Basic Essentials of an Ideal Poultry Shed | Stop Spending Millions

Location of Poultry House

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Location is one of the basic essentials of an ideal poultry shed. When you buy or construct a new house for your living, you definitely see around the locality what type of neighbors you will have and what are the climatic conditions in that locality. Am I right? In the same way, the location of a poultry house matters a lot.

So, the location for the construction of a poultry farm should be selected if it met the following criteria.

Near to market.
High from surrounding areas.
Having a good drainage system.
Having the facility of electricity.
Having distance from other poultry farms.
Having a telephone facility.
Away from urban areas.
Having no effect of pesticides.
Free from predators/wild animals.
Well connected with the road
Soil should not be saline etc.
Having a gas facility (if possible)

Note: It must be obvious that you should locate your chicken farm away from inhabited areas because doing so can result in filthy circumstances and the spread of diseases. However, it does not imply that chicken farms should be constructed on mountains or deserts. The farm must be at a convenient location so that you can travel there quickly.

The Direction of Poultry Shed

Out of the basic essentials of an ideal poultry shed, the direction is a key component and many farmers don’t give importance to that but it matters. Yes, in which direction you are going to build your poultry farm has an impact on your bird’s performance. So in areas where the temperature normally remains high, the length of the poultry shed must be in an East-West direction. In areas with low temperatures, the length of the poultry shed must be North-South.

Note: In damp areas, the poultry house should face either the south or the east. More sunshine can enter a home with a southern exposure than any other potential exposure. A southern exposure is almost always preferable to one to the east. Morning sunshine is preferred by birds over afternoon sunlight. In the morning, birds are more active and spend more time outside in the sun.

The Drainage and Soil for Poultry House

Instead of being situated on a hilltop or at the bottom of a valley, a chicken house should, whenever possible, be situated on a sloping hillside. Sandy loam soil is better rather than heavy clay soil. The drainage system should be in such a way that water flows from the young stock towards the old flock. The reason behind that is old flocks are more vulnerable to diseases, which allows them to spread pathogens in contaminated water to young flocks.

Construction Estimation of an Ideal Poultry Shed

Estimation of poultry shed can vary, but standard values are.

1. Length

100 ft of one shed, if 300-4(X> ft. then partition after each 100 ft.

2. Width

Normally 30 ft. If more than 30ft. There is a ventilation problem. In the environmental control house, it may be 40-50 ft.

3. Height

In hot areas 12-14 ft. But in colder areas 8-10 ft.

4. Floor
The floor should be dry, smooth, without cracks, simple to clean, rodent proof, and long lasting.

There are various sorts of floors; a concrete floor is superior, more reliable, cost-effective, and typically used. Kacha or mud floors are less expensive but less reliable. At least 4 inches should separate the floor from its surrounds.

5. Walls
To the foundation, a 1.5-foot-wide wall should be constructed. Use cement or mud with cither bricks or concrete. In cold and hot climates, walls should be 8 feet and 10 feet high, respectively.

6. Roof
a. Bamboo sarkanda and thatched mud are inexpensive for broilers and layers.
b. The best materials to prevent illnesses are iron or steel TR + garders + tiles.
c. Concrete or ready-made ceilings might be used for breeding.

Distance Between Poultry Sheds and Farms

One poultry shed must be at least 50 ft away from another poultry shed. A poultry farm should be 100ft away from the highway road. The distance between one poultry farm with another poultry farm should be a minimum of 1km. But keep in mind if the other poultry farm is the breeder farm, then such distance will increase to 3km.

Floor Spacing Between Different Types of poultry birds in different housing conditions

Type of birds	Open House	Environmental Controlled house
Broiler	1 sqft	0.6sqft
Layer	1.5sqft	1.2sqft
Layer Breeder	1.75	1.25sqft
Broiler Breeder	3.5sqft	2.1sqft

Ventilation and Humidity

For poultry birds’ general performance, proper ventilation is crucial. Proper air intake and outflow are required to maintain ventilation. If the layout of the poultry shed is such that the breadth is greater, air will become trapped within and unable to exit, which exacerbates the ventilation issue and increases humidity. A higher level of humidity will lead to more favorable conditions and may contribute to the spread of fungus and other parasite infections. Whereas less humidity can lead to dryness and other respiratory infections

Note: For the hatching of chicks from eggs the humidity level must be 70-80%. An ideal humidity level is 60-65%.

Temperature

For storage of eggs 55°F, and for hatching (eggs) 99.25-99.75°F. For brooding of day-old chicks 95 °F at the start and for poultry house 70-75°F.

Conclusion:

Housing affects directly or indirectly your bird’s performance. So don’t compromise on housing for your poultry birds. The basic requirements of an ideal poultry shed include the site of the farm, the direction of the farm, the shed’s overall construction, temperature, and ventilation. If you are curious to find the different types of poultry houses that you can design at low cost then be sure to check out.