Poultry Housing System

Poultry Housing – simply refers to a building for keeping poultry.

Foraging – search widely for food or provisions

Types of Poultry housing

1. Free-Range System
o Oldest system and adopted only when adequate land is available
o Rearing of poultry by letting them loose on ground (field) called
as range
o Foraging is major source of feeding for birds

2. Semi-intensive System
o Commonly used by small scale producers
o Birds are confined to houses in night or as per the need, they are
also given access to runs
o the amount of free space available is limited

3. Folding Unit System

o Moved each day over an area of grassland
o The whole area of the run is enclosed by wire nettings

4. Intensive System
o This system is the most efficient, convenient, and economical system
for modern poultry production with huge numbers
o confined to the house entirely, with no access to land outside

a. Battery System
o Most intensive type of poultry production and is useful to those with only a
small quantity of floor space
o Each hen is confined to a cage just large enough to permit very limited
movement and allow her to stand and sit comfortably
o Usual floor space is 14 x 16 inches and the height, 17 inches
o The floor is of standard strong galvanized wire set at a slope from back to front
so that eggs are laid rolled out of the cage to a receiving gutter
o Tray is situated underneath for dropping
o Food and water receptacles are outside the cage.

b. Deep Litter System

o Poultry birds are kept in large pens up to 250 birds each, on a floor covered with
litters like straw, sawdust, or leaves up to a depth of 8 – 12 inches
o Resembles to dry compost