Poultry House Emissions

Human activities, including modern agriculture, contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Greenhouses work by allowing solar radiation into the house, but limiting the amount of radiation that can get back out. Greenhouse gasses work the same way on a global scale by changing the makeup of the atmosphere. They are defined by their radiative forces (defined as the change in net irradiance at atmospheric boundaries between different layers of the atmosphere) which change the earth’s atmospheric energy balance. These gases can prevent heat from radiating or reflecting away from the earth and thus may result in atmospheric warming. The GHGs of particular concern in poultry production are; carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4).

Publications

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Livestock and Poultry

How Does Global Warming Relate to Poultry

Carbon Footprint of Poultry Production Farms

Practical Use and Application of the Carbon Footprint Calculation Tool

The carbon footprint is a measure of the total amount of CO2 emissions that are directly or indirectly caused by an activity or is accumulated over the life stages of a product. A carbon footprint involves not only CO2 emissions but also includes N2O and CH4 emissions which are expressed in CO2 equivalents (CO2e). It represents the GHG emissions from an activity over a period of time.

Greenhouse Gas Calculation Tool and Resources

Greenhouse Gas Calculation Tool Spreadsheet

US Poultry Environmental Programs