Research presented to the International Poultry Science Forum in Atlanta, Georgia, showed that by having a drop ceiling the number of fans needed to maintain the appropriate air velocity in the house could be reduced and this in turn would reduce the amount of energy needed to power them.

The research by researchers at the USDA ARS Poultry Research Unit and Mississippi State University looked at a series of permutations for fans placed in a layer house with an open ceiling with a 16ft peak and a pullet house with a flat drop ceiling. The Layer house had eight 48 inch fans and a single 36 in fan and the pullet house had six 48 inch fans.

"Modern poultry facilities rely on power ventilation to manage temperature, humidity, and air quality within the house. Variations in air flow occur naturally from friction losses along the sidewalls and obstructions, making it difficult to achieve uniform air velocities and thermal conditions within a house. Different fan staging methods were investigated to determine which progression yielded more uniform air velocity in a layer and pullet house," J.L.Purswell told the forum in his paper.

"The addition of the ceiling creates a more stable airflow across the house," he said.

"With electricity costs going up, you can get a similar performance with fewer fans in a house with a drop ceiling."

He added that the cost of installing a drop ceiling in a poultry house could be recouped within a few years on the energy savings that could be made.