Different Types of Poultry Housing System for Tropical

Climate

Presented ByPragya BhadauriaScientistPoultry Housing & Management CARI, Izatnagar

Introduction

Genetic improvement

Nutritional improvement

Environment

Poultry Physiology

Body temperature 105°F -

107°FPoultry house design should

be directly related to

environmental conditions

Strong effect of

environmental factors

Tropical environmental effect more high yielding

birds

High yielding exotic

breeds have temperate

origin

Less tolerant of heat

than cold

Comfort zone:

18-22 °C

Comfort and Protection

Scientific management in a controlled manner

Easy, convenient and economic operations

Reduces the total cost of production

Maximizes flock performance

Ensuring better health and welfare

Proper micro-climatic conditions

Increased stocking density

Optimum and uniform growth rate

Importance of Housing

Type of poultry housing Systems

Free Range/Extensive

Semi-Intensive Intensive

Deep Litter Cage

Stair-step/ California

Battery/ Vertical

Individual

Slat cum litter Slatted floor

Free Range System

Oldest system and adopted only when adequate land is available Rearing of poultry by letting them loose on ground (Field) called as range A range should provide shelter, greens, feed, water, shade etc Foraging is major source of feeding for birds Shelter is usually provided by temporary roofing supported by ordinary poles Stocking density: 300-400 birds per hectare At present, almost outdated

Semi-intensive System

Commonly used by smallscale producers

Birds are half way reared in houses and half way on ground or range

Birds are confined to houses in night or as per the need, they are also given access to runs

Houses may be simple house, thatched roof, littered earthfloor or slatted

Provides protection from inclement weather predators and shade

Stocking density: 4-5 birds m.sq. in houses

Fold Unit System

House and run combined, part of which is covered with chicken wire and the remainder with solid walls

A unit 6 metres by 1.5 metres for 6-18 birds

Floor space 2 square metres per bird

Moved each day over an area of grassland

Similar to the deep-litter system, but requires more space, a considerable amount of litter for the yard, and the fresh green food for the birds

More expensive and less durable

Deep Litter System

Poultry birds are kept in large pens on floor, mainly for broilers Floor is covered with litters , such as straw, saw dust or leaves up to depth

of 2-3 inches Bird density: 5-7 birds per square meter Easy assess for feed, water, egg collection, provide good protection Disadvantage: Require high quality liter and litter born diseases

Small houses with a slatted or wire mesh floor

Slats- wooden pieces of 2.5-5 cm wide placed 2.5 cm apart, running through the length of house

Slats placed 3 ft above the ground floor to allow accumulation of dropping

Bird density can be 6–8  per square metre

Feeding, watering & egg collection handled from outside the house

Cooler houses but expensive & suitable for adult bird only

Slatted or wire-floor system

Combination of slatted floor and deep litter

60% slat area and 40% litter area

Slats on either side of house against each side wall leaving central portion for litter floor

The area is raised above the concrete floor by 0.5 metres or more to accumulate manure below the slatted area

Waterers and feeders are placed on the slatted area

Bird density upto 5-7 per sqaure meter

Expensive & complicated management

slat area

litter area

Aviaries

Multi-tiered buildings for cage-free housing

Several levels of flooring

Use of vertical space (perches and platforms) – allow birds to

jump to different levels

High density of birds upto- 25 birds per sqaure meter

Cage System

Rearing of poultry on raised wire netting floor in smaller compartments, called cages

Initially introduce for individual egg & pedigree recording & culling of poor layers

At present, 75% of commercial layers in the world are kept in cages

Suitable for keeping high density of birds, when space is limitation

Scientific managemental practices can be followed

Feeders and waterers are attached to cages from outside, except nipple waterers, for which pipeline is installed through or above cages

 Auto-operated feeding trolleys and egg collection belts can also be used

The droppings are either collected in trays underneath cages, on belts or on floor or deep pit under the cages

Recommended Floor space Chick (0 to 8 weeks) = 0.3 Sq.ft

Grower (9 to 16 weeks) = 0.5 Sq.ft

Layer (Above 17 weeks) = 0.6 Sq.ft

Structure of Cage

Floor slope: 1.5 inch per running 12 inch

Based on the bird density

Single or individual bird cage (Only one bird in a cage)

Multiple bird cage (From 2 to 10 birds) Colony cages (More than 11 birds per cage)

Based on the number of rows

Single-deck Double-deck Triple-deck Four-deck

Based on arrangement of cages

Battery cages (Vertical cages)

Stair-step cagesa) M-type cagesb) L-type cages

Based on the type of bird reared

Brooder / chick cages Grower cages Layer cages Breeder cages

Types of cages

Colony cages Battery cages

Individual cage

This type of houses provides sufficient ventilation & waste management in tropical countries

The height of the shed is raised by 7-8 feet from ground level using concrete pillars

The distance between two pillars is 10 feet

Two feet wide concrete platforms are made over the pillars

For 3 ‘M’ type cages are arranged 4 platforms are needed

The inter-platform distance is 5-8 feet depending upon the type of the cages used

The total height of the house is 20-25 feet and the width is 30-33 feet

California Housing(High Rise/ Elevated cage house)

7-8 ft

8 to 9 ft

10- 15 ft interval

2 ft

Depends on cage design

(5 to 8 ft

In recent years, most poultry operation are intensive type houses with Environment Controlled house, in which inside conditions are maintained as near as to the bird’s optimum requirements

Temperature: 24oC Relative Humidity- 50 to 60%

A closed building with no windows, longitudinal preferably east to west, with big exhaust fans on west side while evaporative cooling pads on east side along with automatic feeding and drinking systems inside

Fully system controlled with no manual controls, feeding system, watering system, manure collection system, egg collection system are all mechanized and automatic

ECH helps to achieve better FCR, improving production, care of birds, control diseases and meet other safe breeding conditions

One extra batch (or cycle) per year per shed

Modern Housing System

Environmentally Controlled House

Housing hygiene and sanitationBiosecurity

Principles of Housing

Located away from residential and industrial area

Soil and drainage

Basic amenities like water and electricity

Shade and protection

Relation to other building

Proper ventilation

Availability of farm labourers at relatively cheaper wages

Market

Proper road facilities

1. Selection of site

Hot& cold climate Hot climateS

N

S

W

E

N

WE

Cold climate

N

WE

S

2. Housing Design

Distance between sheds

Preferably locate chicks, growers & layers in different localities for better biosecurity

Distance between sheds = 0.4 x H √L House Orientation (Direction)

20- 50 m

Foundation Solid & Concrete, concrete blocks &

bricks with 1 to 1.5 feet below the surface and 1 to 1.5 feet above the ground level

Length Can be of any extent

Width Not more than 30 feet

If the width of the shed is more than 30 feet, ridge ventilation at the middle line of the roof top with proper overhang is must

Can be of any width in EC houses upto 40 ft

1.5 ft

30 ft

Height Height of the sides from foundation to the

roof line should be 8-10 feet (eaves height) and at the centre 10 -12 feet

In case of cage houses, the height is decided by the type of cage arrangements (3 tier or 4 tier)

Side walls Protects the bird from adverse climate and

provides sufficient ventilation

Usually half to two-thirds area will be kept open and fitted with wire mesh in floor houses

In cage houses, avoid side wall

EC houses should have solid side walls

8-10 ft10 -12 ft

Types of Roofs Draft and moisture proof

Sufficient overhang

Insulation values of R-4 and R-2 for ceiling and walls, respectively in hot climate

Painted with a reflecting type of paint such as aluminum paint or polyurethane insulation under the roof or above the ceiling

Dropped ceilings• Modern houses are well insulated with blown in

cellulose or glass fiber batt

• Protect the trusses and ceiling insulation by acting as a vapor barrier

• Reduce the ceiling surface area and reduce heat gain during hot weather and heat loss during cold weather

2-3 ft

Dropped ceiling

Shed Type Two-thirds span roof Gable roof/double-pitch /equal-span roof

Monitor style Half-monitor style 

1 feet height

Asphaltic roofing material

Thatched roof

Asbestos sheets

Types of roofing material

Roof white washed Spray polyurethane insulation

Rigid board insulation

Types of Floors

Concrete with rat proof device and free from dampness

Extended 1.5 feet outside the wall on all sides to prevent rat and snake problems

Consist of well-drained soil or gravel or concrete which is more desirable, it is easy to clean, durable and more rat proof

A concrete floor should be 80–100 mm thick and be made of a stiff 1:2:4 or 1:3:5 mix, laid on a firm base at least 150 mm above ground level, and given a smooth finish with a steel trowel

DoorsThe door must be open outside mostly in deep-litter poultry housesThe size of door is preferably 6 x 2.5 feet At the entry, a foot bath should be constructed to fill with a disinfectant

Plastic slatted floor

Katcha floor Concrete floor

Wire mesh floor

Macro environment

Not possible to manipulate

Local environment around a animal

Temperature

Microenvironment

Air quality

3. Housing Environment

Control over micro-environment can be achieved by

By completely eliminating macro environment contact

with the house

By completely enclosed from outside incliment

weather conditions

Hence environment inside house is in our control,

Here the concept of EC has arisen

Ventilation/ Air Movement

Moving FRESH AIR INTO a house and moving STALE AIR OUT of the house

Sending UNWANTED heat, EXCESS moisture, ammonia OUT of the house

Limiting the buildup of HARMFUL GASES

Providing OXYGEN for respiration

Natural outside air can easily flow into and out of the house

Ventilated shelter must be expose to the wind

Windbreaks reduce natural air movement, keep them 100 ft away

Increased air-exchange rates by installing fans

Proper building design & construction major factors which affect ventilation

Natural Ventilation

Mechanical/ Forced Ventilation systems

All air movement is produced by fans and controlled by automatic environmental control mechanisms in the building

Positive pressure systems use fans to blow fresh air into the building, creating a slightly higher pressure inside the house

Pressure difference moves the stale air to escape through strategically placed exhaust vents or outlets

Negative-pressure ventilation: Exhaust fans expel air from the building &

creates a partial vacuum inside that pulls air into the house evenly through all

inlets, creating more uniform conditions in the house

Inlets are distributed around the periphery of the building

Having a tightly sealed house is critical for successful control of in-house conditions in negative-pressure ventilation

Tunnel ventilation

Most effective in tropical climate due to higher air exchange rate & faster air movement @ 2.5-3 m/sec

Fresh air enters the house at one end and pulled through the house in longitudinal direction by means of high-performance fans

Cross ventilation (fans on one side of the house and inlets on the other side –works best in houses of less than 10 m wide)

Sidewall ventilation: fans and inlets on same sidewalls

Attic inlet ventilation: fans are distributed at the side-walls, inlets are in the roof

<10 m wide

Fans and openings:

Control the amount of air exchange

Effect air distribution and mixing

Heaters: provide supplemental heat during cold weather and brooding

Controls: to adjust ventilating rates (fan controls), supplemental heating rates, and the air velocity rates (fan controls), supplemental heating rates, and the air velocity through openings as weather, bird age and size change

Components of Mechanical Ventilation systems

Placed on the windward direction of the houses

Install slow speed, industrial fans 1m above the ground

Use 1x 620 mm rpm fan/1,000 layers

In EC houses: Important to determine how much air flow through the building which determine the no: of fans required

Air flow rate = cross sectional area of the house x required speed desired

A minimum of 1 m2 inlet area per 14 m3/h exhaust fan capacity is recommended

Fans

Openings

• Air inlets: to provide fresh air throughout the building, control direction of airflow, and maintain sufficient inlet air velocity

• Inlets for negative-pressure ventilation systems: continuous slots and discrete box or area inlets

• Continuous slot inlets have a rigid movable baffle for controlling the size of the opening, Bottom-hinged baffles are preferred.

• Continuous inlets may be positioned along both eaves

• Tunnel ventilation requires a separate set of inlets

• Unplanned inlets includes large openings such as doors, windows, and fans without shutters, which are not originally designed to be part of the ventilation system

Heaters

Supplemental heat is needed in natural & powered ventilated houses to maintain desired indoor temperatures during cold weather & brooding

Different types of heaters are used for supplemental heating in poultry houses including radiant, space and make-up air heaters

To maintain the indoor temperature and provide air exchange as weather changes hourly and seasonally

Regulate the supplemental heating rate

Sold state controllers and computer systems capable of controlling the inlet and outlet opening and supplemental heaters

Automatic controls

A well-insulated building is needed for EC houses

It prevent condensation on the inside surfaces, reduce heat loss in cold weather, and reduce solar heat gain in warm weather

Insulation

Evaporative Cooling

FOGGINGsystems

Naturally ventilated housing

Power-ventilatedhousing

PAD systems

Power-ventilated

house

SPRINKLINGsystems

Very dry climates

Cooling the House: cooling effect by evaporation

Foggers

FOGGER SYSTEM

Low pressure fogging• Inject fine water particles • Low cost fogging system• High quality and durable PVC Pipes are

used

High pressure fogging • Micro mist fog size (10-15µ)• Fogger in true sense discharges fog not

water• Operated intermittently or designed to avoid

excessive water • High pressure and durable Stainless Steel

Pipes are used

Fogger Sprinkler

Evaporative cooling pads

Operate on the same cooling principle as foggers

Cooled air entered the house, when it passes through the wet pads above which water runs through perforated pipes

This method avoids the problem of wet litter

Concrete coated bagasse pad, Aspen fiber, rubberised hogshair pad and corrugated cellulose or fluted cardboard pads materials widely used as cooling pads

Feeding

Automatic feeders have one loop of feeder chain and trough capable of feeding a given number of birds

A feeding control system to turn the feeders on and off

Feed monitoring systems are available to measure the amount of feed consumed by bird

It is important that, same amount of feed to be available at all locations along the feeder

The feed hopper in the house holds the feed before it goes out through the auger & into the feed pans

Feed goes through the auger lines & drops into each feed pan for the chickens to eat

Round bottom feeders Square bottom feeders Automatic feeder

Linear Trough feedersTube Feeder Hanging type Feeder

Watering

Nipple drinkersAutomatic drinkersFountain drinkers

Medication system allows for medicines to be administered through the water lines

Egg collection Conveyor belt system

Sensors

Small computer box

A stand-by generator for emergency power supply to all houses in case of power failure

Lighting

• EC houses should be light proof, use of light trap at fan openings• A monitoring and control system for scheduling of lights • A system than can pre-program lighting schedules over the life of the flock

is very useful for management• It is also important to provide the desired intensity of light• Lighting is provided by incandescent lights with dimmer switches

Incandescent lights Fluorescent tube light Compact Fluorescent light

Waste management Biosecurity

CONCLUSION

Automation is the need of hour to reduce labor cost and increase poultry production

California houses with automation is better option in tropical climate

Thought should be given to Environmental Control houses while constructing houses in hot climate, if capital is available

Civil engineers or architectures should be involved while planning and designing poultry houses

Bibliography

Appleby, M.C, Hughes, B.O, and Elson (1992) A. Poultry Production System. CAB International, Wallingford.

Bhanja S. K. Notes on poultry housing and management. Technical Bulletin, Central Avian Research Institute, Izatnagar.

Daghir, N. J. (2008). Poultry Production in Hot Climates. CAB International, Nosworthy Way, Wallingford, Oxfordshire.

Elson (1986). Poultry managemnt systems; looking to the future. WPSA 7th European Poultry Confrence Paris, 24-28 Aug, 1986 . (1) 1-11

FAO (2011). Rural structures in the tropics: Design and development.

Lohmann Tierzucht. ManagementGuide (Hot Climate)

North, Mack O. Commercial chicken production manual.

News letters on Poultry Housing Tips. University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Cooperative Extension service

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