NEW LPG BURNER PROVIDES ALTERNATIVE TO CHEMICALS FOR POULTRY FARMERS
Two companies active in the agricultural market have joined forces to develop an innovative chemical-free solution to fighting poultry house diseases.
Thermoweed aims to provide environmentally sound and economically viable chemical alternatives for the farming community. Together with Calor, the UK’s leading LPG supplier, Thermoweed offers an effective yet simple solution to fight poultry pathogens.
Thermoweed’s Richard Pearson says: “Poultry farmers are under increasing pressure environmentally to reduce chemical usage, but solutions must always weigh up financially. However, we believe we have developed a feasible solution to the particular issue of eliminating disease in poultry sheds.”
The Thermoweed poultry floor burner was developed following a specific customer request for a chemical free solution to combating pathogens and disease. The company was approached by Martyn Scott of Agriwash, a contract cleaning company working with many of the major growers, as well as other smaller companies.
Martyn explains: “It is vital that poultry sheds are thoroughly cleaned and all diseases and pathogens eradicated. However, I have always been wary of some of the chemicals used by the industry for this purpose.
“Having met Richard Pearson at a farm show, I approached the subject of developing an alternative machine that would both comply with Health and Safety standards whilst being easy to operate and transport.
“We work with a lot of different growers, but the cleaning procedure is always the same. After removing the litter and washing down we take the tractor mounted burner inside the shed and, at a walking pace, slowly burn the whole of the floor.
“We use two 47kg Calor LPG cylinders offering coverage of up to 60,000 square foot. An additional hand lance supplied with the machine means that the operator can get into corners and around the bottom of roof supports.
“The feedback has been remarkable. We have worked with growers with bad cases of coccidiosis in their sheds, but after cleaning them out using the burner, there have been no subsequent cases. Some growers have totally ceased using chemicals all together due to the success of the application.”
Whilst being effective and easy to operate, the Thermoweed burner also offers cost benefits compared to chemical applications “For a shed measuring 100,000 square feet the cost of LPG to power the burner is around £150. Compared to chemical costs of up to £500,” explains Richard.
The burner also offers an added benefit of warming the shed prior to restocking, as Martyn describes: “In one case we recorded a temperature of just 8 degrees prior to cleaning, and after we had used the burner, the temperature had risen to 30 degrees.”
Agriwash initially took delivery of one burner in March 2009 and has been so pleased with its success has since taken delivery of two more.
Calor’s Kevin Houlden says the product is certain to be a success for poultry farmers. “Thermoweed has developed a product that is not only easy to use, but is very effective at eliminating pathogens. Martyn has seen positive results since using the new burners, in particular in the fight against coccidiosis. Poultry farmers of all sizes can benefit from the burner as it measures just six foot wide and can be operated by just one person.”
Manufactured to bespoke customer specifications, the burners are available from Thermoweed. For more information contact Richard Pearson 07769 655564 richard@thermoweed.com or contact Calor at commercial@calor.co.uk or call 0800 216 659.
Two companies active in the agricultural market have joined forces to develop an innovative chemical-free solution to fighting poultry house diseases.
Thermoweed aims to provide environmentally sound and economically viable chemical alternatives for the farming community. Together with Calor, the UK’s leading LPG supplier, Thermoweed offers an effective yet simple solution to fight poultry pathogens.
Thermoweed’s Richard Pearson says: “Poultry farmers are under increasing pressure environmentally to reduce chemical usage, but solutions must always weigh up financially. However, we believe we have developed a feasible solution to the particular issue of eliminating disease in poultry sheds.”
The Thermoweed poultry floor burner was developed following a specific customer request for a chemical free solution to combating pathogens and disease. The company was approached by Martyn Scott of Agriwash, a contract cleaning company working with many of the major growers, as well as other smaller companies.
Martyn explains: “It is vital that poultry sheds are thoroughly cleaned and all diseases and pathogens eradicated. However, I have always been wary of some of the chemicals used by the industry for this purpose.
“Having met Richard Pearson at a farm show, I approached the subject of developing an alternative machine that would both comply with Health and Safety standards whilst being easy to operate and transport.
“We work with a lot of different growers, but the cleaning procedure is always the same. After removing the litter and washing down we take the tractor mounted burner inside the shed and, at a walking pace, slowly burn the whole of the floor.
“We use two 47kg Calor LPG cylinders offering coverage of up to 60,000 square foot. An additional hand lance supplied with the machine means that the operator can get into corners and around the bottom of roof supports.
“The feedback has been remarkable. We have worked with growers with bad cases of coccidiosis in their sheds, but after cleaning them out using the burner, there have been no subsequent cases. Some growers have totally ceased using chemicals all together due to the success of the application.”
Whilst being effective and easy to operate, the Thermoweed burner also offers cost benefits compared to chemical applications “For a shed measuring 100,000 square feet the cost of LPG to power the burner is around £150. Compared to chemical costs of up to £500,” explains Richard.
The burner also offers an added benefit of warming the shed prior to restocking, as Martyn describes: “In one case we recorded a temperature of just 8 degrees prior to cleaning, and after we had used the burner, the temperature had risen to 30 degrees.”
Agriwash initially took delivery of one burner in March 2009 and has been so pleased with its success has since taken delivery of two more.
Calor’s Kevin Houlden says the product is certain to be a success for poultry farmers. “Thermoweed has developed a product that is not only easy to use, but is very effective at eliminating pathogens. Martyn has seen positive results since using the new burners, in particular in the fight against coccidiosis. Poultry farmers of all sizes can benefit from the burner as it measures just six foot wide and can be operated by just one person.”
Manufactured to bespoke customer specifications, the burners are available from Thermoweed. For more information contact Richard Pearson 07769 655564 richard@thermoweed.com or contact Calor at commercial@calor.co.uk or call 0800 216 659.
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