HOUSING DESIGNS AND ITS IMPACT ON MICRO CLIMATE OF CATTLE SHEDS IN CHENNAI CITY

Abstract

A study on housing designs and its effect on microenvironment were carried out in 17 randomly selected cattle sheds (owned by private milkmen) of Chennai city and its suburbs. The cow houses were classified as poor and good types based on score and values. The mean values were 46.00 and 67.71 per cent for poor and good types respectively. The poor type cow houses were located in the crowded areas of the city, with high rise walls and poor ventilation with a floor space allowance of 2.61 m2 per cow. The good type cow houses located in less crowded areas of the city and suburbs and had optimum floor space allowance of 3.84 m2 per cow. The mean air temperature and relative humidity inside the poor type houses remained significantly (P<0.01) higher than outside both in morning and evening whereas in the good type houses they remained the same. The air velocity inside poor type houses remained significantly (P<0.01) lower both in mornings and evenings than good type houses, though the air velocity outside both the housing types remained the same. The air velocity showed a significant (P<0.01) negative correlation with relative humidity indicating that the built up of humidity in poor type houses was due to poor ventilation.

Keywords

• housing designs
• microenvironment
• cattle sheds