Humidity Sensors for Animal Husbandry and Agriculture

July 14, 2026

We have already discussed the specific challenges that high humidity and conditions close to condensation pose for modern sensor technology inour previous article . There, the focus was on the challenges posed by nearly saturated air and its effects on measurement stability.

But it is not only Humidity itself that affects the reliability of sensors. Aggressive environmental conditions and contaminated air can also significantly impair service life and measurement accuracy—especially in demanding areas such as animal husbandry (e.g., poultry farming).

Back to blog

In a nutshell

In animal husbandry and agricultural settings, humidity measurement is subject to challenging conditions. In addition to high humidity, sensors are often exposed to ammonia, organic dust, aerosols, and particles. These factors can distort measurement readings, alter response times, or increase maintenance requirements.

The AFTF-45 and KFTF-45 are designed for harsh environmental conditions and provide more stable long-term measurements in polluted ambient air.

Typical benefits:

Stable readings even in high humidity and in contaminated barn air
PTFE-protected sensors for harsh environments
Suitable for barn areas, utility rooms, and air ducts
Support for Ventilation, Dehumidification, and Climate Control
Easy integration into building management systems, DDC, PLCs, or barn climate control systems

Applications in Agriculture and Animal Breeding

In animal husbandry, challenging measurement conditions arise wherever humidity, heat, organic contaminants, and ventilation come together. Particularly in barns, technical areas, and exhaust air systems, sensors are exposed not only to high humidity but also to ammonia, dust, aerosols, and organic particles from the ambient air.

Typical applications include:

Cattle, Swine, and Poultry Barns
Barn areas with high ground moisture
Equipment and Utility Rooms on Farms
Ventilation and exhaust ducts
Areas with organic dust or ammonia contamination

For operators, this means that humidity measurements must provide reliable readings even under changing barn climate conditions. Only in this way can ventilation, temperature control, and dehumidification be reliably regulated, thereby helping to maintain stable conditions for the animals, equipment, and the building itself.

Why Traditional Humidity Sensors Have Their Limits When Used in Barn Air

Conventional humidity sensors are often designed for normal indoor air. In livestock barns and agricultural environments, however, the sensor element is exposed to additional stresses. Ammonia, organic particles, dust, and moist aerosols can accumulate on surfaces and affect measurement accuracy over time.

The change is often not immediately apparent. In practice, the effects tend to be gradual: measured values respond more slowly, deviate more significantly, or can no longer be reliably reproduced. This poses a problem for control systems, because ventilation and climate control rely on reliable humidity and temperature readings.

This is exactly where the AFTF-45 and KFTF-45 come into play. The protected sensor system reduces the direct impact of harsh ambient air on the sensor element, thereby ensuring more stable measurements over longer periods of time.

Typical challenges: ammonia, dust, and high humidity

The most challenging conditions in animal husbandry result from a combination of high humidity, organic contamination, and fluctuating airflow.

Typical influencing factors include:

Ammonia pollution: Barn air may contain chemical contaminants that can affect sensor surfaces over time.
Organic dusts and particles: Feed dust, bedding, and particles from animal husbandry can settle on surfaces.
High ground moisture: Animals, bedding, cleaning, and the barn environment often lead to persistently high humidity.
Temperature fluctuations: Tag day-night cycle, ventilation, and heating systems affect humidity and temperature conditions.
Airflow: Supply and exhaust air, fans, and exhaust ducts affect the local humidity distribution.

Therefore, it is not only crucial to select a robust sensor, but also to choose the appropriate measurement location. Direct contamination, significant localized humidity spikes, or areas with poor airflow should be avoided during the planning phase.

What metrics are relevant in animal husbandry and agriculture?

Humidity and temperature are the most important basic parameters for barn climate and agricultural applications. However, the interaction of these measured values is also crucial, particularly when it comes to ventilation, heating, or dehumidification.

Key metrics include:

Relative humidity—a key control variable for barn climate and indoor air quality
Temperature – Affects Animal Welfare, Moisture Management, and Ventilation Strategy
Dew Point – Helps Assess Condensation Risks
Absolute humidity – indicates the actual water content of the air
Mixing Ratio – Helps Evaluate Ventilation and Dehumidification Processes

The AFTF-45 and KFTF-45 measure humidity and temperature and can provide additional calculated parameters for building management systems (BMS), distributed control systems (DCS), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), or barn climate control systems.

AFTF-45 or KFTF-45—which model is right for you?

Depending on the system, both surface-mounted sensors and duct sensors can be used in livestock and agricultural applications. The key factor is where the measured value is needed for control or monitoring.

AFTF-45 as a surface-mounted sensor

Wall mounting in barns, utility rooms, or auxiliary areas
Direct measurement of indoor air
Suitable for areas with humid and contaminated ambient air

The AFTF-45 is suitable for situations where humidity and temperature need to be measured directly in the room—for example, in livestock areas, utility rooms, or adjacent areas.

KFTF-45 as a duct sensor

Installation in ventilation and exhaust ducts
Measurements in Supply or Exhaust Air Ducts
Suitable for barn ventilation, exhaust systems, and central air distribution

The KFTF-45 is useful when humidity and temperature need to be measured in the air duct system, for example, to control exhaust air, supply air, or dehumidification. In larger systems, a combination of sensors may be advisable: The room sensor indicates the conditions in the barn area. The duct sensor indicates which air is being exhausted, treated, or recirculated.

Differences: AFTF-35 vs. AFTF-45

The AFTF-35 and KFTF-35 are the right choice when high humidity, humidity fluctuations, and the risk of condensation are key considerations.

AFTF-45 and KFTF-45 are useful when additional chemical or particulate contamination is present—for example, from ammonia, organic dust, aerosols, or contaminated barn air.

As a simple guide to help you decide:

Condensation and rapid changes in humidity are the main problem: Series 35
Ammonia, dust, particles, or contaminated air are the main problem: Series 45

Important: Even protected sensors are no substitute for proper planning of the measurement site. Direct contamination, prolonged exposure to moisture, or high local stress should be avoided.

Click here for our blog post on high-humidity applications (AFTF-35 / KFTF-35)

Select the right humidity sensors for animal husbandry and agriculture now

In animal husbandry and agricultural settings, high humidity, ammonia, organic dust, aerosols, and fluctuating barn climate conditions place special demands on sensor technology. The AFTF-45 and KFTF-45 are designed for harsh environmental conditions and ensure stable humidity and temperature measurements in contaminated ambient air.

For you, this means:

more reliable measurements in challenging barn and agricultural environments
a better foundation for ventilation, heating, and dehumidification
less maintenance and replacement work
Easy integration into building management systems, DDC, PLCs, or barn climate control systems
Suitable designs for in-room and duct measurements

Depending on the installation situation, choose the appropriate model: AFTF-45 for direct indoor air measurement or KFTF-45 for installation in supply and exhaust air ducts.

Discover Humidity Sensors for Animal Husbandry & Agriculture