Poultry Houses and Ammonia: Paper Test Strips

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- [Narrator] An ammonia buildup from manure in animal barns can be a big problem.

Let's look at perhaps the easiest way to measure ammonia gas levels in poultry houses and other types of barns, paper test strips.

Ammonia test paper is a simple and inexpensive method of measuring ammonia gas levels in poultry houses and is widely used for animal welfare audits.

Ammonia test strips typically measure ammonia gas concentration from zero to 100 parts per million and have a color scale that shows zero five, 10, 20, 50, and 100 parts per million.

The roll is 15 feet long, which is enough paper to perform 75 to 100 tests.

Rolls cost about 7 to $12 a piece.

So each ammonia test costs between seven and 17 cents per test, making this one of the least expensive methods of testing ammonia levels in barns.

Rolls should be stored in a cool, dry place and have a shelf life of one to two years.

Test paper comes in a portable dispenser that allows you to tear off one strip at a time.

You then moisten the strip with water and expose it to the air for 15 seconds.

After 15 seconds, compare the resulting color to the included legend.

It's easy to see color changes between zero, five, and 10 parts per million on the color scale, but it's more difficult to distinguish the color change between 10, 20, and 50 parts per million.

Comparing a test strip to a color scale can be challenging in low lighting.

So it might be a good idea to carry a flashlight if you're using these in dimly lit areas.

And test strip color may continue to change with prolonged exposure so make sure to record the reading after 15 seconds.

When in doubt, tear off a second strip and repeat the test.

They are very inexpensive.

Although ammonia is lighter than air, the ammonia level in poultry barns will typically be greater near bird level, which is especially important for floor-raised birds.

The ammonia level at higher heights off the floor may not be as great because ammonia gets diluted with fresh incoming air from the ventilation system.

The ammonia level will also be more concentrated near its source, the manure, which is important because it means floor-raised birds are exposed to higher ammonia levels than human caretakers.

As a result, ammonia should be measured at bird level to document the conditions under which they're living.

Ammonia test strips offer a simple, inexpensive method for measuring ammonia gas concentrations in animal environments.

They are inexpensive compared to other ammonia detection instruments, easy to use, and widely available.

Protect your investment by using ammonia test strips to quickly get a snapshot of ammonia levels in various locations around your barn.