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Poultry house orientation is a fundamental design parameter that directly affects thermal comfort, ventilation efficiency, and broiler performance. In commercial poultry production systems, improper building orientation can significantly increase solar heat gain and raise the risk of heat stress, especially in hot climate regions.

An east–west oriented poultry house is typically more exposed to direct solar radiation on its long sidewalls, particularly during afternoon hours when external temperatures are highest. This results in higher cumulative heat load inside the structure, increasing the demand on ventilation and cooling systems. Under field operation conditions, this layout can contribute to unstable internal temperatures and reduced environmental control efficiency if shading systems are not properly implemented.

In contrast, a north–south orientation distributes solar exposure more evenly throughout the day. This reduces prolonged heat accumulation on a single wall surface and helps maintain more stable internal thermal conditions. As a result, ventilation systems operate more efficiently, and overall temperature fluctuations inside the poultry house are reduced.

Quantitative field-based evaluations indicate that a properly designed north–south oriented poultry house, combined with shading and insulation measures, can reduce solar heat gain by approximately 15–30% compared to poorly protected east–west layouts. This improvement contributes to better feed intake stability, reduced heat stress incidence, and improved flock uniformity.

Additional design factors such as roof insulation, sidewall height, overhang structure, and fan placement further influence overall thermal performance. Therefore, poultry house orientation should be considered as part of an integrated environmental control system rather than a standalone design decision.