Semi-Intensive/Restricted Range Poultry Production System
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.
Semi-Intensive/Restricted Range Poultry Production System
The semi-intensive/restricted range poultry production system involves the use of poultry rum which is an area of land enclosed by a fence of wire netting.
The birds are allowed to wonder about during the day and at night they are kept in poultry house.
Advantages
This system has the advantages that the birds are under strict control e.g. prevented from crossing with inferior cocks. The birds are protected from predators and accidents.
Disadvantages
The disadvantages include high cost of production and large space or land requirement.
In conclusion, poultry has proved to be a 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 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.
Read Also: Problems or Constraints of Poultry and Guidelines to Improve Poultry production
