HOUSING FOR BROILER

PRODUCTION
by

Engr. Alexis T. Belonio

Department of Agricultural Engineering and
Environmental Management
College of Agriculture
Central Philippine University
Iloilo City
atbelonio@yahoo.com
 Introduction
 Broiler – They are poultry chicks that are
raised for production of meat.
 Brooding - It is the process of supplying
heat to the chicks after hatching up to the
time that their natural heat regulatory
mechanism becomes fully functional
 Brooder guard – They are materials that
are placed around the brooder stoves to
prevent the chicks from straying too far
away from the heat supply until they learn
the source of heat.
 Litter – they are materials used as
bedding for animals
 Classifications of Broiler House
 According to type of roof
– Lean to roof
– Span/Ridged roof
 According to type of floor
– Slotted floor
– Solid floor
– Litter-type floor
– Concrete floor with cages
 According to type of
enclosure
– Open Sided Housing –
They are long and narrow
type of houses wherein at
least one-half of the front
and the back of the house
are open.
– Enclosed Housing – A type
of house wherein inside
conditions re maintained as
near as possible to the
bird’s optimum
requirements with the use
of mechanical ventilation
and artificial lighting.
 Floor Space Requirements

Stages Floor Space

m2/100 birds
4 weeks and below 6.25

Above 4 weeks old 12.50

 Location
 It should conform with the land use of the area.
 It should be accessible to service roads, water
supply, and electric lines.
 It should be well drained and allows free air
circulation.
 The building should be constructed in an east-
west orientation and the structure for
marketable birds should be located near the
service road.
 The site should be located where the prevailing
winds will not carry odors.
Structural Requirements
 Roofing material should be made of
corrugated GI sheets and other durable
roofing materials.
 At least one meter roof overhand should
be provided to ensure shade and to
protect the birds from rain.
 Roof structure should be designed to
carry dead loads such as suspended
feeders.
 Roof should be equipped with gutters so
that rainwater can be drained away
separately.
 Ceiling height should be at least 2.4 high.
 Walls should be made of suitable materials
such as chicken wire or bamboo slats.
 There should be provision to protect young
chicks and older birds during periods of cold
weather and extreme winds.
 Entrance door should be at least 900 mm wide
by 2 m high covered with 25 mm wire netting
and should be made to swing inward.
 Doors between pens should be hung in pairs
and be made to swing in both direction so that
feed and litter carriers can be pushed through
from either direction.
 For slotted floor
– The width of the slat should be 25 mm to 50
mm and the space in between slats should
be 25 mm to 38 mm. On top of the slats,
plastic net or fish net with 25 mm holes
should be used.
– If welded wire is used, it should have 625
mm2 mesh and the wire should be supported
every 300 mm.
 – Slats or wire floors should be constructed in
sections so that they may be removed when
it is necessary to clean the droppings from
under them or when the house is cleaned.
– The floor should be elevated at least 900 mm
from the ground and the post should have a
diameter of at least 200 mm.
 Litter-type floor
– Litter material should be at lest 50 mm to
100 mm deep over the cemented floor.
– Around the cemented floor, there should be
solid wall with a height of 600 mm to retain
the litter.
– Litter material should be light in weight, have
a medium particle size, highly absorbent, dry
rapidly, soft and compressible, low thermal
conductivity, and inexpensive.
– Floor support should be designed to carry
concentrated loads such as the maximum
total weight of birds.
 Functional Requirements
 The width of the pen should be about 10 m to
12 m.
 The length of the house should depend on
the terrain of the land and on the length of
the automatic feeding equipment.
 The brooding area should be surrounded with
cardboard, metal sheeting or any hardboard
with a minimum height of 450 mm to protect
the chicken from draught
 Recommended Brooding
Temperature
Age of Chicks Temperature
(days) (C)

1-7 32 – 35

8 - 14 29 – 32

14 - 21 27 – 29

Beyond 21 Provide heat only when

necessary
 During the first 48 hours, chicks should receive a
total of 23 hour of light at 35 watt/m2 of
illumination. After 48 hours, the intensity of
light should be reduce at about 10 watt/m2 at
floor level.
 The height of a hover type brooder should be
adjustable. Minimum clearance should be
maintained at 120 mm above the back of the
birds.
 Thermometers should be placed in strategic
location inside the poultry house in order to
monitor temperature.
 Temperature of the poultry house should be
always the same with the outside temperature
during summertime. Temperature should be
lowered by providing additional water through,
roof sprinklers, foggers, and fans.
 Aisle and walkways between doors should be at
least 1 m wide.
 The recommended feeder length should be as
specified below. Each feeding trough should
have a guard or lip to about 10 mm – 20 mm to
prevent the feed from being scratched out or
beaked out onto the floor. It should be provided
with wire bars or grills to prevent scratching and
billing.
 Feeder Length Requirement

Stages Linear* Round**

m/100 birds Pieces/100 birds
4 weeks and 4 4
below
Above 4 weeks 7.5 5
old
* If both sides of a linear feeder is available to birds, count each side when figuring
available space.
**305 mm diameter pan
 Round feeders should be provided with
adjustable slots to control feed flow. Edges of
feeder pan should be rolled for safety.
 As the flock grows, feeders should be raised to
maintain the feed level at the same height as
the back of the chicken.
 For every 100 chicks, two fount-type chick
waters should be provided for the first 2
weeks. Waterers should be placed outside the
edge of the hover. After two days the fount
should be placed on the stand about 25 mm
high. Each waterer should hold approximately
3.6 liters of water
 Waterer Length Requirement
Stages Linear Round
m/100 birds Pieces/100 birds

4 weeks and 2.5 1

below

Above 4 weeks 4 1
old

* If both sides of a linear waterer is available to the birds, count each

side when figuring available space.
 To facilitate cleaning, the shape and size
of the waterers should be semi-circular
and fairly wide and supported by an
adjustable bracket to permit easier
adjustment. A removable stopper at the
drainage end could be provided to allow
easier cleaning.
 Waterers should be spaced uniformly
throughout the house. No birds should
have to go over 3 meters to drink.
 Artificial lighting with intensity of 200 lux
should always be available for use during the
night or darkened periods of the day.
 All electrical design and installation should
conform to Philippine Electrical Code.
 Outlets for natural ventilation should be
either ridge or chimney opening on the
downside of the building and should
preferably located at the highest point of
the building.
 Inlets should be through vent doors,
curtains or other large openings along the
long sides of the building.
 If necessary, automatic controls should
be provided to maintain the indoor
temperature and provide air exchange as
weather changes hourly and seasonally.
Natural ventilation system controllers
should be available to regulate air
exchange by adjusting inlet and outlet
opening sizes.
 Fan should be installed on the side
opposite the prevailing wind.
 References
 PAES. 2001. Housing for Broiler Production.
Philippine Agricultural Engineering standards
Volume II. AMTEC, CEAT, UPLB, College,
Laguna. Pp. D22 to D30.
 Project Study
Make a design of a broiler house required to raise 20,000 heads of
chicken in one load. The structure must be half of slat-type and the
other half must be a litter-type. The design must show the following:
(a) Calculations for the floor area, size of feeder and waterer;
(b) Floor plan and layout;
(c) Longitudinal and side views; and
(d) Estimate for the material cost (roofing, flooring, and
walling).