Poultry farming is a good business and a very profitable one for that matter. However, there are some major challenges when it comes to proper housing systems for poultry.
A good poultry housing systems with a good ventilation system, flooring, lighting, fencing, etc. are very important for the success of every poultry farm. If you get it right from the beginning, a lot of costs will be saved in combating predators, disease control and prevention, and controlling unfavorable climatic conditions.
The question is, what is the best poultry housing system?
We bring you what you need to do when planning your poultry housing system and also the various properties that make a good poultry housing system.
Read also: 7 Master Keys To Good Site Selection for Farming Purposes
Factors in Choosing a Good Poultry Housing System
- Your Research
This is one of the most important first things to do. Make the best decisions on your poultry housing system from the valuable information you gather. You may get your information from the internet, from experts, and many other trusted sources.
- The Purpose
What is the purpose of starting your poultry farm? The question seeks to guide the choice of the best and most
suitable poultry housing system for your farm. The answer to this will help avoid all the inconveniences and costly readjustments and also help to put up the right housing for your poultry farm. For example; if the purpose is to build a hatchery and produce day-old chicks for sale, then you need to plan your poultry housing. You need to know all the operations entailed including how to handle the chicks before they are sold, disease handling, etc. All these considerations go into the planning of a poultry housing system.If you are considering egg production, the housing must suit egg collection and storage. The purpose should be well-defined to properly design and construct suitable housing for your poultry.
- The Climatic Conditions
It is very important to consider the climatic conditions in the environment you hope to site your farm before you choose the right poultry housing system. Enquire from the poultry farmers in your area to know the climatic challenges they have. It will help you put up poultry housing that takes care of those challenges. If it is a cold area, the housing must be insulated to provide heat for the poultry. Ventilation is also a key factor to consider. Bad ventilation easily leads to the spread of diseases.
- The Location
The location of the farm is also an important factor to consider in poultry housing system construction. If you intend to put up your poultry farm in an area that is easily accessible to predators, then consider fencing the farm. Cats, snakes, dogs, and some wild animals could be a threat to your birds. Fencing will help protect your birds.
- The Type or Breed of Birds
The space requirement of a chicken is different from turkeys, guinea fowls, quails, and others. The number of chickens that are accommodated in a specific space per time is different from turkeys and other birds and so is the space dimensions. Therefore, it is important to know the type of birds you intend to raise. This will help design the appropriate housing with appropriate spacing. Some birds like guinea fowls and quails can fly and their housing should be designed to prevent them from flying beyond restricted areas.
Read also: 10 Productive Chicken Breeds for Backyard and Commercial Production
Characteristics of a Good Poultry Housing System
If you have ever been to a good poultry farm, then you sure would realize that having a good poultry housing system is one way to ensure that things run smoothly on the farm as well as one factor that determines how healthy the animals might grow.
Therefore, if you have been in the business of poultry farming or have a penchant for poultry farming, it would really be expedient that you know the tips that are really needed for a good poultry housing system. When it comes to poultry farming, you have got to really take into account the availability of air in the environment. Highlighted below are tips that would help with having a good poultry housing system and the steps that you would need to take to pull this off. If you are ready for the tips, then here goes;
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Controlled Access
A good poultry housing system should be designed in such a way that workers can move easily, unrestricted by obstacles. Ease of movement will help in feeding, providing water, and effective cleaning of the farm. Also, the movement of objects and birds from the farm would be easier.
However, the design should make the birds not easily accessible to visitors and unauthorized people. Easy access to this group of people can increase the incidence of diseases and even theft. The position of the housing on the farmland from the main entrance to the farm is very vital to consider to prevent easy access to unauthorized people.
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Comfortable flooring or bedding for the birds
A good poultry housing should have a comfortable flooring/bedding for the birds. It should also be safe for the eggs. If your bedding is poor, eggs can easily get cracked and you incur losses.
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Convenient To Clean
A poultry housing system should be built in a way that makes every part of the farm easy to access and clean. In poultry production, hygiene is key and may determine the success or failure of the poultry farm business. A good and well-planned poultry housing system is easy and convenient to clean to minimize the death of birds.
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Easy Egg Collection
The safety and easiness of egg collection should be considered in the poultry housing system. If egg production is the main purpose or part of the purposes of a poultry farm business, then the way eggs are collected to prevent cracks and damages should be considered when building the poultry housing. Eggs must be collected in good condition and so cracked eggs are a loss to the business.
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Good Lighting and Heating System
Surely, a good lighting and heating system is a very important consideration in the poultry housing system. You need to provide adequate warmth for the birds for good health. A good lighting and heating system ensures that. A good lighting system lightens the house enables the birds to find water and feed.
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Proper Ventilation
Proper ventilation prevents the spread of flu and other contagious diseases. Good ventilation is another key feature of a good poultry housing system and the key to the success of your poultry farm.
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Effective Waste Disposal Unit
An effective waste disposal unit reduces the risk of exposing the birds to diseases. Birds dying in poultry production are inevitable. However, leaving the carcass in or around the farm poses health risks to the birds. If dead birds are not well disposed of, they produce some foul smell and may result in flu for both humans and birds. Bad eggs also produce an offensive smell. So, incorporating an effective waste disposal unit in the poultry housing will help manage waste.
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Divisions for Different Ages and Species of Birds
A good poultry housing system should be designed such that birds of different ages or species and separated. The must be divisions in the house that allows you to do that. Older birds may kill your chicks by stepping on them or pecking them. Moreover, other types of birds when mixed with other different types may result in fighting. They must be kept and confined to different rooms/pens.
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Standard Hatchery Unit
Since it is more economical to hatch your own eggs than buy day-old chicks, having a standard hatchery unit in your poultry housing is very much recommended.
In Summary
The key to a good poultry business relies largely on the housing systems. Much cost of construction housing is huge and so it is always better to choose the right one from the beginning.
Read also: 14 Major Chicken Diseases, Symptoms, Prevention and Treatments
Reference
Choosing a Poultry Housing System – 10 Factors to Consider (profitableventure.com)
Featured image source: Opera News
