Poultry House Construction: A Crucial Element Of Poultry Farming

Whether you are buying live chickens, whole slaughtered chickens, chicken pieces, or eggs you are partaking in the large South African industry of poultry farming. Chicken is the most popular meat to be consumed in South Africa. This is due to its relatively low price tag. Thus, investing in poultry farming is a clever and lucrative move; however, as with any undertaking, there are some key elements to invest in, in order to assure success. Perhaps the most important element of starting a poultry farm is the process of poultry house construction.

In this article, we will discuss poultry house construction and all the elements that should be considered when entering the poultry farming industry.

The Type of Poultry Farming

The first decision you must make when starting your venture as a poultry farmer is to decide what type of poultry sector you will be building your business in. The three main poultry sectors consist of:

• Broiler: These are chickens that are bred for meat consumption. Typically, these chickens are very efficient at growing and bulking up in a short period of time. It is said that some of the most efficient broiler chicken breeds can produce one part of body weight for every two parts of feed that they consume.
• Laying: These are the chickens that are bred and kept to lay eggs. These chickens are very good at laying eggs, being able to lay between 20 and 23 eggs in their first year. These chickens are not slaughtered and lay eggs for years on end.
• Incubation: One can also incubate and raise chicks for sale to other poultry farms that do not produce their own stock.

Considerations of a Poultry House

When getting ready to construct a poultry house, it is important to consider a few elements that could change the shape, size, and functionality of your building.

• Location: It is important to determine if the area in which you are starting your poultry farm is safe for chickens. For example, are there any natural predators that could hunt your flock? If so, then it is best to ensure that you secure your property and the poultry houses against these predators.
• Climate: Every climate will pose its challenges when farming on a large scale, which is why it is important to confer with other poultry farmers in the area. This will allow you to find out what the climatic conditions and hindrances are, and what the solutions are to those problems.
• Breed: Different breeds have different needs and requirements to grow and lay optimally. Thus, it is important to know which breed you are going to be farming with, as this will allow you to create the perfect environment for that breed and ensure that they produce optimally.

The Key Elements of a Poultry House

Other than the climate, location, or type of breed that could require some customisation, there are basic elements that every poultry house should contain to ensure the flock is comfortable and farming can be conducted easily.

• Access: When building a poultry house it is important to keep in mind how those tending to your flock will enter the building to perform duties such as feeding, providing water, and cleaning. There should be no obstacles in the way of the workers performing this job.
• Flooring: The flooring or bedding used should be comfortable for the chickens and ensure that eggs are safe as they are being laid if one has a  laying farm.
• Hygiene: Cleaning should be very easy to perform in a well-designed poultry house. When hygiene is applied correctly in poultry farming, diseases and deaths will be kept under control.
• Lighting: It is important to ensure that your chickens receive the correct amount of light and heating to ensure they operate optimally.
• Ventilation: Without proper ventilation, one's flock can become sick and contract diseases easily.
• Waste Disposal: It is important to have an effective waste disposal system in place as one needs to remove bad eggs or the carcasses of birds as they die.
• Divisions: One must ensure that different breeds and ages are separated within a poultry house as too much intermingling can cause diseases, increase deaths, and make feeding harder. Thus, it will be less efficient in the long run.

Poultry House Construction Cost

Depending on the size and intricacy of a poultry house the cost can vary dramatically. It is best to contact a variety of poultry house construction companies in your area to compare quotes and decide from there who will give you the best value versus cost.

Poultry House Construction Companies 

Bessemer is a company that provides farmers with turnkey poultry houses. This means that everything is taken care of for you. From broiler to laying, to incubation poultry houses, Bessemer can build it all and assist clients from design to construction.

To find out more about what poultry house would be best for your farming project and goals, visit the AGRIFOODSA directory.