areal . _ adk wor anced a Bent Oe sag Lay [Pourray Housing] We Need for Poultry Houses ; 8 1. To protect birds from adverse climatic conditions. 2. To ensure easy and economic operation. 5. To ensure scientific feeding in a controlled manner. 4. To facilitate pi ent i oper micro-climatic conditions in a near vicinity of, bird, 5. For effective disease control measures, 6. To ensure proper supervisicn, \eiiterent Types of Poultry Houses Required @) }+ Broder / chick house: itis used to brood and rear egg-type chicks fi age. ® 2. Grower house: It is used to Brow ege-type birds from 9 to 18 weeks ae - Brooder cum grower house: Here, the birds are reared from 0 to 1; brooding and growing period of ©88-type chicken), 4. Layer house: In which, birds over 18 weeks of age. my 'y Controlled (EC) ho _in sch away thats Optimum for the birdsPoultry Production Location 1, Poultry house should be locate , 'd away from residential and industrial area. 2. Ishould have 4 Proper road fiéititiey: Hahould have the basic amenities like water and electricity. 4. Availability of farm labourers at clatively cheaper wages. 5, Poultry house ° oultty house should be located in an elevated area and there should not be any water- logging. 6. IU should have proper ventilation, Layout of Poultry Farm A sinall size poultry farm doesn’t require any special layout as it involves construction of only one house. ‘The medium and large size farms require special considerations for placement of building in the farm premises. The basic principles to be observed for layout are as follows. 1, Layout should not allow visitors or outside vehicles near the birds. , 2. The sheds should be so located that the fresh air first passes through the brooder shed, followed by _growag-gnd laycr sheds. This prevents the spread of diseases from layer houses to brooder house, ses to brooder| 3. There should be a minimum distance of 50-100 feet between chick and grower shed and the distance between grower and layer sheds should be of minimum 300 feet. 4, The egg store room, office room and the feed store room should be located near entrance to minimize thé movement of people around the poultry sheds. 5. The disposal pit and sick room should be constructed only at the extreme end of the site. Details of Open-Sided Poultry House Construction House Orientation (Direction): The poultry house should be located in such a way that long axis is in east-west direction. This will prevent the direct sunshine over the bi n east-west direction: pronahine over.the bird Size) The size of the house depends on the type and number of birds to be reared. For example, each broiler requires one square foot of floor space, while a layer requires two square feet of floor space under deep-litter system of rearing. Length: The length of the house can be of any extent. The number of birds reared and availability of the land determines the length of poultry house. 1 i in tropical countries should have a width not more : .n sided poultry houses in tropical : ' than 3210 25 eel to allow ample ventilation and aeration at the mid-portion. Sheds wider ran tei will nat provide adequate ventilation during the hot weather If the width of the shed is Hea vis eek ridge ventilation at the middle line of the roof top with proper overhang is a rik Hot air and obnoxious gases, which are lighter than air move upward and escape through tne ventilation. In environmentally controlled poultty houses, the width of the house may be Fidge ventilation, ince the ventilation is controlled withthe help of exhaust fans. Vv ; ” : Height: The height of the sides from foundation ie the roofline should be 6 to 7 feet (eaves ¥ : fect, In-case of cage houses, the height is decided by the type of tthe centre 10 to 12 height) and a ie tier a coment 4 foundation is essential 10 prevent seepage of water into the poultry sheds,Livestock Production ‘The foundation of the house should of concrete with 1 to 1.5 feet below the surface and I to | 5 feet above the ground level, c ) Floor: The floor should be made of concrete with rat proof device spree: ‘The Noor of the house should be extended 1.5 fet outside the wall on all sides to preve snake problems. » Doors: The door must be open outside in case of deep-litter poultry ete door is preferably 6 x 2.5 fect, At the entry, a foot bath should be constructed to fill with a disit fectan, Side walls: The side wall Should be of 1-1,5 feet height, and generally at the level of bird's back height. This side walt Protects the bird during rainy days or chill climate and also provides sufficient ventilation. In case ‘of cage houses, no side wall is needed. Roof: The roof of the poultry house may be thatched, tiled, asbestos or concrete one upon the cost involvement. Different types of roofs are Shed, Gable, half-monitor, full- monitor (Monitor), Flat |. Gothic ete. Gable type is mostly seen in tropical ‘countries like India (Fig. 15,3), etPoultry Production 3. Intensive (® Deep-litter system (i) Slatted oor system (iid) Slat cum litter system (iv) Cage system Free-range system: : This syst ene inet desired stocking density 'ystem is adopted only when adequate land is available to ensure : sity by avoiding overcrowding, We can rear about 250 adult birds per eae Aree Dies shelter, greens, feed, water and shade. Foraging is the major source of fields are senecaygy nee" MMoting supported by ordinary poles usually provides shelter. The Feld ta gee used on rotational basis after harvesting of crops by moving of birds from one field to another depending on cropping programme, All categories of birds can be reared in this system. This system is most preferred for organic egg production. ____ Advantages Disadvantages Less capital inv stment The scientific management practices cannot be adopted Cost of housing is least Eggs are lost when laid inside the dense grasses unless special nests are provided Feed requirements are less since birds can | Losses due to predatory animals are more consume fairly good amount of feed from grassland Fertility of soil can be maintained Wild birds may bring diseases unless proper care is taken Semi-intensive system: As the name indicates birds are half-way reared in houses and half- way on ground or range, i, birds are confined to houses in night Or as per need and they are also given access to runs. The houses are with solid floors while runs are fields only, The success of rearing depends on maintenance of condition of runs to reduce the contamination, Runs can also be used on tum basis. The stocking density rate on an average for adult birds is 750 per hectare. This system is usually adopted for duck rearing. The feeding and watering facilities are provided in the pen. Advantages Disadvantages More economical use of land compared to | High cost for fencing. free range system Protection of birds from extreme climatic | Need for routine cleaning and removal of litter conditions material from the pen Control over scientific operation is some : extent possible E system: Birds are totally confined to houses either on ground / floor or on wire- ‘ se ges or on slats, It is the most efficient, convenient and economical system for es, etn eT ceaiiiicn wth bags Vincbers. modern poultry :, Petfone Bit natural behaviour like roosting, Spread) ] wings. scratching the floor with legs ete, ace they are not exposed 10 Outside sun}, si a ; Day-to-day management is easier |and feed source x a pt ae be oti ce is higher as din. balan avoig ‘The production performance rrcted | provided oe ae more energy is saved duc to resi nutritionally defici «: weltayg is affected. They Minimum landdis required for farming Farms can be located near market area movements hh shud Scientific management practices like | Chances for spreading of diseases are more cientific manage! 5 breeding, feeding, medication, culling etc. can be applied easily and accurately The sick birds can be detected, isolated and treated easily Deep Litter System In this system the birds are kept inside the house all the time, Arrangement for feed, ‘Water and est are made inside the house. The birds are kept on suitable litter material of about 3” to $" depth. The word fitter is used for fresh litter material spread on the floor. Usually paddy husk, saw dust, ground nut hulls, chopped paddy straw or wood shavings are used as litter ‘materials. This arrangement saves labour involved in frequent cleaning of faecal matter (droppings), however it needs periodical s The litter is spread on the floor in layers of 2” height every fortnightly till the requited is achieved. Advantages Disadvantages Vit. B, and Vit B,, are made available to Because of the direct contact between bird and birds from the litter material by the bacterial | liter, bacterial and parasitic disease may be a action Problem The welfare of birds is maintained to some Respiratory problems may emerge due to dust extend from the litter The deep liter manure Be wehubtentlize | Thegasuor her is an additional expenditure n production cost Faults in Ventilation can have more serious consequences than in the a Lesser nuisance from fics when compared to cage systemPoultry Production 651 put into the house init 8”-12" is reached. pees as this breaks down, more quantity is added til] a depth of about removed! The liter should tho re litter material the caked up and wet litter material i 4 be racker and allow it to dry. roughly be racked to break the clumps! with the help of the litter At the beginnii a to poor ventilation? the titer contains only 12% moisture. If the moisture level exceeds 30% due function efficiently: Thos hoy, Ot ittegular stirring or damp floor, the litter will cease to 30% moisture level of the ye ets the manure digesting bacteria can be active only within at their claw tips. Ball form, = Some time many birds will bear “balls” made of litter materials important role in proviaon ia sign of bad liter management, Buil-up litter has a very increased to 10”-12” while warmth to the birds in winter. In winter the litter depth can be le in summer it may be reduced to 2.5”-4” Recycling of Nutrients i ‘ a synthent or Rutrients in Deep-litter System: The dropping from chicken when mixed with sizes Riboflavin (Vitamin B3) and Vitamin By by the chemical and bacterial actions The built-up litter also- Contains ape cpeeeop eS So Pp litter also contains niacin, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium. Deep litter bird often pe eats a small quantity of mi a 1 pecks andeatsa ° ep i Small quantity of litter material which contains above This phenomenon is known as recycling. Even if the poultry feed is slightly deficient in some of the nutrients, the deep litter birds will not show any deficiency symptoms due the recycling of nutrients. In cage rearing the recycling of nutrients is completely absent. So, all the nutrients including calcium, phosphorus and sodium must be balanced meticulously in poultry ration. Qualities of good litter material 1. It should absorb moisture from droppings quickly. It should release moisture and dries up rapidly. It should have least tendency to form cakes. It should be free from mould growth It should be free from sharp objects and other objectionable materials. It should be non-toxic, inert and compressible. Ttshould possess good insulating properties and protect chicks from extremes of climate, It should be cheap and locally available. it should be biodegradable, supply some nutrients to the birds and form a good quality manure later. 10. It should have medium particle size, soft and light in weight. Quality of a litter material is tested by picking hand full of litter material and presses it tightly. A good litter materia is the one which breaks up when hand is open and the litter materia veiix snore wikia hela te hand. Too much dried litter material causes dustiness in the farm. Slatted (Slotted) Floor System % a gia aes 798 oF wi Tapert re sede ose, utualy 2 tose eo filet fall of droppings through slats. Wooden reapers or iron rods of 2” ground Seve Tengthwise of the house with interspaces of 1” between rods. diameter we yp a eSLivestock Production Managemen, te ne ere ‘Advantages ae [Higher initial cost than conventional'solid Less floor space per' Bird is needed when Higher ini SI | floors iz compared to solid floor system | ess flexibility in the use of the building Bedding is eliminated Spilled feed is lost through the slots Manure handling is avoided A | More fly problem Increased sanitation Saving in labour Soil borne infection is controlled Slat (Slot) Cum Litter System r ; This system is commonly practiced for rearing birds for hatching eggs production, Particularly meat-type breeders. Here, a part of the floor area is covered with slats. Usually, 60% Of the floor area is covered with slats and rest with litter. Feeders and waterers are arranged in both slat and liter area, In case of breeder flock, nest boxes are usually kept on litter area, Advantages Disadvantages More eggs can be produced Per unit of floor | Housing investment is higher with the slat cum space than all solid floors litter house than with the all-litter house Fertility is better with the slat cum liter house | The Separation of birds from the manure than with the all-slat house beneath the slats commonly results in fly problems. High initial investment cost Handling of manu;Poultry Production 653 Clean eggs ‘ vi like ee In case of broilers, incidence of breast blisters tees TIKe- Tewea eon scated pect: Itpes of stair-step layer cages are commonty used in ope Layer cage: Two ty| $ C- TRIPLE DECK STAIR STEP csPoultry Producti luction 655 (a) Conventional cages (Fig, 15.5) EGG TRAY FEED TROUGH FIG. 15.5: Conventional Layer Cage Specifications for each box: Front feeding length: 15 inch Front height : 18 inch Back height 115 inch Depth 18 inch Reverse cages Specifications for each box: Front feeding length = 18 inch Front height 218 inch Back height : 15 inch Depth 3 inch “These cages can hold 3 to 4 birds. They are arranged either in 2-tier or 3-tier. A stope of 1/6 is provided in conventional cages, where as in reverse cages the slope is 1/5. Advantages of reverse cages over conventional cages 1. More feeding space is available in reverse cages. So, all 4 birds can take feed at a time, wihere as in conventional cages, 3 birds can take feed and the other one is waiting at the back. 2. Number of cracked eggs is less due to lesser rolling distance. 3, Better ventilation in reverse cages than conventional cages. Elevated cage layer house 6-7 feet using concrete pillars raise the height of the shed. The distance between two pillars is 10 feet. Three feet wide concrete platforms are made over the pillars. When 3 “M’ type cages are 4 platforms are needed. In case of 2 “M’ and 2 ‘L’ type cages are arranged 3 platforms = ‘When constructing platforms projecting angles or iron rods © be provided to fix the needed er plarform distance is 6-7 feet depending upon the typeof te eases used The total‘Table 15.12 Floor space requirement per bird Floor space pi er 5S. No. (Age weeks) Light breeds 1 Oto8 700 minimum . 9to 12 950 minimum 2 13 to 20 1900 minimum Fe 21 and above 2300 to 2800 Table 15.13 Feeder space requirement per bird S.No. ne Age (weeks) 0t02 ( 3106 2s Tto 12 ¥ 13 and above (Fens Table 15.14 Amount of water Tequired and wa 3 Spa CePOULTRY HOUSE EQUIPMENT The poultry hou: a codTeneriea pute should be equipped with roosts, nests, feed hoppers, water containers truction, cheap, movable sential for satisfactory production. It should be simple in cons- Perches or roca, veies £asily cleaned and disinfected whenever necessary. catering ton osts. Chickens Start roosting when they are eight weeks old. Apart from cohee ty i ie natural instinct or desire of the chickens to get above the ground at night, SoM * ‘lp materially to keep. the bird’s feet and plumage clean. z lake Perches from long wooden bars of two square inches rounded at the top and flat at the bottom. Fix.these perches about 16 inches above the ground and near about the walls in such a way that they can be removed for disinfection. Give at least a 12-inch space between two perches. Each bird will need about 8 inches of the perch to roost. The rear perches should rest a little higher than those at the front, if they are arranged to be horizontal with the length of the house. This will encourage some of the birds that like to roost high to go to the back perches. Paint the perches occasionally with creosote to prevent insects. : A Nest boxes. Each pen of laying birds should be provided with nest boxes for laying eggs. It should be roomy, movable, cool and well ventilated, dark and conveniently located, Nests are usually constructed 14 inches square, 6 inches deep and with about 15 inches head room. 0 wood nests because of easy cleaning and less chance of be. F i S i ike excellent boxes. On it should i .d with mites. Empty kerosene tins make nest shoul Sate every 5 or Ghens. Dark nest are desirable because they result in less be ayy in thenest, less eF2 breakage and less egg eating. A wooden packing case 18 inches scratching 4 t can be a suitable nest. Place some Sets s ‘wide mouthed earthen pot sand or soft hay or straw inside. are also placed inside a run but in that case care should be taken to Nests sometimes by covering the top of the run with wire netting. prevent crows, ae ys t is provided with a trap door so that when the poultryman releases 2 Fach ni identify her and mark her leg-band number on the egg, There the hen from the nest he can All metal nests are preferred t,om regular nests in that they ar 888 iffer thould be one nest for every 3 or 4 birds. TraPBcst 0 vonen they enter. rds shut themse’ raced 18 to 20 inches above the , 4 hoppers are that they (1) a provided with trap doors by which bi For convenience of the caretaker, the nes f isfacto i sof satistt feed and from roost) IMB Oy Feed hoppers. The essential feature: . wastage of feed, (2) prevent the birds from getting their ts should be Pl: ry fee feet into the LINEAR CHICK FEEDER. (wits OPENINGS FOR HEAD SPACE) aNGiNG on 1, FUBE FeLoER HANGING Fe FEDER wy TH WIRE Gat me Ansustat BLE FEEDER Wit Wane RE GAIL 1 OF Fig.isis ~ Types of Fe s eders889 the hopper, 3) are e te hopper, *8Y 10 clean, and (4) mate it easy for the birds toeat from the bottom Troughs, pots 4 ve and size of the bird’ Pans used for feedi ome Of the designs ag shouldbe, of suitable size dependi are shown in the diagram (Fig 15.15). = ® ample supply of water should be made available at all times, OF ¢88 Watering devices, Water trough with wire grill and Bowl waterer Earthen Pot and Bowl linear water trough with float valve n Fig-1516. Types of Waterers.890 production is liable (0 be affected. The water container auld in summer, and be easily cleaned because contaminated wate! from bird to bird. needs can be had, Some ofthe designs A wide variety of watering utensils satisfying the above are shown in the diagram (Fig.15.16). Grit and shell container. Ordinary hoppers made either 0} oyster shells or other grit, Tt is advantageous to have the sourc mation near the feed hopper. 7 i Dest bath iAn deh: pot ora whole in the ground, 2’ in dlametet, oe een ary, clean, shifted earth or ashes and placed in the shed on the eastside. The container shou be ‘continually refiled, Flowers of sulphur should be added to the ashes, als ry coarse tobacco leaves. Coal ashes or co.vdung cake ashes may be used alternatively. fi ter, Kept coo} contain clean water, kept nds to spread certain diseases f wood or metal can be used for c of calcium for egg shell for.