Poultry Equipment

Layer houses for chicken farming

Layer poultry houses for egg production

The new Yellow Door Layer House for egg production is the latest poultry house from Chicken Shack Agencies. Supplied with chicken cages, or layer cages, this house is specifically designed for egg production. Built from robust 30mm x 30mm angle iron and 0.4mm galvanized steel sheeting, this layer house is perfect for the small egg producer or commercial chicken farmer (see the chicken house video). Some farmers like to use thicker steel and we are happy to oblige - in fact we recommend using at least 0.7mm thick roofing sheet for a house that will last a long time. On the larger structures (like the one in the picture) we use 40mm x 40mm Angle iron on the uprights for a more sturdy structure (the small houses do not need 40mm x 40mm uprights.

chicken house with layer cages South Africa The layer house features extra wide curtain opens to ensure optimum ventilation for cooling and a low side wall for proper drying out of litter. The height of the house is 2.5m high at the lowest point so that the new generation nest boxes can be installed. This means that the top tier of a two tier layer cage is not to close to an uninsulated roof.

An extra meter has been added to the width of the small chicken houses (from 3m to 4m on a 3 meter house and 6 meters to 7 meters on a 30 meter house) - allowing easy access all around the layer cages. This makes it very easy to push an egg trolley or similar around the cage to collect eggs. Egg collection takes place sometimes up to 3 times a day - and all the activity will affect your egg production - so the quicker you can be in and out the better.

Layer Cages

Fitted with layer cages that can hold up to 7 hens per bay, the layer house gets water from a header tank and supplies water through a nipple drinking system. Troughs are fitted at the front of the layer cage making watering and feeding your laying chickens a breeze. This will save on the daily chore of filling and cleaning drinkers and feeders. The layer cages are made in South Africa and are made from galvanised steel mesh - if you buy cages that are not galvanised they will rust very quickly.

Layer cages come in 2 tiers and 3 tiers - this just means how many level, or cages are above one another. At the back of the lower cages are the dung curtains - which prevent the waste from falling on the chickens below. A layer house will have a concrete floor - and you will not use shavings - the dung falls directly on to the floor and is cleaned every week. If your watering system is done correctly it will not leak and therefor the small of the dry litter is not bad at all. Low walls on the sides where the curtains are will help with the drying out of the litter - as will the fan at the top of the house.

Poultry Curtain Openings

Fully winched curtaining system using robust geared winches, the curtain opens from 30cm from the base of the house and spans 2m giving your chickens plenty of ventilation and allowing your litter to easily dry out throughout the laying cycle. The curtains are 550 GSM and are UV protected - meaning they will last. Make sure you roll them up and down everyday to stop rats from nesting in the rolled curtain - the rats will chew and damage the curtains ... as many lazy farmers have found out after rolling their curtains up after several months. Rat boxes will help with this.

Added Height to Poultry House

The extra 500mm that has been added to the chicken house, along with the wide curtain spaces makes keeping you chickens cool a lot easier. The space above the 2nd tier and 3rd teir of the layer cage means the hens are not too close to the roof. If you do not have insulation the extra height makes a huge difference. (if you can afford insulation, or sisalation, then do it - it will cut your heating and cooling costs. Some farmers without insulation have to run sprinklers on the steel roof to keep the hens from overheating!

Added Width to Small Poultry Houses

The chicken house width has been increased from 3m to 4 meters (on a mall 3 meter wide house), and from 6 meters to seven meters on a large 30 meter house.This means that there is easy access all the way around the layer cages. You can easily get a wheel barrow in and around so that you can work with a spade for collecting litter - and of course, collect eggs with an egg trolley is now as easy as shopping in a supermarket. Many small chicken farmers find collecting eggs takes up a huge amount of time - and with an egg trolley this will be a thing of the past. The poultry unit also has a front veranda - not absolutely needed - but very nice to keep tools, buckets and cleaning material for the chicken farm.

All the poultry equipment you need

The layer house is specifically designed for egg production, A chicken house for eggs is not the same as a poultry house for broilers - they are very different - not just the chicken cages but the actual layout and structure of a hen house is different. A poultry layer house for egg farming can be small chicken house for farming eggs, or a large brick and mortar structure like those used by Early Bird and Rainbow Chickens - the farming principles and the equipment remain similar. And like all our yellow door houses, this layer house comes with everything you need for a successful poultry operation - poultry heaters, thermometers, fans and insulation - you choose the extras - we will fit and install at no extra charge. The farm where the chicken house in the picture is has installed silos and a cross auger. There is also a mono rail running the length of the property that will carry the eggs to his egg sorting and weighing room. These extras will cut down on labour. He has 6 chicken house in a row so the cost of the infrastructure will be paid off quite quickly. If you only have one house this may not be a cost effective solution for small poultry farmers. The chicken farmer has also installed lights in the chicken house - this will help the hens to lay more eggs - he will use a timer on the poultry lights to switch them on and off at the right times.

Comments (4)

Poultry Feeding Systems

Many types of feeding methods exist and are used in South Africa. From scattering feed by hand, to highly mechanised chain feeding systems and pan feeding systems that feed 30 - 40 000 birds at a time. The type of system you choose when asking how to give chickens food will depend on your budget, the number of chickens you plan to raise, and the type of poultry farming you are doing. (broilers, layers or breeder broilers).

Tube Feeders and Chick Trays

Depending on your resources and the number of chickens you plan to farm - with a bit of research, you will find the right method. Generally if you have a small house - up to 2000 birds, a manual feeding system is fine. You would use plastic tube feeders chick trays, with bell drinkers to give the chickens water. These are placed on the floor of the house or suspended from the roof. They require cleaning every day and refilling as they empty. The plus side is that you are not throwing your feed on the floor - where it is mixed up with the shavings. The chick trays are made from plastic, and as the name implies, are used for feeding baby chicks in the first few days. Once the birds are big enough they will use the other systems you have installed.

Chain Feeders

Chain feeders are for really large houses - not because they will not work in a small house - but because they are fairly expensive. They pay themselves back when you have many birds. They require some knowledge to install and maintain. The consist of galvanised troughs, chain and a series of motors or power heads as they are known. These drive the chain around the troughs and distribute the feed. The troughs are joined by couplers, made from galvanised steel. The chin feeding system is pulled around the corners with special units called chain feeding corners that have a cast iron wheel with bearings. You will, from time to time need to replace your shafts and bearing.

The system is suspended from the roof, so you chicken house needs to be robust to hold the weight. The poultry drinking system is usually nipples and pipes, also suspended from the roof and fed from a header tank on top of your poultry house.

Pan feeding system

Pan feeding systems, in my opinion, are by far the best form of feeding chickens. The are also suspended from the ceiling. The poultry feed is distributed through the house by and auger running through auger pipes. The feed is supplied from a galvanised silo outside the house. By adjusting the pan feeders you can change how much food is given to the chickens. This system can be used in both large and small houses but is also sometimes too expensive for small poultry houses. power_head_auger

When choosing poultry equipment for chicken farming make sure the the company you are dealing with has some history - the equipment you buy - especially the automatic feeding systems and automatic drinking systems will be in operation for many years in your chicken house. The equipment company must be able to offer back up and spares, and be prepared to come out and service your systems if need be. It does not help that you have saved some money on the initial instalation, only to have no back up 2 years later. Very few poultry companies are prepared to look after someone elses equipment - especially if it is unknown and has no spares - this could result in you having to redo the whole system again. Poultry equipment, if cared for, can last a lifetime. All that will be needed is regular servicing - things like sprockets and gears will wear - but if replaced regularly will ensure your farm runs smoothly. Items like plastic drinkers and plastic feeders will need to be replaced - they are after all, made of plastic. They should not be left in the sun - often this happens at cycle change whilst they are being cleaned. Your gas heaters should not be left in the house for the whole cycle - take them out once you are done with them and clean them, then store them. When you have a cycle change over service equipment, replace shafts, reset and clean your drinking system. This is for closed environment housing also. Your curtains for chicken houses should be wound up and down every day - otherwise, if left down for the whole cycle they will become home to rodents and rats - they will chew through the curtain. All the pulleys and winches should be oiled and serviced, replaced if needed. Your chain feeders, the power heads, the corners etc. will need to be oiled and cleaned.

Comments (1)

Poultry Equipment and Farming Poultry in Africa - Get a quote

African Conditions are very different to conditions in Europe and Asia. We face certain challenges that our fellow chicken farmers around the world do not. Poultry Equipment and spares are not as easily available in a lot of African Countries.

Winter is a tough time for chickens - the best way of heating a chicken house is with a gas heater - gas brooders are inexpensive to run and provide instant heat - Gasolec brooders are one of the best gas heaters for chickens on the market.

Water and heating are two primary challenges that we face when raising poultry in Africa. Although we have a dry climate which is ideal, we also face extreme heat at times. Water is a very scarce commodity. Using the correct size header tanks, clean water and a good monitoring system can save many problems. Dirty water can cause many problems including blocking your nipples on the nipple drinking system. It is a good idea to have your water tested - high levels of lime and other chemicals can affect your production rates.

chick_at_nipple_drinker

Distance and distribution are also a challenge - Moving birds, feed, gas, fuel and equipment over large distances adds to our bottom line. Ordering poultry supplies in bulk can save money but storage becomes a problem. Larger farms use silos to store their food - keeping it out of reach of rats and birds.

Poultry Farming can be very profitable. Using the right poultry equipment to suit the size of your flock is important. Various types of bell drinkers and nipple drinking systems suit different conditions, budgets and the amount of birds you need to grow. Plasson Bell drinkers are widely used but so are a number of other brands. Bell drinkers require daily maintenance and cleaning - also a clean water supply to ensure that they do not block. Impex nipple drinking systems work like a dream - taking the drudgery out of watering your flock.

heater

Heating with gas using a gas brooder can be expensive - but not as costly as electric brooders. Of course if electricity was cheap we could use it - but it is expensive and erratic. Should an electricity cut from Eskom happen you could end up in serious difficulties - especially if your chickens are young still. For good growth the temperature of your house must be right - using a Gasolec gas brooder is the answer - you control the supply line of gas.

Closed environment housing is becoming popular - again expensive and difficult to use. Of course in the hands of an experienced poultry man this method is by far the best way to grow chickens - Some farms in South Africa have had very good conversion rates with closed environment poultry houses. On the other hand there are farmers who will not touch closed houses - swearing by open houses and getting very good results. Smaller farmers obviously use open houses - farming poultry under 10 000 birds is not viable using a closed environment system. Small poultry houses made from steel are a great option for the small farmer. Our knock down poultry houses are made for African conditions and suit the small farmer.

Cooling a poultry house is also an important aspect - Curtains with a winching system is the most practical - but it can be supplemented with fans and cooling pads. Min max thermometers are a must in any chicken house. Getting your temperatures and humidity right is something that will make or break your production. When erecting a house, wind direction, sun and position can save money and time later on.

corner

Maintaining your shafts, sprockets and winches is an ongoing job. Finding suppliers of poultry equipment is not hard - finding companies who manufacture in South Africa and offer the back up service is more difficult. Remember that who ever you buy your system from will need to be around for 10 odd years - this is at least how long your system should last. Buying on price only can be a huge mistake if you cannot get poultry spares quickly and easily down the road. Chickens wait for no man and are more likely to up and die if your system goes down for too long. Many systems are specific to that brand - meaning that you cannot use or find other suppliers who's parts will work in your poultry system.

But whatever your needs for hoender boerery - Ons kan vir jou kuiken toerusting verkoop.

poultry, chicken farming, poultry equipment, hoenders, kuikens, hounder huis, drinkers, feeders, chain feeders, gas heaters, service equipment, shafts, drinking system, closed environment housing, curtains for chicken house, pulleys, winches, gas brooders,

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Poultry Farming and Chicken houses

Layer houses for chicken farming

Layer poultry houses for egg production

Layer Cages

Poultry Curtain Openings

Added Height to Poultry House

Added Width to Small Poultry Houses

All the poultry equipment you need

Poultry Feeding Systems

Tube Feeders and Chick Trays

Chain Feeders

Pan feeding system

Poultry Equipment and Farming Poultry in Africa - Get a quote

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What you need to know when starting a chicken farming business - what kind of chicken houses, how big the poultry house should be and how many chickens you can place per square meter. Do you want to farm with laying hens for egg production, or do you want to sell chicken meat, broilers?

Nipple drinking systems for large poultry houses. Bell drinkers for chickens and chick founts - all ways to give your chickens water in a poultry house,