Management

Location

The following are the desirable points to be borne in mind while selecting a location.

• Establish the farm preferably in an area where chicks and feed are easily available.
• Where there is a source of electricity.
• Where there is a possibility of good drainage during monsoon.
• Where drinking water is freely available.
• Where there is good market nearby.

Housing

Birds of different age groups should be housed separately. Therefore, have two types of houses – Rearing house (brooder-cum-grower) for young birds up to 18 weeks of age and laying house. For broiler raising layer house is not necessary. For continuous and economic egg production adopt 1:3 housing system i.e. one rearing house for 3 laying houses. The rearing house should be at least 45 meters (150 ft) away from layer house and the distance between layer houses should be at least the width of a house. The doors of the house should open outwards. The house should be oriented east west.

The poultry house may be of any design. The width of the house should not exceed 9 metres (30 ft.). However, it is preferable to restrict it to 6-7 metres for reasons of air movement and effective ventilation. Concrete floors are preferred. The roof should be at least 3.3 metres (11 ft) high at the ridge and 1.8 meters (6 ft) high at the eves. Clay-tile, asbestos or light roof can be used as roofing material. In poultry houses with asbestos roofing, the roof height should be increased.

The sidewalls should be 30 cm high; the remaining area covered by wire netting or expanded metal. The wire netting should be fixed in such a way as to avoid perching and the size of the wire mesh should be 2.5 x 2.5 cm (gauge 16). Provision for footbath of 90 x 45 x 3 cm may be provided for disinfection at the entry point of the house.

Automatic feeding systems are of two types – conveyor type and screw type. Automatic watering systems are available in two types- nipple type and pan type. Drinking nipples are provided along the sidewalls of the pen in deep litter system or inside the cage, in cage system. In pan type, water is maintained to a fixed level in shallow pans.