AEN 4131 – Farm Structures

Functional Planning
Lecture 11
Instructor: Dr Mofwe KAPULU
Email: mofwe.kapulu@unza.zm

May 2023
 Expected Learning Outcomes
Students should:
▪ Understand functional planning of farm buildings
▪ Understand the different types of livestock structures
▪ Understand functional design of farm buildings
▪ Understand the different types of poultry housing systems
▪ Understand and apply the planning of pig units

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 Functional Planning of Farm Buildings
▪ Focuses on the planning process of farm buildings i.e. from conception to
completion.
▪ Planning is the first and most important step in designing a farmstead (a
farm and its buildings).
▪ While it costs very little to change a plan on paper, the expense of altering
a finished building can be prohibitive.
▪ This planning process should clearly define the relationship of each
structure, or farmstead feature, to the overall goal.

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 Type of structures
▪ The planning of following structures will be dealt with under this topic:
▪ Poultry Housing

▪ Pig Housing

▪ Crop Storage Structures

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Planning Stages
▪ Building planning is concerned with providing the required standard facility
at the lowest cost.
1. Conception & feasibility:
▪ Investigate different farm building alternatives for investment and
development based on identified farming enterprises.
▪ Study user requirements, site conditions, requirement from authorities,
functional and technical requirements and costs.
▪ Considers a list of available resources and restrictions and other
background materials for each alternative.

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2. Sketch Plan:
▪ Roughly sketch the different alternative building designs based on
requirements.
▪ Study the drawings and evaluate them based on functional and technical
requirements.

3. Detailed Designing:
▪ Select the most appropriate design from the alternatives and then work
out the detailed structural designs and functional designs.
▪ This usually involves the use of engineering drawing software such as:
AutoCAD, Revit, Prokon, etc.

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4. Prepare working drawings:
▪ These serve as a guide for the construction of a building.
▪ These include: schedules for construction of building and specifications
regarding construction methods.

5. Prepare bill of materials:

▪ It is a list of the amounts of all materials and labour necessary to complete
a construction project.

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6. Invite tenders from contractors:
▪ Objectives is to obtain proposals for construction work from different
contractors and quotations for building materials from different suppliers.
▪ Tenders can be by open tenders e.g. advertised in papers or selective
tenders through meeting capable contractors.
7. Site Operations:
▪ Mainly involves: hiring of labour, provision of tools, preparation of access
roads to sites, provision of temporal stores and sheds, delivery of
construction materials and inspections during construction.

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 Functional design of farm buildings
▪ Use the following guidelines which are based on the requirements that
have been analysed in earlier steps to sketch alternative plans of the
building:
i. Concentrate functions and spaces that naturally belong together, but
keep dirty activities separated from clean activities (sow pens close to
boar pens).
ii. Make communication lines (e.g. corridors) as straight and simple as
possible within the building.
iii. Avoid unused spaces and long communication corridors.
iv. Provide space for simple and efficient work (Put yourself in the situation
of working in the building).
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v. Provide for future expansion.
vi. Use as few different handling methods as possible and choose methods
that are known to be reliable, flexible and simple.
vii. Provide for good environment for labourers, animals or produce.
viii. Keep the plan as simple as possible within the limits of production
requirements.

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 Poultry Housing
▪ Poultry includes chickens, turkeys, ducks, quails and geese.
▪ Chickens are the most widely raised and suitable even for small holders
who keep a few birds that forage for themselves.
▪ At the other extreme, commercial farmers may have highly mechanized
systems housing thousands of birds.
▪ In between are farm operations in a wide range of sizes with varying types
of management and housing.

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General Housing Requirements for Chickens
Site Selection
▪ Well drained, elevated and level site.
▪ Adequate supply of drinking water
▪ Adequate ventilation and sheltered from strong winds
▪ Downward wind location in relation to dwellings because of odours and
smells.
▪ Separate different stages of production in different buildings which are
located about 10-15m apart to minimize spread of diseases.
▪ Brooding houses to be at least 30m because the young birds are more
sensitive to diseases.

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Environmental Requirements
i. Temperature:
▪ Day old chicks require 33 - 380C.
▪ This temperature is maintained for about 1 week and then slowly reduced
to ambient temp by the end of 5 weeks.

ii. Light:
▪ Light has a profound effect on egg production.
▪ A sudden change in the length of photoperiod is likely to result in
significant drop in egg production.
▪ 14-15hrs of lighting is optimum for layers and 24hrs for broilers to
encourage maximum feed consumption.
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iii. Relative humidity:
▪ Very low RH causes dust conditions while high humidity combined with
temperatures above 27°C reduces cooling and increase the risk of death.
▪ 50-70% relative humidity is optimum for poultry houses.

iv. Ventilation:
▪ Adequate ventilation will help to maintain RH to desirable levels.
▪ Good ventilation using natural breezes could be beneficial in poultry
houses.

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Construction details of poultry houses
1. Floor
▪ 100-150 mm thick concrete floor on a firm base hard-core with 150mm
thick is adequate.
▪ At least 150 mm above ground level.
▪ Smooth finish
▪ In deep litter system, the floor will have litter on it which must be changed
periodically.
▪ Slatted floor systems, the floor is raised above ground level and it is
constructed from wood planks.

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2. Walls
▪ A light solid plastered wall about 0.8m to 1m high be necessary to
discourage insects and rats.
▪ This is followed by wire mesh up to 3m high with provision for blocking
the ventilation during cold months.

3. Roof
▪ Single or double slope roof with a good roofing material to block rain
water and provide shade from sun light.
▪ A roof ridge ventilation may be provided for improved air circulation.

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Types of poultry housing systems

Extensive/Free range Semi- Intensive

intensive

Combination of deep Slatted Deep Cage

litter & slatted floor floor litter

Stair-step Battery/vertical Individual

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 Types of poultry buildings
▪ Poultry buildings fall under any of the housing systems discussed earlier,
these include:
▪ Brooder/chick house: used to brood and rear egg-type chicks from 0 to 9
weeks of age.
▪ Grower house: It is used to grow egg-type birds from 9 to 18 weeks of age.
▪ Layer house: birds over 18 weeks are reared, usually up to 72 weeks of age.
▪ Broiler house: broilers are reared up to 6 weeks of age.
▪ Breeder house: houses breeders.

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Layer houses
▪ Pullets (young hens) are transferred from the grower house to the layer
house at 18 weeks of age.
▪ They start laying when they are 20 to 24 weeks old.
▪ At the time of transfer they should be grouped according to size and stage
of maturity.
▪ There are five major systems used in housing of layers:
▪ Semi-intensive
▪ Deep litter
▪ Slatted or wire floor
▪ Combination of semi-intensive and slatted floor
▪ Cage or battery system.
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Semi-intensive system
▪ The birds are confined but provided with access
to outdoor area.
▪ Birds forage on natural vegetation to supplement
the feed supplied.
▪ House features:
▪ Stocking density: 0.3-0.4 m² per bird;
▪ Simple roof when necessary;
▪ Floor: tilted earth or concrete floor and slatted, or
chicken wire.
▪ At least three walls of chicken wire to provide
protection;
▪ Cheap but growth of the birds and egg production
relatively low.

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Deep litter system
▪ The birds are confined and are kept on floors
covered with bedding material.
▪ Offers good protection and requires
reasonable investment.
▪ House features:
▪ The building has low masonry walls;
▪ Set on a concrete floor with wire mesh
completing the upper part of the walls.
▪ It has easy access for feeding, watering, egg
collection;
▪ Stocking density: 4-5 birds/m²

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Slatted or wire floor system
▪ Layers are kept on raised floors such that
droppings fall through the floor.
▪ The floor is built on treated wooden poles
about 0.8-1.0 m above the ground.
▪ The slatted floor is constructed as a platform
using 30 to 50 mm diameter sticks and wire
mesh can be used also.
▪ No litter is required.
▪ Stocking density :6-8 birds per m².
▪ Feeding, watering and egg collection are
handled from outside.

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Combination of slatted floor and deep litter
▪ 60% slatted area & 40% litter area.
▪ Slats on either side of house against each side
wall leaving central portion for litter floor.
▪ Waterers and feeders are placed on slatted area.
▪ Expensive but increased investment costs are
compensated by increased bird density of up to
5-7 per m².
▪ This system saves on litter and increases litter
life.

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Cage system
▪ In this system egg-laying hens are confined in
cages.
▪ Higher egg production due to restricted
movement of chickens, allowing more feed
conversion into egg materials.
▪ Cage system denies hens direct access to
their faeces.
▪ Results in reduced risk of infections and
medication costs, lowering the overall cost of
production.
▪ Eggs laid will get rolled out by an inclined
floor bottom.

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 Broiler Houses
▪ Production of poultry meat.
▪ Fast growing and reach market weight in about
6 weeks.
▪ Reared in either semi-intensive or intensive
system (mostly deep litter or slatted floor).
▪ There is little difference in the layering of chicks
to become pullet replacement for layers or
broilers.
▪ The stocking density is 5-7 birds/m² for deep
litter and 9-10 birds/m² for slatted floor.

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 Pig Housing
Key Definitions
▪ Boar: Any male pig over 6 months and intended for use in the breeding
herd.
▪ Farrowing: Production of a litter of one or more live or dead pigs, but not
abortion.
▪ Litter:The product of a farrowing.
▪ Piglets:Young pigs under the age of 8 weeks.
▪ Sow:Any breeding female that has been serviced and is on the farm.
▪ Weaning:The permanent separation of a sow and suckers.

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 Environmental Requirements
Temperature:
▪ After farrowing, the sow requires a temperature of 20°C below that of a
newborn piglets.
▪ A piglets need 35°C or slightly above that to fall to about 33°C in about 2
days.
▪ These conflicting temperature requirements are met by providing an
ambient temperature in the building and heating in the creep for the
piglets.

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Air movement:
▪ Pigs will generally benefit from air movement when the temperature is
between 32 to 39°C.
▪ Pigs prefer still air and at most air movement of 0.15m/s is required when
the air temperature is at or below optimum levels.
Relative humidity:
▪ RH in excess of 80% may have an adverse effect on pig health.
▪ RH below 40% may cause dust conditions.

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Ventilation
▪ Required to:
▪ replace fouled air,
▪ reduce temperature & RH, and
▪ remove noxious gasses.
▪ Recommended ventilation rate is 2 m³/hr.kg
Air Quality
▪ Contaminants moving in the air can greatly affect pig health.
▪ Reduced by good ventilation, cleaning and drainage.
Light
▪ Good lighting during day time enables all stock to be seen and inspected.

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 Planning Pig Units
▪ The breeding cycle of a pig is very short.
▪ Sows come on heat every 3-4 weeks after weaning and farrow 16 weeks
later.
▪ Sow and litter stay together 6-8 weeks after weaning.
▪ Weaners are kept together in a weaner accommodation between 8-12
weeks before they are moved into a fattening accommodation.
▪ Finally, pigs are slaughtered at weight of between 70 and 95 kg for pork &
beacon, respectively.

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 Slaughtering Market

Culling
Boars

Service
5-8 wks 5-7 Days 16wks
Farrowing Weaning Mating Farrowing
5–8 wks

Mating
Market
Gilts

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Boar Pens
▪ Required for resting boars & accommodating
new boars.
▪ Required pen size is 8 m² or more for each
boar.
▪ Gates made from steel pipes should be used.
▪ Strong walls 1.5 m high and 150 mm thick are
recommended.
▪ Combined boar and service pens require
more area & a minimum distance of 2.75 m.

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Farrowing - Suckling Pens
▪ In a small and medium scale intensive
production unit, a combined farrowing,
suckling and rearing pen is normally used.
▪ A sow is brought in this pen 1 week before
farrowing and stays there with the litter for 5-
8 weeks.
▪ The sow is then removed to wean the piglets
which remain in the pen until they are 12-13
weeks or 25 kg weight.

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▪ The requirement for a farrowing pen are as follows:
▪ Confined area for the sow
▪ Warm place for the piglets (creep)
▪ Escape routes for piglets
▪ Separate feeding spaces for the sow and piglets
▪ Easy to clean floor
▪ For dimension requirements (Table 5.5, pp 112 in Farm Structures
Textbook).

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Dry Sow Pen
▪ After weaning, the sow comes on heat within
5-7 days and then at 3 weeks interval until
successful mating.
▪ In the period before pregnancy, the sow is
best kept in the pen near to the boar’s pen.
▪ Gestating sows are kept in pens in groups of
up to 10-12 sows that will farrow within a 2-3
weeks interval.
▪ The sow is taken to the farrowing pen 1 week
before farrowing.
▪ Dimensions (Table 5.6, pp 113)

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Weaner and fattening Pen
▪ Weaning is recommended at 5 to 6 weeks.
▪ At 12-14 weeks of age, weaners are
transferred to the growing/finishing pen.
▪ The pigs can be kept in groups of 12 and later
reduced to 9.
▪ The highest running expense for rearing pigs
is the cost of feed.
▪ Dimensions (Table 5.7, pp 114)

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 Determining the required number of
pens
▪ Number of pens required for different age groups and types of pigs
depends on the stocking density.
▪ Calculation of the number of pens should be based on the number of
sows in a herd.
▪ It is advisable to choose the next highest number of pens.
▪ Ideally, each pen should be fully occupied at all times allowing only for a
cleaning and sanitation period of about 7 days between successive groups.

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Example
A pig production unit has 14 sows in which the average suckling period is 8
weeks. Piglets remain in the farrowing pens for 4 weeks after weaning and 1
week is required for cleaning and sanitation before farrowing. The average
weaning to conception period is 20 days, while the gestation period is 114
days. The sows are moved to the farrowing pens 1 week before farrowing,
but 7 days must be added for cleaning in the servicing/gestation pens.

Two stage growing and finishing is practised with growing pigs remaining in
the growing pen from 12 to 20 weeks of age and in the finishing pen from
20 to 27 weeks of age. One week is required in the growing pen for
cleaning and sanitation. Two weeks are required for selling off the finished
pigs and 1 week for cleaning the finishing pen.

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Determine:
(i) The number of farrowing’s per year
(ii) The number of farrowing pens
(iii) The number of servicing/gestation pens each housing 4 sows.
(iv) The number of growing pens with 10 pigs each
(v) The number of finishing pens with 8 pigs each

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Solution (based on occupation periods)
(i) Number of farrowing’s per year

Average Weaning to conception interval: 20 days

Gestation: 114 days
Suckling period (8 weeks): 56 days
Farrowing Interval 190 days

No. Farrowing’s/Sow/year = 365/190 = 1.92 = 2

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(ii) Number of farrowing pens
Before farrowing: 7 days
Suckling period (0 to 8 weeks): 56 days
Rearing of Weaners (8 to 12 weeks): 28 days
Cleaning and Sanitation: 7 days
Occupation/cycle 98 days

No. farrowing’s per pen = 365/98 = 3.7

Total number of farrowing's = 14*2 = 28
Total number of pens = 28/3.7 = 7.6 = 8 pens

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(ii) Number of servicing/gestating pens
Weaning to conception period: 20 days
Gestation period less 7 days in farrowing: 107 days
Cleaning and Sanitation: 7 days
Occupation/cycle 134 days

No. gestations places = 365/134 = 2.7

Total number of gestations = 14*2 = 28
Total number of places = 28/2.7 = 10.2 = 10 places
Total number of pens = 10/4 = 2.5 = 3 pens

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(iii) The number of growing pens with 10 pigs each
Growing pigs (12 to 20 weeks): 56 days
Cleaning and Sanitation: 7 days
Occupation/cycle 63 days
Assume 8 pigs/litter will survive to 12 weeks of age

Number of growing places = (14*2*8*63)/365 = 39

Total number of pens = 39/10 = 3.9 = 4 pens

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(iii) The number of finishing pens with 8 pigs each
Finishing pigs (20 to 27 weeks): 49 days
Marketing of finished pigs: 14 days
Cleaning and Sanitation: 7 days
Occupation/cycle 70 days

Assume 8 pigs/litter will survive to 20 weeks of age

Number of finishing places = (14*2*8*70)/365 = 42.9 = 43

Total number of pens = 43/8 = 5.4 = 5 pens

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