Down time*

[en_route]

помогите мне пожалуйста с переводом след. предложения:
"Down time, which includes the period of time
between successive flocks when no chickens are
present on the premises, has been used as a means to
reduce the level of disease organisms in poultry
farms."

вот контекст:
"Down time, which includes the period of time
between successive flocks when no chickens are
present on the premises, has been used as a means to
reduce the level of disease organisms in poultry
farms. Increasing down time, however, may be of
only limited value in reducing/ eliminating specific
diseases. As Table 1 illustrates, fragile organisms
such as M. gallisepticum or Hemophilus
paragallinarum (infectious coryza) remain viable
for approximately 3 days outside the chicken..."

спасибо заранее...

[foxtrot]

промежуточный период (период между выводками), имхо