- That the birds are protected from adverse climatic conditions.
- Operations are easy and economical.
- The birds are fed in a controlled manner.
- To create the required micro-climatic conditions in the near vicinity.
- Of effective disease control measures.
- Of proper supervision.
Types and uses of various poultry houses
- Brooder/chick house – It is used to brood and rear
egg-type chicks from 0 to 8 weeks of age.
- Grower house – It is used to grow egg-type birds
from 9 to 18 weeks of age.
- Brooders cum grower house – Here, the birds
are reared from 0 to 18 weeks of age (entire brooding and growing period of
egg-type chicken).
- Layer house – In which birds over 18 weeks of
age are reared, usually up to 72 weeks of age.
- Broiler house – In which broilers are reared up
to 6 weeks of age.
- Breeder house – In which both male and female
breeders are maintained at appropriate sex ratio.
- Environmentally controlled (EC)
house – In which, the entire environment is manipulated in such a
way that is optimum for the birds’ growth.
Standard poultry house dimensions
|
# of broilers |
# of layers |
Area (m2) |
Width (m) |
Length (m) |
|
500 |
250 |
50 |
5 |
10 |
|
1000 |
500 |
100 |
6 |
17 |
|
2000 |
1000 |
200 |
7 |
30 |
|
5000 |
2500 |
500 |
8 |
62.5 |
|
7500 |
3750 |
750 |
10 |
75 |
|
10000 |
5000 |
1000 |
10 |
100 |
Key considerations for a poultry house
The poultry house should be located in such a way that the long axis
is in the east-west direction. This will prevent the direct sunshine over the
birds.
Size:
Each broiler requires one square foot of floor space while a layer requires
two square feet of floor space under the deep-litter system of rearing. So the
size of the house depends on the number of birds to be reared.
Length:
The length of the house can be of any extent. The number of birds
reared and the availability of the land determines the length of the poultry
house.
Width:
The open-sided poultry houses in tropical countries should have a
width of not more than 22 to 25 feet in order to allow ample ventilation and aeration
at the mid-portion. Sheds wider than this will not provide adequate ventilation
during the hot weather. If the width of the shed is more than 25 feet, ridge
ventilation at the middle line of the rooftop with proper overhang is a must.
Hot air and obnoxious gases which are lighter than air move upward and escape
through ridge ventilation. In environmentally controlled poultry houses, the
width of the house maybe even 40 feet or more since the ventilation is
controlled with the help of exhaust fans.
Height:
The height of the sides from foundation to the roofline should be 6
to 7 feet (eaves height) and at the centre 10 to 12 feet. In the case of cage
houses, the height is decided by the type of cage arrangements (3 tier or 4
tier).
Foundation:
A good foundation is essential to prevent seepage of water into the
poultry sheds. The foundation of the house should be of concrete with 1 to 1.5
feet below the surface and 1 to 1.5 feet above the ground level.
Floor:
The floor should be made of concrete with a rat-proof device and
free from dampness. The floor of the house should be extended 1.5 feet outside
the wall on all sides to prevent rat and snake problems.
Doors:
The door must be open outside in case of deep-litter poultry houses.
The size of the door is preferably 6 x 2.5 feet. At the entry, a footbath
should be constructed to fill with a disinfectant.
Sidewalls:
The sidewall should be of 1 - 1.5 feet height, and generally at the
level of bird’s back height. This sidewall protects the bird during rainy days
or chill climate and also provides sufficient ventilation. In the case of cage
houses, no sidewall is needed.
Roof:
The roof of the poultry house may be thatched, tiled, asbestos or
concrete one depending upon the cost involvement. Different types of roofs are
Shed, Gable, half-monitor, full-monitor (Monitor), Flat concrete, Gambrel,
Gothic etc. Gable type is mostly preferred in tropical countries.
Overhang:
The overhang of the roof should not be less than 3.5 feet in order
to prevent the entry of rainwater into the shed.
Lighting:
Light should be provided at 7 - 8 feet above the ground level and must
be hanged from the ceiling. If incandescent bulbs are used, the interval
between two bulbs is 10 feet. In the case of fluorescent lights (tube lights),
the interval is 15 feet.
Tips on poultry house design
- Poultry houses with different ages of chickens should be as far apart from each other as possible to prevent transmission of disease agents. With different ages in close proximity, diseases will cycle from house to house since the area is not depopulated to ‘break the cycle’. A minimum of 30 meters between houses with different ages is suggested.
- The farm should be fenced to prevent entry of unauthorized people and other animals such as dogs, cats, backyard chickens, etc. An entryway for people and vehicles must be designed so proper decontamination procedures can be practiced.
- The area around the poultry house should be keep clear of debris and vegetation keep short. It is ideal to have a cement apron around the poultry house perimeter when possible as this facilitates cleaning and disinfection. Inside the house, the walls, ceilings and floors should be smooth to permit cleaning and disinfection. Cement floors are desirable but are often not economically.
- Provide a one-way flow of traffic on the farm from the least contaminated to the most contaminated areas. Avoid backtracking of people, equipment and vehicles on the farm.
- It is suggested to cull sick and injured chickens in the houses and avoid use of hospital or quarantine pens. These animals suffer, will not make it to processing in good condition, and can serve as a source of contamination for the entire farm.
- The openings into the houses should be fitted with screen to prevent entry of insects.
- There should be a single entry point onto the farm which is equipped with disinfection equipment for all vehicles, people and equipment that are brought onto the premises. No exceptions!
- The entrance to each poultry house should be equipped with well- maintained cleaning and disinfection basins which all workers are trained in how to properly decontaminate on entry and exit from the house.
- Access to the poultry houses must be through a compulsory compartment where cleaning and disinfection can be conducted. This area provides a physical separation between the clean area and dirty area. Clean cloths should be provided for anyone entering the houses. In many companies, mandatory showers are installed. Farm managers and veterinarians must ensure that all staff is trained in how to use the facilities correctly.
- Dead chickens on the farm must be disposed daily in an appropriate manner. Options include sending dead chickens off site to a distant location or incinerating, composting or burying in a sealed container onsite.
- The floor of the poultry houses should be sloped so rainwater and waste water can be directed away from the houses to prevent stagnant water and to prevent recontamination.
- Feed storage site should be designed and maintained so that it provide good conditions. Control of temperature, humidity, ventilation and sanitation are critical to ensure quality feed is fed to the birds.
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