Improving bird health, reducing the impact on both the wallet and the ecological footprint by saving up to 60 percent of energy and decreasing dust and odour emissions for the neighbours’ benefit: with the Earny heat exchanger, Big Dutchman has been able to fulfil this wish of many broiler producers for the past ten years. The German poultry equipment supplier now presents a new model of this successful system, including a number of new features. Outstanding: when considering the German carbon tax, in effect since 2021, the amortisation period of Earny 2 is one whole year shorter than that of the previous model.
More than 500 units are currently in use, turning the product into a story of success. “In the beginning, we believed that we were working in a niche,” reports development engineer Axel Schulz. “But the benefits for both birds and production very soon indicated that we had underestimated Earny’s potential.”
Ten years later, a new model is available, which incorporates many improvements based on field experience. “From the outside, the modifications are not immediately visible,” explains product manager Vanja Cobec. This changes when taking a look at the inside.
“We were able to increase the performance of Earny 2 by around 20 percent due to optimised aerodynamic properties,” says Axel Schulz, clearly happy with this result. “We also enhanced a number of other details, making maintenance of a product that was already nearly fully automatic even easier.” Additionally, helpful options such as a hot-water heater battery are now available. This battery heats up the warmed fresh air even further on very cold winter days, increasing the birds’ comfort.
Broiler production with added values
With reference to air cleaning, Earny 2 comes with added values. When applying for the permit for a new barn, the heat exchanger may tip the scales: since dust is filtered from the exhaust air when it flows through the heat exchanger, the air quality clearly improves – also regarding ammonia and odour emissions.
Customers moreover appreciate the added value regarding bird health. “If you have a heat exchanger installed, you will ventilate more, with warmed and dry air,” explains Cobec. This reduces moist litter, guarantees low CO2 and NH3 values – and improves foot pad health. Earny 2 thus directly influences feed conversion.
“In Germany, we have customers who save up to €9,000 in annual gas costs for a barn with 40,000 broilers. The improved feed conversion rate saves another €9,000,” the product manager sums up.
How Earny 2 works
The general principle of operation is quite simple. Dust is filtered from the barn’s warm exhaust air, and the air then flows into a heat exchanger element made of aluminium. Using the cross-flow principle and without any mixing or an additional energy source, the exchanger element heats the incoming fresh air. Whether the barn is new or has been renovated is irrelevant because Earny comes as a stand-alone unit that is ready to be connected.
Video: Earny 2 also looks good in moving pictures.