Through the first article for broiler chicken farm, Dr.provet addressed the conditions of the broiler chicken farm construction in detail.
Also, Dr.provet decided to continue discussing the other important elements that must be considered for the broiler farm project to obtain the most economic profits.
This article will address:
- The housing systems of the broiler chickens.
- Advantages of the intensive system.
- Disadvantages of the intensive system.
- Advantages of the deep litter system.
- Disadvantages of the deep litter system.
- Advantages of Slatted (Slotted) floor system.
- Disadvantages of Slatted (Slotted) floor system.
- Advantages of the cage system.
- The equipment required for the broiler chicken farm.
The housing systems that can be used for broiler chicken include:
Semi-intensive system
This system allows the bird to be halfway reared in houses, and halfway in-ground, so, it's more suitable for ducks than broilers.
Intensive system
The birds that are housed by this system are mostly reared in houses with ground floors or on wire-netting floors in cages.
It's more suitable, economical, and efficient for huge numbers of broiler chickens.
Advantages of the intensive system.
This system has many advantages that positively affect the project success, incuđing:
It requires minimal land spaces.
It's so easy to apply accurate and scientific daily practices, including feeding, breeding, medicatìon, and culling.
High conversion rate due to the energy-saving resulted from the restricted movement.
The detection and isolation of sick birds are so easy.
Disadvantages of intensive system.
The intensive system has some disadvantages that must be considered, including:
:
The broiler chickens are prevented from performing natural behaviours such as spreading their wings.
High risk of spreading disease.
The broiler chickens with an intensive housing system are more susceptible to nutrition deficiency diseases as they aren't exposed to sunlight.
Deep Litter System.
This system includes using fresh litter materials such as wood shaving, sawdust, paddy husk, or straw on the floor in 3-5 depths.
A new, fresh litter material should be added when the excreta become high and mixed with the first litter with 8-12 depth.
The liter must be periodically stirred and changed after 1 year.
The chicken of 0 - 4 weeks of age requires 0.3 ft2 land space with fresh litter material.
The chicken of 4 - 8 weeks requires 0.75 ft2 land space.
Advantages of the deep litter system.
This system has obvious advantages, including:
providing the birds with Vitamin B2 and Vitamin B12 through the bacterial action on the litter material.
Maintaining the quality of the broiler.
Using deep litter manure as a fertilizer.
Saving labors as there aren't daily requirementS except for the. stirring of the litter material.
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Disadvantages of this system.
This system has some disadvantages, including:
The cost of litter is an additional project cost.
Direct contact of the broiler chickens with the litter increases their susceptibility to both parasitic and bacterial diseases.
Respiratory diseases can be induced by litter dust.
This housing system is badly ventilated.
Slatted (Slotted) Floor System.
This system uses iron or wood rods as floor by 2-3 feet above the ground level to help drop excreta through slats easily.
Advantages of this system
The floor space required per bird is low.
Labor-saving as there is no manure handling is required.
Easy to apply high sanitation measures.
Soil-borne infections can be perfectly controlled.
Disadvantages of the slatted floor system
The initial cost is high due to the cost of iron or wood rods.
the building is Less flexible to be used.
Loss of the feed spilled through the slots.
The fly problems are high.
Cage housing system.
This system uses cages to rear the broiler chicken.
Advantages of the cage system
It needs 50% less space than the deep litter system and so, it allows a high density of broiler chickens.
High growth and conversion rate of the broiler chickens.
Labor-saving as there is no litter material.
With good ventilation and so, the broiler chickens are less susceptible to coccidia infection.
The equipment required for the broiler chicken farm.
Some important types of equipment must exist in the broiler chicken farm, including:
Brooding equipment
Brooders are the equipment that is used to warm and light the chick's area during the first 2 weeks.
These brooders should contain a heat source, reflectors, and thermostat.
They are used as a heat source because every 50 chicks require one 250 Watt heat lamp.
There are different brooding equipment including
:
Charcoal stove/kerosene stove.
Gas brooder.
Electrical brooder.
Infrared bulbs.
Reflectors/hovers.
Brooder guard/chick guard.
Electrical heater.
Feeding equipment
Feeders are the equipment used to place the feed of the broiler chickens to facilitate their feeding.
For younger chicks, use a smaller feeder which must be replaced by larger ones as the chick grows to avoid the wastage of the feed.
Distribution of the feeders is applied as 1 inch of feeder space/chick for 4 weeks, 2 inches to 8 weeks, and 3 inches to 16 weeks
Types of feeders
There are different feeding equipment, including:
Automatic feeders
This type of feeder is supplied along the length of the broiler chicken house.
The height of these feeders is adjusted according to the age of the birds.
Linear feeders
These feeders are available in different sizes to be suitable for each age of the birds.
Circular feeder (hanging feeder)
They are semi-automatic feeders.
These feeders can hold 5-7 kg feed at a time.
They can be attached with feed grills to avoid feed wastage.
Watering equipment
Water equipment that is used in the broiler chicken farms is various, including:
Water softeners and filters
Using water softener and filter systems is necessary to reduce deposits on the humidity controls and valve seats.
Water heaters
Water heaters provide hot water, which is necessary for general clean-up in the broiler chicken farms.
Waterer
Waterers are the equipment used to provide water to the birds.
Waterers are available in many forms, including:
Pan and Jar type
It is a circular waterer with a jar for filling water and a pan for delivering water.
Linear waterer (Channel type waterers)
The linear waterer is designed to provide continuous water supply into cages
Plastic water basin with grill
This type of waterer provides basins of various diameters with a separate grill to prevent the bird entry into the water.
Bell-type automatic waterer
It's a bell-shaped waterer which is suspended from a separate pipeline to control the water flow and maintains the required water level always.
There will be a continuous flow of water to ensure water is available for the birds throughout the day.
The simple clamp mechanism of this type facilitates the height adjustment.
The rate of water flow can be easily adjusted by a valve.
Nipple drinker
This type of waterer is recommended for both deep litter housing systems and cage systems.
In the case of a deep-litter system, it must be attached with a cup exactly under the nipple to prevent wetting of litter material.
Manual drinker
It's recommended for chicks during the first week of brooding.
The manual drinkers facilitate providing vitamins, vaccines, and medicines through the water.
These drinkers must be arranged at an equal distance of Two feeders.
Vaccination equipment
They are the equipment that used in the vaccination of broiler chicken, including:
A syringe with a needle (vaccine droppers)
It is the equipment that used to give the drop vaccines via intra-ocular or intranasal administration of vaccines.
Automatic vaccinator
This equipment is used for I/M or S/c vaccination of a huge number of birds in a short period.
Fowl Pox vaccinator/lancet
It's specific equipment that is used to vaccinate the broiler chicken against fowl pox by intradermal administration at the wing region.
Miscellaneous equipment
They are various equipment used for different purposes, including:
Electrical beak trimmer
A device is used to cut a small part of the beak to avoid cannibalism among birds.
Weighing balances
Its necessary equipment for weighing the broiler chickens and feed for further marketing purposes.
Perches (Roost)
It's a wooden piece of equipment about 3-5 height from the floor to help the bird to stand over it.
Rake
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This is used with a deep-litter system of housing to rake the litter material.
Sprinkler
It's such important equipment’t, especially in the hot weather.
It's used to cool both the roof and the surroundings of the farm building.
Sprayers
They are used to spraying sanitizer and disinfectant
Flame-gun (Blow-lamp)
It is the equipment that is used to flame metal frames to ensure the absence of external parasites and/ or their larvae inside the farm building.
Finally, follow Dr.provet, and wait for the next article, which will address how to provide balanced nutritional rations and supplements to obtain a high conversion rate and growth rate.
Resources:
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