Farm Buildings
Ventilation –
The natural way
Clean air in, stale air out
» » WHEN WE TALK ABOUT VENTILATION,
what does that actually mean? It is not
simply the volume of air in a building, it is
actually the rate of air exchange.
But let’s go go back to the beginning,
and to do so we have to look at
what animals do when exposed to
nature and consider their rate of
survival when left to the elements.
Some modern breeds would find it
very difficult to live outside all year
and cope with the vagaries of our
weather systems.
Animals out in the open will always
look for nature’s shelters, just as humans
must do in order to survive. We will always
look for simple shelter wherever it can be
found. Water, shelter from the elements
and food are indeed, the main priorities
for survival.
On a blustery, wet day, it is unlikely
that you would choose to stand talking to
someone in the middle of your farmyard.
You are much more likely going to move
and stand around the corner of a building
to shelter from the wind and rain, of
course.
94 Autumn 2017 www.farmers-mart.co.uk
SHELTER & SHADE
Similarly, when the sun is on full power, it is
important to find shade. Animals in the natural
environment always try to find shelter in the
most basic form, whether from sun, rain or
winds. They use hedges, walls and natural
hollows to get out of or reduce the impact of
the winds. They use trees for shade. So, taking
a leaf from nature, when we look at buildings
we need to stick to the basic principles of
nature. All animals want shelter from the wind
and rain, shade from the sun and plenty of
fresh air. Air movements ideally should be
above animal height so as not to create a draft.
There are very few days in a year that we, as
humans, are glad of a small breeze.
We are much more likely to be concerned
about the chilling effect of the wind and say
it would be better if the wind dropped, and
animals are no different - they need shelter
from those draughty chilling winds as well.
All animals need a shelter wall to be able to
lie behind with a decent air gap above for air
to pass over. Depending on the height of the
wall, the gap above may need some wind
break material above it to break wind speed
on bad days.