Application of UTI to assess broiler thermal comfort

Broiler poultry farming in Brazil has constantly invested in technological innovations allowing for new concepts in broiler production systems. These advances are due to the characterisation of its climate and open poultry house typologies which have always placed Brazil in a beneficial circumstance highlighted by the results in terms of performance and bird welfare. Thermal comfort is a fundamental element in guaranteeing good environmental conditions and there should be concern about the choice of materials when designing poultry facilities in order to minimise factors that could interfere with broiler performance as well as identifying strategies and alternatives that are viable in the region under study.