This work aimed to evaluate the energy balance in broiler house. It was studied eight broiler flocks in a commercial broiler house in Sertanejo Poultry Industry (Sertãozinho - SP, Brazil). It was quantified the caloric power of each component that involves the production process (direct and indirect, in and out), that was used in the calculation of the energetic efficiency coefficient. The food consumption (kg), broiler live weight (kg), dead birds/refused (kg), poultry litter production (kg), water (L), liquefied petroleum gas (kg), electric energy (kWh), fuel (L), machinery and implements (hours) and installation and equipments (m² and hours) were evaluated. The energy flow obtained by energetic balance showed that the activity presented high energy consumption, with 28% of energetic efficiency. From the direct energy input in the system, 10.2% concerned to the shaving wood, 0.3% to the birds, 86.5% to the diet, 0.8% to the electricity and 2.1% to the LPG. About the output energy, 46.7% could return to the system in the biogas form, generated from the anaerobic digestion of poultry litter.
biogas; energy flow; energetic efficiency
