LPM 221: Commercial Poultry Production and Hatchery Management (1+1)

TYPE OF BIRD REARED

Based on the type of bird reared

• Brooder / Chick cages/Battery brooders
• Grower cages
• Layer cages
• Breeder cages
• Broiler cages

Brooder cage/chick cage

• Specifications
  • Front feeding length : 60 inch
  • Front & Back height : 12 inch
  • Depth : 36 inch
  • No. of chicks (0-8 weeks) accommodated per box : 60
• Chick cages are arranged either as single deck or double deck system. The feeders and waterers are arranged on outside.
• Now-a-days nipple drinker system is followed from day-old itself.
• Newspaper may be spread over the cage floor for first 7 or 10 days.
• Feed is usually provided inside the cage during the first week of age.

Grower cage

• Specifications
  • Front feeding length : 30 inch
  • Front & Back height : 15 inch
  • Depth : 18 inch
  • No. of growers (9 to 18 weeks) accommodated per box : 10

Layer cage

• Two types of stair-step layer cages are commonly used in open-sided poultry houses
  1. Conventional cages
  2. Reverse cages (Californian cages)

Conventional cages

• Specifications for each box
  • Front feeding length : 15 inch
  • Front height : 18 inch
  • Back height : 15 inch
  • Depth : 18 inch

Reverse cages

• Specifications for each box
  • Front feeding length : 18 inch
  • Front height : 18 inch
  • Back height : 15 inch
  • Depth : 15 inch
• These cages can hold 3 to 4 birds. They are arranged either in 2-tier or 3-tier.
• A slope of 1/6 is provided in conventional cages, where as in reverse cages the slope is 1/5.

Advantages of reverse cages over conventional cages

• More feeding space is available in reverse cages. So, all 4 birds can take feed at a time, where as in conventional cages, 3 birds can take feed and the other one is waiting at the back.
• Number of cracked eggs is less due to lesser rolling distance.
• Better ventilation in reverse cages than conventional cages.

Elevated cage layer house

• The height of the shed is raised by 6-7 feet using concrete pillars.
• The distance between two pillars is 10 feet.
• Two feet wide concrete platforms are made over the pillars. When 3 ‘M’ type cages are arranged 4 platforms are needed.
• In case of 2 ‘M’ and 2 ‘L’ type cages are arranged 3 platforms are needed.
• When constructing platforms projecting angles or iron rods to be provided to fix the cages.
• The inter-platform distance is 6-7 feet depending upon the type of the cages used.
• The total height of the house is 20-25 feet and the width is 30-33 feet. This type of houses provides sufficient ventilation in tropical countries.