The stocking of laying hens makes up only a small part of the entire emission of ammonia in the Federal Republic of Germany. The main problem is the spatial concentration of the housing systems and the high punctual loads. Sensitive ecological systems are disturbed by the excessive amounts of nitrogen. In order to measure nitrogen emission data from different housing systems is necessary. Deficits exist regarding suitable instrumentation structures, the selection of suitable investigation objects and with problems of interpretation of the measured data re-lating to different parameters (climate, feeding, stable management, performance, animal ma-terial, technique). Gas concentration measurement: The Fouriertransformed Infrarotspectrometer (FTIR) K300 allows the continuous monitoring of multiple components of a gas sample from the waste air of a stable. Cross influences between single gases can be excluded due to the high spectral resolution. The analysis of the stored spectra can be adapted by implementating an evaluation routine with three areas per gas, automated self-radiation correction and a base line correction into the software. This way the measurement device is adapted to the conditions of an agricultural source. Air flow rate measurement: The measurement of the waste air volume at point sources by a measurement fan works satisfactorily in practice. High temporal resolution also permits the recording of varying flow rates to a temperature-controlled stable ventilation system. A care-ful calibration with a suitable reference measuring instrument at a wind tunnel is compulsory. The Laser-Doppler-Anemometry is very suitable for this calibration due to the possibility of a measurement without direct contact. The CO2-balance permits the measurement of the middle volume stream per day as an indirect procedure for the measurement of the waste air volume stream. The application of the CO2-balance method in winter with minimum air rates leads to a false estimation. Emission rates of greenhouse gases and the environmental relevant gas ammonia: The housing systems cages cause an average NH3-Emission of 5,08 [kg (h 500 kg LM) -1 ] which results in no significant difference to the aviary system (5,76 [kg (h 500 kg LM) -1 ]). The floor system causes an average NH3-emission of merely 13,08 [kg (h 500 kg LM) -1 ]. Improvement of the process such as manure drying is supposed to be successful. The N2O emission rates from the cage and aviary system are lower than expected (0,09 re-spectively 0,08 [ g (h 500 kg LM)-1 ]. The floor system emits 0,21 [ g (h 500 kg LM) -1 ] due to anaerobic conditions in the stored excrement. Despite the noxious effect of N2O the entire mass flow of N2O caused by floor systems for laying hens can be neglected due to the small number of this system in the FRG. CH4-emissions from laying hen houses were not detected.
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The stocking of laying hens makes up only a small part of the entire emission of ammonia in the Federal Republic of Germany. The main problem is the spatial concentration of the housing systems and the high punctual loads. Sensitive ecological systems are disturbed by the excessive amounts of nitrogen. In order to measure nitrogen emission data from different housing systems is necessary. Deficits exist regarding suitable instrumentation structures, the selection of suitable investigation object...
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