2026 Cold Weather Poultry House Management Workshop

About this event

This event has sold out – please contact Jenna Adair below to be placed on our waitlist.

This training program is designed for anyone who wants to learn more about poultry house environmental control during cold weather. Winter brings some of the toughest challenges in poultry house management – growers must balance adequate fresh-air exchange – for air quality, bird health, performance, and welfare – against rising heating costs. Getting this balance wrong can mean higher fuel bills, poor air quality, wet litter, and reduced flock performance. Through a combination of classroom lectures and hands-on group exercises, attendees will work through real-world design and troubleshooting scenarios covering house tightness, minimum ventilation rates, heating system sizing, and air inlet management. Participants will leave with practical, working knowledge they can apply immediately to keep their houses tight, warm, and properly ventilated all winter long without excessive heating costs.

Topics:

• The importance of temperature management during cold weather

• Factors affecting broiler house heating system requirements

• Poultry house system design exercise

• Insulating poultry house

• The effect of poultry house tightness on heating costs and minimum ventilation system performance

• Maximizing poultry house tightness

• Poultry house tightness exercise

• Air quality and bird health

• Determine minimum ventilation rates

• Minimum ventilation exercise

• Between flock litter management

• Negative pressure ventilation principles

• The science behind litter amendments

• Negative pressure ventilation air inlets and exhaust fans

• Circulation fan systems

• Poultry litter drying exercise

• Most common ventilation/heating equipment installation problems

• Basic air inlet management

• How lighting programs affect bird health

• Poultry house heating systems

• Attic inlets

• Poultry house environmental assessment tools

• Poultry house operation tips

Presenters:

• Mr. Michael Czarick – UGA Poultry Science

• Dr. Brian Fairchild – UGA Poultry Science

• Mr. Jack Ellison – Eagan Manufacturing

• Dr. Maurice Raccoursier Frost – UGA PDRC

• Dr. Connie Mou – Poultry Guard

• Mr. Brantley Porter – Porter Insulation

Dates:

The workshop will begin at 7:30 AM on November 3 and will conclude at 11:30 AM on the 5th.

Registration:

The registration fee of $575 ($475 in-state) includes continental breakfast, lunch and dinner meals, refreshments, notebooks and other materials. To register for the 2026 Cold Weather Poultry House Management Workshop go to Poultryventilation.com and click on the Events tab. Registration is limited to 100 participants so please register soon.

Location:

Flinchums’s Phoenix – 650 Phoenix Rd, Athens, GA 30605

Lodging:

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Springhill Suites Athens West. 3500 Daniels Bridge Road Athens, GA 30606. (706) 353-8484. Room rate is $154. Website: marriott.com/ahnsh. Use group code is AS4816FE24 . By phone (706) 353-8484) ask for “Cold Weather Conference” rate. Register by October 3rd.

Questions, Sponsorship, and waitlist

If you have any questions, join the waitlist, or would like to be a sponsor please contact:

• jenna.adair@uga.edu

• (706) 542-1325

From UGA Department of Poultry Science