About Poultry Houses, Poultry Houses is a poultry cram-packed. These are large farm buildings or barns used to keep and raise chickens for meat, eggs, and other products, as well as for ornamental purposes.
They can vary from a few hundred to some, holding thousands of chickens. The building is typically divided into several sections, each holding a different type of chicken.
How To Make Poultry Houses?
Building a poultry house is easier than one might think. There are many different plans available on the internet; the best part is that they are all free.
They vary from building large custom poultry houses to small weekend projects. Building a small poultry house will typically cost under $500, while a larger one can cost upwards of $5,000 per side.
In some cases, you can also build these for large profits if you decide to sell them once you’re finished with them, rather than using them yourself.
Need For Poultry House
- To protect birds from the adverse climatic conditions during the winter season
- To protect the birds from predators such as foxes and other animals
- To allow ventilation and good air circulation
- To help keep the birds warm during cool nights and cold days.
- To keep the clean litter means no chicken poop. Large flocks of about 10,000 birds could take an hour every day. In a small operation where one flocks around 5,000 or fewer birds, it may only need to be done once or twice a week if kept clean enough.
Selection Of Location
- Poultry houses should be located away from the residential and industrial areas.
- The poultry house should be located close to a good water source.
- The poultry house should be located in a firm, flat and dry area so that it should not risk sinking because of excess water in case there is rain.
The Layout Of The Poultry Farm
The Smalley poultry house is a fantastic example of how easy it could be to build a chicken coop on your own.
The poultry house plans should be less than 3′ wide and at least 5′ high, and the roof height should not be less than 10′. For the width of the building, it is recommended to have at least 2 feet on each side so that there will be enough space to set up a row of cages.
- The sheds should be so located that it gets adequate sunlight.
- The poultry house should be located at a distance of 80 to 100 feet from the feeding place.
- The poultry house should be at a distance of 100 feet away from any other poultry shed and the breeding place.
Different Types Of Poultry House
A brooder/chick house-It is used to brood and rear egg-type chicks from 0 to 8 weeks of age.
A 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 (the 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.
Broiler house-In which broilers are reared up to 6 weeks of age.
Breeder house- In which male and female breeders are maintained at an appropriate sex ratio.
Environmentally controlled (EC) house-In which the entire environment is manipulated in such a way that is optimum for the bird’s growth.
Optimal environmental conditions for rearing broilers:
Temperature – 22-300C (70-850F)
Relative Humidity – 30-60 %
Ammonia level – Less than 25 ppm (0.025% in air)
Carbon dioxide level – More than 2.5% (in the air)
Water bath – Less than 100 ppm (0.1%)
House Orientation (Direction)
Brooder and grower houses may be oriented in any direction. However, broiler houses should be placed in the direction of the prevailing winds.
Baby Chick Rearing
Laying hens need to be hatched artificially. This is done by placing the eggs in an incubator (hatchery). So far, they can hatch out at a rate of 60 chicks/hour or 1 every 14 minutes.
After that, they will go through three stages: Egert (Fledgling), Mature, and Brooders.
House Size
The hatch rate will not be as high as an incubator, so it is recommended that you have a minimum of 150 chicks per hen.
If you are raising 10,000 chicks per month, you need a poultry house that can hold up to 320,000 (150 x 10,000) chicks. So your poultry house needs to be at least 320 square feet.
Length
The brooder house will usually be at least 100 square feet and should be at least 5-6 feet high.
This is to keep the chicks warm and make sure that they get adequate sunlight.
Width
The chicken coop should be at least 10 feet wide. To keep the chicks spread out and allow more room to roost on the roosting bars, there must be 6-foot sides.
Roosting Bars
The roosting bars are raised platforms allowing the chickens to sleep safely and safely.
The chicken coop should have at least 4 roosting bars around the perimeter of the poultry house. These will provide extra security and ensure the chicks are safe at night.
Chicken Feed
Raising healthy young chickens must be fed a diet rich in protein and energy. In other words, chicken feed is what the chicks eat during their first few weeks of life.
To raise healthy chickens, you must provide them with all-natural feed. This means that they are not given any drugs or chemicals used in commercial poultry feed.
Feed Troughs
To properly feed the chickens, you must have chick feeders in your units.
Foundation
If you want a stable and long-lasting hen house, you need to make sure that you construct a strong foundation.
Floor
The floor should be made of concrete or high-quality lumber.
Roosting Platform
You must ensure that you have a roosting platform in your poultry house. This will allow the young chickens to sleep safely and easily throughout the day.
Roosting Hooks
The roosting hooks should be made of stainless steel, and it is recommended that they are placed 16 inches up from the ground.
Carports
It is a good idea to place the carport where it gets plenty of sunlight. This will provide the chickens with more than adequate light and heat.
The carport should be at least 3 feet high, allowing you to access the chicks housed inside easily.
Side Walls
The side walls of the coop should be made out of galvanized metal sheets.
Roof
The roof needs to be made out of galvanized metal sheets as well. This is because the metal sheets will allow the chicks to get sufficient sunlight.
Chicken Doors
The chicken doors need to be placed at 9 inches above the chickens’ backs. These doors are designed to allow you to keep track of your chickens without disturbing their routine and comfort.
Hatches
To hatch multiple birds, the most efficient way would be to replace the eggs before they are hatched.
Overhang
The roof’s overhang should not be less than 3.5 feet to prevent the entry of rainwater into the shed.
Lighting
The light should be provided at 7-8 feet above the ground level and must be hung 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. The roof’s overhang should not be less than 3.5 feet to prevent the entry of rainwater into the shed.
What Is The Best Housing For Poultry?
There Are 3 Types Of Housing
a) Free-range
b) Battery cages
c) Cages.
1. Free-Range
It is the most expensive and best method of keeping poultry, but all can’t keep birds this way because feeding and care need a lot of time and money (effort). But I will discuss this method under another sub-heading in another article because there are many things to be discussed under this category.
What Is Poultry House Equipment?
1. Chicken feeder
2. Water container
3. Artificial light
4. Brooder (Heat lamp)
5. Incubator
6. Brooders (chickens of around 2 weeks of age)
7. Broiler chickens (chickens of around 5-10 weeks of age) 8. Fodder
9. Compost
10. Chicken coop
11. Roosting bar (perch)
13. Automatic chicken waterer/Automatic feeder
14. Litter
15. House decorations-paintings, curtains, etc., according to your personal choice and taste)
16. Fence for yard (etc.)
What Is A Cage House For Poultry?
In case you want to do a poultry business, cage houses are the best because it is direct consumption units. In most cases, these are used for commercial purposes.
Conclusion
Based on the information above, you will get a clear picture of the best housing for poultry. It would help if you made up your mind before deciding on any specific housing method.
After reading this article, I hope you understand what type of poultry house equipment is required for the chickens to hatch and grow normally.
Additionally, you might have also realized that this is an expensive investment for your business, and it should be looked after meticulously so that it can last long. Thank you for reading this article.
