Applying multi-criteria analysis to select the most appropriate broiler rearing environment

Abstract The present study aimed to assess the most appropriate rearing system for broiler housing in tropical regions using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The research was done using data sampling from a field study carried out in eight mechanically-ventilated commercial broiler houses. Four had positive ventilation (open-sided conventional system), and the other four had negative pressure systems, which were named according to the curtains color and light management (blue-house with blue curtains, and dark-house with black side curtains). The data from the field research (rearing dry-bulb temperature and relative humidity; ammonia and carbon dioxide concentrations; energy use; litter type and quality; and broiler performance) were organized, and the multi-criteria analysis AHP was applied. In the process, the decision-maker must define the problem and chose the criteria to evaluate the alternatives to make a suitable decision. The alternative selected needs to be according to the stakeholders’ expectations. The alternatives consisted of houses using three ventilation systems (conventional, blue-house, and dark-house). The different chosen criteria were the thermal and aerial environment, broiler productivity, energy consumption, and litter quality. We selected data collected from the field experiment and from current literature to subsidize the selection of the criteria. The computation was done using field data results, knowledge from existing literature, and the expertise of three specialists. For the first time, the AHP technique is applied to select the most suitable broiler housing, considering the complex variables involved in the process. Results indicated the conventional system as the most appropriate alternative. Results of the conventional system showed the highest scores on most criteria in the pairwise comparison. Which considered broiler performance, gasses concentration, and electricity cost, providing natural ventilation open-sided conventional house as the most appropriate rearing system for broiler production in tropical countries.