How to Reduce Ammonia, Odour and Dust on Pig and Poultry Farms: A Practical Guide
Simple steps to improve air quality, animal welfare and farm hygiene
Maintaining good air quality is an important part of running a successful pig or poultry farm. Ammonia, dust, damp litter and unpleasant odours can affect animals, farm workers and the surrounding environment.
For farms operating under an environmental permit, controlling these emissions is also a regulatory responsibility.
The Environment Agency’s guidance for intensive pig and poultry farms explains the measures farmers should take to prevent pollution, manage emissions and monitor environmental performance.
The good news? Many of the recommended measures start with everyday farm management: keeping housing clean and dry, maintaining ventilation, managing feed and manure carefully, and following an effective cleaning and disinfection routine.
In this guide, we explain the key points in straightforward terms and share practical ways to put them into action.
- Keep animal housing clean and dry
Moisture, manure, spilled feed and dirty surfaces can all contribute to poor air quality and unpleasant smells.
In poultry housing, wet litter can encourage ammonia release and create conditions that are less comfortable for birds. In pig housing, accumulated slurry, leaking drinkers and poorly drained floors can contribute to odour problems.
What can you do?
- Check drinkers, pipes and water systems regularly for leaks.
- Remove spilled feed before it accumulates or begins to deteriorate.
- Keep floors, pens and surrounding areas as clean as possible.
- Maintain poultry litter in a dry, loose and workable condition wherever practical.
- Repair damaged floors and drainage systems that allow water or slurry to collect.
- Remove manure regularly and keep storage areas properly managed.
- Keep animal housing clean and dry
Moisture, manure, spilled feed and dirty surfaces can all contribute to poor air quality and unpleasant smells.
In poultry housing, wet litter can encourage ammonia release and create conditions that are less comfortable for birds. In pig housing, accumulated slurry, leaking drinkers and poorly drained floors can contribute to odour problems.
What can you do?
- Check drinkers, pipes and water systems regularly for leaks.
- Remove spilled feed before it accumulates or begins to deteriorate.
- Keep floors, pens and surrounding areas as clean as possible.
- Maintain poultry litter in a dry, loose and workable condition wherever practical.
- Repair damaged floors and drainage systems that allow water or slurry to collect.
- Remove manure regularly and keep storage areas properly managed.
Explore our cleaning and disinfection products to find solutions for your farm.
Hysolv tip: Cleaning is the first step towards effective disinfection. Remove manure, litter, dust and other organic material, apply an effective alkaline foaming using the contact time recommended by the manufacturer and then rinse it off and let surfaces dry before applying a suitable disinfectant.
- Manage ventilation to control ammonia and moisture
Good ventilation does more than regulate temperature. It helps remove moisture, ammonia, dust and other unwanted gases from animal housing.
However, ventilation needs to be appropriate for the animals and the conditions. Too little ventilation can allow moisture and harmful gases to build up, while poorly managed airflow can create draughts or move dust outside the building.
What can you do?
- Check that fans, inlets and ventilation controls are working correctly.
- Adjust ventilation to suit the animals’ age, size, health and stage of production.
- Review ventilation settings as outdoor temperatures and weather conditions change.
- Investigate persistent condensation, damp litter or noticeable ammonia smells.
- Keep ventilation outlets clear of excessive dust build-up.
Remember that ventilation is only one part of the solution. It should work alongside effective litter, manure, feed and water management
- Take practical steps to reduce ammonia
Ammonia is a gas produced when nitrogen-containing waste, particularly animal urine and manure, breaks down. High levels can contribute to poor air quality and respiratory irritation.
Reducing ammonia starts with managing the sources of the problem, including wet litter, manure accumulation and unsuitable housing conditions.
What can you do?
- Keep litter as dry as practical and investigate sudden changes in moisture.
- Prevent water leaks and unnecessary wetting of manure or litter.
- Remove manure frequently and manage slurry storage carefully.
- Maintain appropriate ventilation and avoid unnecessary build-up of moisture.
- Review feed management and consider nutritional strategies that help reduce nitrogen excretion.
Support ammonia control with Alquernat Yucca
Discover Alquernat Yucca from Hysolv, a feed supplement designed to support ammonia control on pig and poultry farms.
Available as a powder premix or liquid oral solution, European trials reported reductions in on-farm ammonia of up to 85% in pigs and an average of 63% in poultry in the product information published on its website.
Reducing ammonia can be an important part of a wider strategy to improve the housing environment and support animal and worker comfort.
Results will depend on farm conditions and application. Follow the product information provided combined with recommendations from DEFRA approvals and seek advice from Hysolv about suitability and use on your farm.
- Control dust before it becomes a problem
Dust can come from feed, bedding, dried manure, litter and normal animal activity. It can affect the air inside livestock buildings and may also be carried outside through ventilation outlets.
Reducing dust involves controlling it at source rather than simply allowing it to accumulate.
What can you do?
- Store feed in covered containers or suitable silos.
- Clean up feed spills promptly.
- Use appropriate methods when handling and distributing feed and bedding.
- Remove dust deposits from ventilation outlets regularly, without releasing dust into the surrounding environment.
- Review litter quality, ventilation and humidity together.
- Consider suitable dust extraction or air-cleaning equipment where necessary.
Take care when cleaning dusty areas. Avoid blowing dust outside the building or washing it into surface water drains.
- Manage manure, slurry and drainage properly
Manure and slurry management plays a major role in controlling odour, ammonia and the risk of water pollution.
Poorly maintained drains, overflowing tanks and uncovered or unsuitable storage areas can all create environmental problems.
What can you do?
- Inspect slurry channels, drains and collection tanks for blockages.
- Empty storage tanks in good time to prevent overflows.
- Keep contaminated water separate from clean rainwater wherever possible.
- Store manure in appropriate facilities with suitable containment and drainage.
- Ensure run-off cannot enter surface water or groundwater.
- Plan manure handling and spreading to minimise odour and environmental impact.
Where manure is spread on land, follow the relevant rules and use suitable techniques to minimise emissions. These may include incorporating manure into the soil promptly where appropriate.
- Follow a proper cleaning and disinfection routine
Cleaning and disinfection are essential parts of farm biosecurity. They help reduce disease-causing microorganisms and maintain hygienic housing between production cycles.
They also support good general housekeeping by helping prevent the accumulation of organic material that can contribute to unpleasant smells.
However, disinfection alone will not solve ammonia or odour problems. It must be combined with good ventilation, dry litter, appropriate manure management and effective drainage.
A simple cleaning and disinfection process
Step 1: Remove dirt and organic material
Remove litter, manure, spilled feed, dust and other debris. Clean surfaces thoroughly before moving to the next stage.
Step 2: Wash surfaces and equipment
Use a suitable cleaning product such as Alkaliene Blue to remove remaining dirt and organic residues. Follow the product instructions and rinse where required.
Step 3: Allow surfaces to drain and dry
Remove standing water and allow surfaces to dry as appropriate for the disinfection programme.
Step 4: Apply a suitable disinfectant
Choose a product appropriate for the animal species, housing type and target microorganisms. Follow the label for dilution, application, contact time and safety precautions.
Step 5: Check the results
Where appropriate, use hygiene monitoring, such as total viable count (TVC) swabbing, to assess the effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection.
Step 6: Maintain hygiene between production cycles
Continue cleaning high-use areas, managing water systems and keeping access points and equipment hygienic.
Which Hysolv disinfectants should you consider?
Hysolv offers a range of cleaning, disinfection and water-sanitation products for livestock environments.
- Intercid – a disinfectant with applications across poultry, pig and other livestock housing, as well as animal equipment. Select the appropriate approved use and dilution for your situation.
- Interkokask Concentrate – a specialist disinfectant that has all DEFRA approvals and is proven against coccidial oocysts, cryptosporidium, bacterial spores, mycobacterium, as well as bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
- Intersteril – an option to explore for eco-friendly farm disinfection applications, including programmes where its use is recommended.
- Hysolv disinfection programmes – Speak to us about our disinfection programmes with practical guidance for cleaning and disinfecting.
The right product and dilution depend on the species, housing conditions and the problem you are addressing. Always check the current product label and instructions before use.
- Monitor emissions and keep records
For farms covered by an intensive farming environmental permit, emissions monitoring is an important part of demonstrating compliance.
The precise requirements depend on your permit and the relevant regulatory guidance. Annual monitoring or estimation requirements can apply to ammonia, dust and nitrogen and phosphorus excretion.
Even where formal monitoring requirements do not apply, keeping an eye on housing conditions can help identify problems before they become more serious.
What can you do?
- Record changes in litter moisture, ventilation performance and manure management.
- Investigate recurring ammonia smells, excessive dust or complaints about odour.
- Keep maintenance records for fans, drains, tanks and other relevant equipment.
- Follow the monitoring and reporting requirements specified in your environmental permit.
- Review your management procedures when problems recur.
If your farm is experiencing persistent emissions problems, seek appropriate technical advice rather than relying on a single product or management change.
Your practical farm checklist
Use this checklist to review the main areas that influence emissions and hygiene.
- Check fans, inlets and ventilation controls.
- Inspect drinkers and pipes for leaks.
- Keep poultry litter dry and workable where practical.
- Remove spilled feed, accumulated manure and other waste.
- Inspect slurry channels, drains and storage facilities.
- Review feed management and ammonia-control measures.
- Follow a consistent cleaning and disinfection programme.
- Investigate persistent odours, dust or dampness.
Keep records and follow permit-specific monitoring requirements.
A cleaner, healthier and more environmentally responsible farm
Reducing ammonia, odour and dust is not about relying on one solution. It is about combining good day-to-day management with suitable products, effective ventilation, careful manure handling and regular monitoring.
For pig and poultry producers, these steps can support better housing conditions, effective biosecurity and a more proactive approach to environmental management.
At Hysolv, we offer products and practical guidance to help farmers maintain hygiene and support animal health.
Looking for ways to improve ammonia control or farm disinfection?
Explore our Alquernat Yucca ammonia-control feed supplement, browse our range of farm hygiene products, or contact Hysolv for advice on choosing products for your farm.
Further reading
For the full regulatory requirements, read the Environment Agency’s official guidance:
Intensive pig and poultry farming: how to comply with your permit – Emissions and monitoring
This article is a general, simplified guide and is not a substitute for your environmental permit, the full Environment Agency guidance or professional advice. Requirements vary according to the site and its permit. Always follow current product labels, applicable authorisations and safety instructions.
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