Learning Experiences
Learning Outcome 4
Housing designs and housing equipment
Learning Activities Special Instructions
The trainee will read information sheet Please read all the information sheets.
1.1-4 on Housing designs and housing After reading all the information sheets,
equipment you are required to accomplish all the
self-checks and compare results with
The trainee will accomplish self-check
the answers key.
1.1-4
View all the video clip and powerful
The trainee will refer result with the presentations. After viewing, call the
answer key 1.1-4 attention of your trainer to undergo oral
The trainee will participate in the questioning.
discussion on Record of Different breeds All responses will be in accordance
of chickens with the suggested/model answers.
The trainee will Refer responses to If you rated satisfactory, you can move
model answers to another module as advice by your
View power point slides/video clips on trainer.
the Different types of Record of Different
breeds of chickens
Answer written/oral questions
Refer responses to model answers
Date Developed: Document No. 00
July 2024 Issued by:
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Information Sheet 1.1-4
Housing designs and housing equipment
Learning Objectives:
After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, YOU MUST be able to:
1. Identify different types of housing designs suitable for various stages of
poultry growth.
Different types of housing designs
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, entire environment is manipulated
in such a way that is optimum for the birds growth.
Optimal environmental conditions for rearing broilers
Temperature - 22-300C (70-850F)
Relative Humidity - 30-60 %
Ammonia level - Less than 25 ppm
Litter moisture - 15-25%
Air flow - 10-30 metres/minute
House Orientation (Direction)
The poultry house should be located in such a way that long axis is in east-west
direction. This will prevent the direct sunshine over the birds.
Date Developed: Document No. 00
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Size
Each broiler require one square foot of floor space while a layer requires two square
feet of floor space under 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
availability of the land determines the length of poultry house.
Width
The open sided poultry houses in tropical countries should have a width 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 roof top 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 may be 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 roof line should be 6 to 7 feet
(eaves height) and at the centre 10 to 12 feet. In case of cage houses, the height is
decided by the type of cage arrangements (3 tier or 4 tier).
Foundation
Good foundation is essential to prevent seepage of water into the poultry sheds.
The foundation of the house should 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 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 door is preferably 6 x 2.5 feet. At the entry, a foot bath should be constructed to
fill with a disinfectant.
Side walls
Date Developed: Document No. 00
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The side wall should be of 1-1.5 feet height, and generally at the level of bird’s
back height. This side wall protects the bird during rainy days or chill climate and
also provides sufficient ventilation. In case of cage houses, no side wall 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 like India.
Overhang
The overhang of the roof should not be less than 3.5 feet in order to prevent
the entry of rain water into the shed.
Lighting
Light should be provided at 7-8 feet above the ground level and must be
hanged from ceiling. If incandescent bulbs are used, the interval between two bulbs
is 10 feet. In case of fluorescent lights (tube lights) the interval is 15 feet.
Deep Litter System
In this system the birds are kept inside the house all the time. Arrangement for feed,
water and nest are made inside the house. The birds are kept on suitable litter
material of about 3” to 5” depth. The word litter is used for fresh litter material spread
on the floor. Usually paddy husk, saw dust, ground nut hulls, chopped paddy straw
or wood shavings are used as litter materials. This arrangement saves labour
involved in frequent cleaning of faecal matter (droppings), however it needs
periodical stirring. The litter is spread on the floor in layers of 2” height every
fortnightly till the required is achieved.
Date Developed: Document No. 00
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Advantages
Vit B2 and Vit B12 are made available to birds from the litter material by the bacterial
action.
The welfare of birds is maintained to some extend
The deep litter manure is a useful fertilizer.
Lesser nuisance from flies when compared to cage system.
Disadvantages
Because of the direct contact between bird and litter, bacterial and parasitic disease
may be a problem.
Respiratory problems may emerge due to dust from the litter.
The cost of litter is an additional expenditure on production cost.
Faults in ventilation can have more serious consequences than in the cage system
Slatted (Slotted) Floor System
In a slatted floor, iron rods or wood reapers are used as floor, usually 2-3 feet above
the ground level to facilitate fall of droppings through slats. Wooden reapers or iron
rods of 2” diameter can be used on lengthwise of the house with interspaces of 1”
between rods.
Advantages
Less floor space per bird is needed when compared to solid floor system.
Bedding is eliminated
Manure handling is avoided
Increased sanitation
Saving in labour
Soil borne infection is controlled
Disadvantages
Higher initial cost than conventional solid floors
Less flexibility in the use of the building
Any spilled feed is lost through the slots
More fly problem.
Date Developed: Document No. 00
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Cage System
This system involves rearing of poultry on raised wire netting floor in smaller
compartments, called cages, either fitted with stands on floor of house or hanged
from the roof. It has been proved very efficient for laying operations, right from day-
old to till disposal. At present, 75% of commercial layers in the world are kept in
cages. 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 in this rearing system. The
droppings are either collected in trays underneath cages or on belts or on the floor or
deep pit under cages, depending on type of cages.
Advantages
Minimum floor space is needed
More number of eggs per hen can be received
Less feed wastage
Better feed efficiency
Protection from internal parasites and soil borne illnesses
Sick and unproductive birds can be easily identified and eliminated.
Clean eggs production
Vices like egg eating, pecking is minimal.
Broodiness is minimal
No need of litter material
Artificial Insemination (AI) can be adopted.
Disadvantages
High initial investment cost.
Handling of manure may be problem. Generally, flies become a greater nuisance.
Date Developed: Document No. 00
July 2024 Issued by:
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The incidence of blood spots in egg is more
Problem of cage layer fatigue. (It is a condition, in which laying birds in cages
develop lameness. It may be due to Ca and P deficiency but the exact reason is not
known)
In case of broilers, incidence of breast blisters is more, especially when the broilers
weight is more than 1.5 kg.
Types of cages
Based on the number of birds in a cage, it is classified as
Single or individual bird cage (Only one bird in a cage)
Multiple bird cage (From 2 to 10 birds, usually 3 or 4 birds per cage)
Colony cages (Holding birds more than 11 per cage)
Based on the number of rows
Single-deck
Double-deck
Triple-deck
Four-deck
Flat-deck
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Based on the type of bird reared
Brooder / chick cages
Grower cages
Layer cages
Breeder cages
Broiler cages
1) Brooder cage / chick cage
Specifications: Front feeding length : 60 inch
Front & Back height : 12 inch
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Depth : 36 inch
No. of chicks (0-8 weeks) accommodated per box : 60
Chick cages are arranged either as single deck or double deck system. The feeders
and waterers are arranged on outside. Now-a-days nipple drinker system is followed
from day-old itself. Newspaper may be spread over the cage floor for first 7 or 10
days. Feed is usually provided inside the cage during the first week of age.
2. Grower cage
Specifications: Front feeding length : 30 inch
Front & Back height : 15 inch
Depth : 18 inch
No. of growers (9 to 18 weeks) accommodated per box : 10
3) Layer cage
Two types of stair-step layer cages are commonly used in open-sided poultry
houses
Conventional cages
Reverse cages (Californian cages)
a).Conventional cages
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Specifications for each box: Front feeding length : 15 inch
Front height : 18 inch
Back height : 15 inch
Depth : 18 inch
b).Reverse cages
Specifications for each box: Front feeding length : 18 inch
Front height : 18 inch
Back height : 15 inch
Depth : 15 inch
These cages can hold 3 to 4 birds. They are arranged either in 2-tier or 3-tier. A
slope of 1/6 is provided in conventional cages, where as in reverse cages the slope
is 1/5.
Advantages of reverse cages over conventional cages
More feeding space is available in reverse cages. So, all 4 birds can take feed at a
time, where as in conventional cages, 3 birds can take feed and the other one is
waiting at the back.
Number of cracked eggs is less due to lesser rolling distance.
Better ventilation in reverse cages than conventional cages.
Elevated cage layer house
Date Developed: Document No. 00
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The height of the shed is raised by 6-7 feet using concrete pillars. The distance
between two pillars is 10 feet. Two feet wide concrete platforms are made over the
pillars. When 3 ‘M’ type cages are arranged 4 platforms are needed. In case of 2
‘M’ and 2 ‘L’ type cages are arranged 3 platforms are needed. When constructing
platforms projecting angles or iron rods to be provided to fix the cages. The inter-
platform distance is 6-7 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. This type of houses
provides sufficient ventilation in tropical countries.
Floor space requirements
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Date Developed: Document No. 00
July 2024 Issued by:
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Self- Check 1.1-4
(Type of Test):
multiple choice question
1 Which of the following is a key principle of housing design for organic
poultry?
a. Maximum use of artificial lighting
b. Minimal ventilation
c. Ensuring adequate space per bird
d. Concrete flooring throughout the house
2 What is the primary purpose of providing ventilation in poultry housing?
a. To reduce noise levels
b. To control temperature and humidity
c. To increase feed consumption
d. To improve egg quality
3 Which material is commonly used for constructing organic poultry
housing?
a. Plastic
b. Steel
c. Bamboo
d. Glass
4 What type of flooring is recommended for organic poultry housing?
a. Concrete
b. Sand
c. Wood shavings
d. Asphalt
5 Which equipment is essential for providing water to poultry?
a. Feeder
b. Brooder
c. Waterer
d. Incubator
6 What is the function of a brooder in poultry housing?
a. To provide feed
b. To provide supplemental heat to young chicks
Date Developed: Document No. 00
July 2024 Issued by:
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c. To collect eggs
d. To ventilate the housing
7 How often should poultry housing equipment be cleaned to maintain
hygiene?
a. Monthly
b. Weekly
c. Daily
d. Bi-annually
8 Which of the following is an eco-friendly material option for poultry
housing construction?
a. PVC panels
b. Treated lumber
c. Recycled plastic
d. Bamboo
9 What is the recommended space requirement per bird in organic poultry
housing?
a. 0.5 square feet
b. 1 square foot
c. 2 square feet
d. 3 square feet
10 Which equipment helps in maintaining the temperature within the poultry
house?
a. Feeder
b. Heater
c. Waterer
d. Ventilator
Date Developed: Document No. 00
July 2024 Issued by:
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ANSWER KEYS
1. C
2. B
3. C
4. C
5. C
6. B
7. C
8. D
9. C
10. B
Date Developed: Document No. 00
July 2024 Issued by:
Organic Date Revised:
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Developed by: Jaymart Belencion
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Belencion Revision # 00
Date Developed: Document No. 00
July 2024 Issued by:
Organic Date Revised:
Agriculture Page 15 of 61
Developed by: Jaymart Belencion
Production NCII
Jaymart
Belencion Revision # 00