Setting up a commercial chicken house is a crucial undertaking as it is essential for maintaining the health, productivity, and welfare of your fowl, while also ensuring efficient operations and minimizing environmental impact.
To build a highly effective chicken house, you must invoke your creative skills and adopt the right housing techniques and equipment in order to set up a firm foundation for your poultry venture.
Here are five recommendations to consider when building a chicken house according to a successful poultry farmer in Kenya:
1. Space Requirements
Launching a commercial poultry farming business means that the number of birds is amplified and hence space is key when building their holding area. According to the poultry farmer known as Dr Fami, one square meter of space should be used for six layers, while the same space can fit 11 broilers.
These dimensions ensure that there is no overcrowding which can lead to stress and health problems. They also allow sufficient ventilation, which is crucial for the health and productivity of your fowl.
Proper ventilation mitigates accumulation of heat and moisture, thereby preventing heat stress and suffocation of chicks and ensure the birds’ overall well-being.
“It also ensures a fresh air supply while removing harmful gases like ammonia and improves air quality by reducing dust levels,” Dr Fami advised.
2. Orientation
The poultry house should be open-sided for natural ventilation, oriented east-west to reduce direct sunlight, and rectangular in shape with walls no higher than three feet on the longer side.
The width should be between 7 to 9 meters, while the length can extend as far as the land allows. Square designs are not recommended.
In your orientation ensure that you incorporate effective lighting, as it influences the chickens’ growth and egg production. It helps regulate their biological rhythms and can enhance overall performance.
3. Construction materials
You can use stone, iron sheets, timber, silver boards, or bricks to erect the walls of your commercial chicken coop.
The remaining sides should be covered with a fine-gauge chicken wire mesh to keep out wild birds, dogs, and rodents. For added durability, a plastic-coated mesh is recommended.
The roof should feature a reflective surface and a pitched design with overlapping sections to ensure adequate ventilation.
“Ensure there is enough gap between the birds and the roof to avoid heat stress,” Dr Fami noted.
Concrete floors are ideal because they are easier to clean and disinfect, but farmers should leave them bare and avoid using nil plaster after laying the concrete.
The peak of the house should be eight meters above the ground, with the sides measuring five meters each.
4. Biosecurity measures
Install a footbath at the entrance for disinfecting footwear to minimise contamination with external sources. Make it wide enough to prevent skipping.
Maintain a cleared area with a 3-5 meter radius around the pen to limit rodent access. Poultry farmers should also separate the feed storage from the house to lower the risk of attracting rodents.
“Construct the house in isolated areas to minimize contamination risks,” Dr Fami noted. He also advised to put up quarantine areas for new birds to prevent spreading disease.
Install a raised water tank inside the house to keep the water cool and shield it from direct sunlight. Also, fence the area to exclude stray animals and visitors, and make sure to lock all doors securely.
5. All-in, all-out system
The ‘all-in, all-out’system is a management strategy in poultry farming where all birds of the same age are placed in a house or pen at the same time and removed together when they reach market weight or the end of their production cycle.
This approach helps prevent disease outbreaks by keeping only one age group per house. If fowl of different ages are present, they must be housed separately. This aids in minimizing the risk of disease transmission between them.
Starting a poultry venture can yield high returns and by following these guidelines, you can ensure the construction of a poultry house that supports bird health and productivity, laying a strong foundation for a successful commercial chicken farming venture.
