When temperatures in a hatchery at duck producer Cherry Valley peaked at 35°C last summer, the company looked for a cost effective and ecologically friendly way of providing the staff and chicks with a cooler environment. The solution was a Breezair evaporative air cooling system from Seeley International.
At Cherry Valley, eggs from breeder farms are received in a reception area where they are graded before being stored in a chiller room. The eggs are then incubated. After 23 days the eggs are checked for condition and any infertile eggs removed. They are then transferred to a hatcher for three to four days. Finally the hatched chicks are taken into a take-off room where they are removed from their shells.
Prior to the installation of the Breezair cooler, staff found working in the take-off room extremely uncomfortable in summer. This was made worse by the heat from the hatchery machinery. Cherry Valley decided to trial a Breezair cooler. It was installed on the outside of the hatchery and ducted into the take-off room where vents were strategically placed to provide spot cooling.
The hatchery has since installed two further Breezair coolers - one in the transfer room and the other in the reception area. They have reduced summer temperatures by 8-10°C and have speeded up extraction of hot, stale air from the building.
Contact: Seeley International (Europe) Tel: 0845 868 2017