Blue print and specifications for a broiler poultry shed(2500 birds)

Dr N. Deepak, M.V.Sc

200ft

500ft

Blue print for a farm with 2500 birds

Specifications for construction of a Broiler farm

• House Orientation (Direction): The poultry house should be located in such a way that long axis is in east-west direction. This will prevent the direct sunshine over the birds.

• Size : Each broiler require one square foot of floor space under deep-litter system of rearing. So the size of the house depends on the number of birds to be reared.

• Length• The length of the house can be of any extent. • The number of birds reared and availability of

the land determines the length of poultry house.• If the width of the shed is more than 25 feet,

ridge ventilation at the middle line of the roof top with proper overhang is a must.

• Hot air and obnoxious gases which are lighter than air move upward and escape through ridge ventilation.

• Height The height of the sides from foundation to the roof line should be 6 to 7 feet height, and at the centre 10 to 12 feet.• Foundation Good foundation is essential to prevent seepage of water into the poultry sheds. The foundation of the house should of concrete with 1 to 1.5 feet below the surface and 1 to 1.5 feet above the ground level.

• Doors The door must be open outside in case of deep-litter poultry houses. The size of door is preferably 6 x 2.5 feet. At the entry, a foot bath should be constructed to fill with a disinfectant.

• Side walls The side wall should be of 2-2.5 feet height, This side wall protects the bird during rainy days or chill climate and also provides sufficient ventilation. In case of cage houses, no side wall is needed.

• Roof The roof of the poultry house may be thatched, tiled, asbestos or concrete one depending upon the cost involvement. Different types of roofs are Shed, Gable, half-monitor, full-monitor (Monitor), Flat concrete, Gambrel, Gothic etc. Gable type is mostly preferred in tropical countries like India.

• Overhang The overhang of the roof should not be less than 3.5 feet in order to prevent the entry of rain water into the shed.

• Lighting Light should be provided at 7-8 feet above the ground level and must be hanged from ceiling. If incandescent bulbs are used, the interval between two bulbs is 10 feet. In case of fluorescent lights (tube lights) the interval is 15 feet.

Foot bath• Footbaths should be on a solid surface close to

the point of entry to the site and building to be entered.

Commonly used disinfectants used in a foot bath:• Glutaraldehyde + Formaldehyde disinfectants,• Glutaraldehyde + quaternary ammonium salts,• Iodophores.

Foot Bath at the Entrance in a Broiler Shed

DRINKERS• The most commonly used systems are the Bell drinker

and the Nipple drinker, although troughs are also used. .

• Bell drinkers : supply open water, and need regular maintenance to avoid pollution and spilling. • A minimum of 8-9 drinkers per 1000 birds should be

provided. • Maximum distance between bird and drinker should

be 2m. For the first 3-4 days, additional mini-drinkers should be provided.

• Nipple drinkers: Especially the so-called high-pressure nipple systems that do not need drip cups, are getting more and more popular.• They require lower maintenance, give better water

quality and result in dry litter due to decreased water spilling.

• Under normal conditions, 1 nipple per 12 birds should be available.

• In warm conditions or when birds have grown to high body weights, 1 nipple per 8-10 birds should be installed.

• Maximum distance between drinker lines should be 4m.

Feederers

• In all cases, feeder heights must be adjustable to reach the shoulder height of the growing bird.

• Feeder space allowance per bird:• Feeder plate: 70-100 birds per plate• Troughs: 4 cm feeder space per bird (2 cm trough).• Pan feeders: (Ø 33 cm) 75-100 birds per pan Pan feeders are becoming more popular, as they provide fresher and cleaner feed, and can prevent spilling more effectively. Pan feeders are easy for height adjustment, catching of chickens and cleaning the house.

PARAPET WALL

Parapet walls are useful in making partitions in a poultry house, and they should be of a minimum 0f 1.5 to 2 feet height in a broiler farm.

Chain Links and Netting In Broiler Farm for fencing