as much as the province. The wizard calculates these three items from the size of the house, the outside temperature of the province and the insulation; the boiler is a hot water boiler (90/70 °C, fan heaters).
Which coop wants how much heat?
| Poultry | Typical capacity | Day 1 heat load (motor) | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broiler chickens, available type | 12 × 100 m, 2.5 m wall, 16,500 chicks, Balıkesir −3 °C | 136.6 kW (117,400 kcal/h; 114 W/m²); 35th day net 77.8 kW | hot water 80–90 °C · 3 bar g steam ≈ 231 kg/h |
| Same poultry house, sandwich panel | wall 0.50 · roof 0.30 W/m²K | 112 kW (96,400 kcal/h) | hot water 80–90 °C |
| Same poultry house, preheating 48 hours | base 12 → 28 °C, 48 hours | 114 kW (98,100 kcal/h) | hot water 80–90 °C |
| Breeder / rearing cluster | 12 × 100 m, 7 birds/m² | 129.4 kW (111,300 kcal/h) | hot water 80–90 °C |
| Set of modern broilers | 15 × 120 m, 25,000 chicks | 194 kW (166,600 kcal/h; 108 W/m²) | hot water 80–90 °C |
| Integrated plant cluster | 20 × 150 m, 42,000 chicks | 305 kW (262,300 kcal/h; 102 W/m²) | hot water 80–90 °C |
| Pullet magnification set | 15 × 100 m, 20,625 chicks | 162 kW (139,700 kcal/h) | hot water 80–90 °C |
Provincial difference: the same 12×100 poultry house asks for 120 kW in Antalya (+3 °C), 137 kW in Balıkesir (−3 °C), 162 kW on the 1st day in Konya (−12 °C); however, the load of the growing flock in Konya on the 35th day is larger at 176 kW, and the boiler is selected accordingly. The increase is smaller than the temperature difference, since the base preheating does not depend on the outside air.
Example: 4 poultry houses 15 × 120 m, Balıkesir
Medium-sized broiler farm; all poultry houses receive chicks in the same week (always full – always empty order).
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Poultry | 4 each, 15 × 120 m, 2.5 m side wall |
| Chick | ≈ 25.000 / poultry house (13.9 units/m²) |
| Structure | current Turkish cluster: wall U 1.57 · roof 0.40 W/m²K |
| Day 1 | 30 °C, floor preheating 24 hours, minimum ventilation 0.08 m³/h·bird |
| Province / concurrency | Balıkesir −3 °C · %100 |
- Day 1 per house: transmission 83.7 + ventilation/leakage 42.6 + base preheating 67.5 = 194 kW (166,600 kcal/h); Day 35 net ≈ 109 kW
- 4 poultry houses 775 kW; 895 kW = 769,800 kcal/h with 5% line loss and 10% growth share
- Hot water boiler recommendation: 800,000 kcal/h, flow 90 °C, ≈ 40 m³/h circulation, ≈ 101 Sm³/h natural gas at full load
- If the houses are filling gradually (concurrency 70%), the recommendation decreases to 600,000 kcal/h
- Practical layout: two boilers (e.g. 2 × 400,000 kcal/h) and underground hot water line from the central boiler room
Poultry boiler type, temperature and pressure
In poultry house heating, the boiler is a low-pressure hot water boiler with a flow of 80–90 °C; heat is supplied to the house by fan heaters (aerotherms) or underfloor heating. In coal and biomass-burning farms, the stoker boiler provides automatic feeding. Direct combustion brooder and hot air appliances do not require a boiler, but deliver moisture, CO₂ and CO to the house; the indirect system provides better climate control (Ross 2025). The poultry house does not require steam; the slaughterhouse steam in the integrated plant is calculated separately: the chicken slaughterhouse steam requirement.
How to calculate poultry house heating?
Ground loss is taken with EN ISO 13370, ventilation on the 1st day with the Aviagen 2018 table (0.08 m³/h·bird); bird temperature is neglected on the 1st day. On the 35th day, the coop goes down to 20 °C and ventilation increases, but the sensible temperature of the birds covers most of this. If all the coops are filled in the same week, the concurrency is 100%, and the gradual filling is 60–80%. In provinces such as Konya with −12 °C and colder, the net load on the 35th day may exceed the 1st day (176 vs. 162 kW in 12×100 coops); the magician selects the boiler according to the larger of the two loads and shows both in the line note.
Use the wizard at the top of the page to calculate with your own coops; Boiler Capacity Calculator for all sectors.
The results of the wizard are predictions to give a preliminary idea; boiler selection should be finalized by on-site exploration and engineering calculation. Contact us for free pre-engineering support.