layer housing

• litter type - type of flooring: concrete floor with bedding material (rice hull, rice straw, wood shavings/saw dust)
• slotted type - type of flooring with openings
• rice hull

  
• rice straw

  
• slot-litter type

  • combination of slotted and litter type flooring 
  • 60% slotted, 40% covered with litter
• community nest - large nesting boxes for 3-6 layers
• Location of Layer Farm

  • conform to the land use plan of the area
  • buildings - constructed in an east-west orientation
  • structure for marketable animals - located near the service roads
  • accessible to service roads, water supply and electric lines
  • well drained and allows for free air circulation
  • located where the prevailing winds will not carry odors to the farmhouse
• Type of Confinement

  • pen type
  • cage type
• Type of Flooring

  • litter type
  • slotted type
  • slotted-litter type
• Space Requirements

  Pen Type

  
• Cage Type

  • minimum space requirements for birds in cage shall be 5 sq. m/100 birds
• Roof

  • made of corrugated G.I sheets and other durable roofing materials
  • at least one meter roof overhang; to ensure shade and to protect the birds from rain
  • equipped with gutters so that rainwater can be drained away separately
• Ceiling

  • at least 2.4 m high
• Walls

  • made of suitable materials such as chicken wire or bamboo slats
• Doors

  • entrance door: at least 900 mm wide by 2 m high
  • swing inward
  • covered with 25 mm mesh wire netting
  • doors between pens: hung in pairs and made to swing in both direction
• slotted floord

  • width of the slat: 25 mm - 50 mm
  • space between slats: 25 mm - 38 mm
  • on the top of the slats: plastic net or fish net with 25 mm holes
  • welded wire: 625 sq. mm mesh
  • slats or wire floors: constructed in sections
  • elevated at least 900 mm from the ground
  • posts should have a diameter of at least 200 mm
• Slatted Floor

  
• Litter Type Floor

  • litter material: at least 50 mm - 100 mm deep over the cemented floor
  • around the cemented floor: solid wall with a height of 600 m
  • litter material: light in weight, medium particle size, highly absorbent, dry rapidly, soft and compressible, low thermal conductivity, inexpensive
• Pen Sizes

  • width: about 10 m - 12 m
  • length: depends on the numer of birds, terrain of the land, and length of the automatic feeding equipment
• laying cages

  • designed with wire floor and sidewall
  • distance spacing between the wires in front of the cage: 60 mm to allow feeding
  • have similar height
  • size of the floor vary according to the size of the chicken and number of birds per cage
• Typical Design of a Laying Cage

  
• laying cage (front view)

  
• laying cage (side view)

  
• laying cages

  floor

  • made of 12 gauge wire
  • have a slope of 21% - 25%
  • dimension of the slot: 25 mm to 40 mm x 60 mm
  • dropping tray: provided underneath the floor of the cage
• nests

  • adequate in size, ample, easily cleaned and well ventilated
  • if layers are confined in cages, nest is not needed
• individual nest

  • 310 mm wide
  • 310 mm high
  • 310-360 mm long
  • constructed with a wire mesh at the back or with the back open for adequate air movement
  • bottom of the nests shall be removable for easy cleaning
  • one nest for each 5 to 6 layer

  
• communal nest

  • 600 mm wide
  • 2.4 m long
  • 200 mm opening at each end through

  laying floor

  • removable, made of 13 mm galvanized wire mesh
  • 7% slopping towards the other side provided with foam rubber/bumper pad
  • one nest box: accomodate 20 to 25 layers

  
• linear feeder

  • space requirement: 65 mm/bird
  • with guard or lip: 10 mm to 20 mm
  • provided with bars or grills

  
• round type feeder

  • to control feed flow, slots should adjustable
  • edges of feeder pan: rolled for safety
  • height of feeding system should be adjustable

  
• waterer

  • space requirement: 20 mm/bird
  • it can be: automatic trough, hanging waterers, and cup waterer
  • spaced uniformly throughout the house, no bird shall have to go 3m to get water
• different types of cages arrangements

  
• different types of cage arrangement

  
• different types of cage arrangement

  
• different types of cage arrangement