There are several poultry production systems employed by poultry farmers in different parts of the world. Examples include: Extensive or Free range poultry production system; Semi-intensive or Restricted range poultry production system, and Intensive poultry production system. Each of these poultry production system has its merits and demerits.

Poultry of various classes are kept either for meat or egg production. For example, white leghorns are normally used for egg production while broiler strains are based on crosses between Cornish white, New Hampshire, and white Plymouth Rock.

Large poultry units are being increasingly developed in areas of high temperature that are not traditional to advanced methods of husbandry and special techniques are needed for satisfactory management of poultry under these conditions.

In a tropical environment, the design and construction of poultry houses must take into consideration the climatic and weather conditions of the environment. The guiding principle is to keep poultry productive throughout their producing life. This involves the provision of optimum conditions of temperature, humidity, ventilation and light.

Another important principle relates to design and durability. Poultry house should be structurally strong, durable, and cheap.

Extensive/Free Range System

The extensive/free range poultry production system involves the rearing of chickens in an open unrestricted environment with or without artificial shelter. This is the most common system of poultry production. It has the following advantages

Advantages

Reduce cost of feeding.

Nutritional deficiencies rarely occur because of access to green feed, grains, white ants, and other insects.

It involves low capital investment.

It eliminates cannibalism among the birds.

Disadvantages

Difficulties in controlling birds, especially during disease outbreak, breeding and proper feeding.

Loss of eggs and birds through accidents, theft, and predators.

Requires a large area of land

In conclusion, poultry has proved to be particularly versatile domestic bird that is adapted to almost all environments and system of production.

Poultry production makes it an open choice for the farmer to decide which system of production he is interested in based on his capital, skills, and needs.

In a tropical environment, the design and construction of poultry houses must take into consideration the climatic and weather conditions of the environment.

The guiding principle is to keep poultry productive throughout their producing life. This involves the provision of optimum conditions of temperature, humidity, ventilation and light.

Another important principle relates to cost and durability. Poultry house should be structurally strong, durable, and cheap.

It is very important that food troughs should not be overfilled and neither should the tube feeders be too widely opened. The construction of the food trough is also important and there exist types that reduce spillage and so reduce food wastage by up to 20 percent.

Food wastage can turn a profitable enterprise into one making a considerable loss.