Poultry Sheds

Chicken poultry sheds are made of PEB structures using special design methods considering requirements of chicken at different stages of their life. Based on this following types of Poultry sheds are categorized:-

1. Brooder / chick house-It is used to brood and rear egg-type chicks from 0 to 8 weeks of age.
2. Grower house-It is used to grow egg-type birds from 9 to 18 weeks of age.
3. 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).
4. Layer house-In which birds over 18 weeks of age are reared, usually up to 72 weeks of age.
5. Broiler house-In which broilers are reared up to 6 weeks of age.
6. Breeder house-In which both male and female breeders are maintained at appropriate sex ratio.
7. Environmentally controlled (EC) house-In which, entire environment is manipulated in such a way that is optimum for the bird’s 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

Types of cages

Based on the number of birds in a cage, it is classified as

1. Single or individual bird cage (Only one bird in a cage)
2. Multiple bird cage (From 2 to 10 birds, usually 3 or 4 birds per cage)
3. Colony cages (Holding birds more than 11 per cage)

Based on the number of rows

1. Single Tier
2. Double Tier
3. Triple Tier
4. Four Tier
5. Flat Tier

Based on arrangement of cages

1. Stair-step cages
   1. M-type cages
   1. L-type cages
   1.  Battery cages (Vertical cages)
2. Battery cages (Vertical cages)
   1. Single Deck
   2. Double Deck Stair Step
   3. Double Deck Stair Step

Based on the type of bird reared

1. Brooder / chick cages
2. Grower cages
3. Layer cages
4. Breeder cages