For poultry farmers constructing poultry houses under tropical environmental conditions for their poultry farming business, certain requirements must be met if the house is to provide an adequate environment. Considerations for the following factors will avoid pitfalls later.
1. Foundation of the House
A solid foundation is necessary to support the building. Digging should be done to a depth of between 0.5 to 0.7m or more depending on the nature of the soil.
After digging, a layer of concrete should be poured into a depth of about 10cm; this will form the basement upon which the blocks will be laid.
To minimize the effect of termites, an anti-termite chemical (solarium) can be poured on top of this basement.
Before building up the rest of the foundation, provision should be made for the erection of pillars at intervals along the length of the building. These pillars will support the roof in an open-sided poultry house.
2. Floor of the House
The floor should be thick enough to give protection against wetness or dampness during the wet season.
A concrete floor is mandatory for a deep litter system of management especially when the soil is very dense and can absorb and transfer moisture from the lower subsoil.
Rammed literate after sand filling may work well, but in such a case, the floor should be raised at least 30cm above the outside ground level, depending on the water level.
The floor should be cemented to make it easy to clean and wash. Concrete floor control rat problems in poultry houses.
Read Also: Different Types of Poultry Equipment and their Uses
3. Width of the House
The width from front to back of the open-sided poultry house could be up to 10m (36 ft) in order to ensure effective natural ventilation.
Houses that are wider than this may not provide ample ventilation during the dry season. This recommended width is basic for growing birds, broilers, or for laying hens. The houses could be made wider if ceiling fans or air conditioners are installed.
4. Length of the House
A poultry house may be almost of any convenient length. The terrain on which the house is to be built often determines the length. A maximum length of 120metres is acceptable
When automatic feeding equipment is to be installed, this will limit the length of the poultry house. Therefore the equipment manufacturer should be consulted about the length of the chain and the gears of the automatic feeder before the length of the building is determined.
5. Wall of the House
The walls may be built up with cement or mud blocks. The walls can vary from full walls with windows to almost no wall at all i.e. dwarf walls.
The same open-sided house suitable for adult birds may be adapted for brooding chicks by covering the open sides with plastic sheets to conserve heat for the young birds during these first few weeks of life.
If it is be to open-sided, provision should be made for the erection of pillars at 1.3 to 1.6m (4-5ft) apart.
Wooden pillars are good enough but may need to be partially re-enforced with concrete up to the length of the solid portion of the wall.
The solid portion of the wall should be one-third (0.8 – 1m) to half of the total height of the wall/stud (2.4 -3m) high. The stud represents the distance from the foundation to the roof line, topped by a 0.9 -1.6m wide strip of 1/2inch chicken wire mesh.
If battery cages are to be used for growers or layers, the solid walls should be less than 0.8m.
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