How To Build A Poultry House In Nigeria

Poultry farming is a lucrative business for any investor as such requires certain things in place and of those things is housing. Housing in the poultry farming business is an important factor, and many times the question of how to build poultry farms in Nigeria and poultry farm construction is usually the question farmers and investors ask. Good poultry housing contributes to a fast-growing and producing healthy chicken at maximum and in such proper poultry farm is required. For Full details See the feasibility study on farming in Nigeria

There are different housing types for poultry and each defines the feeding method of the chicken. In this article, we will consider two types of poultry housing.

Basically, there are four types of  farms:

Deep Litter
Half litter and half slats
Battery Cage
Semi fold

But in this article, we will focus on two types: deep litter and battery cage as it is the major type of housing system used in Nigeria.

Deep litter cage system- this is a housing method in which cages are not installed and chickens are allowed to roam free over a restricted area.

Advantages
Cheap and easy to construct
Low mechanical know-how
Suitable and convenient for small-scale poultry farms

Disadvantages:
Contact with chicken and their feces poses health risks
Direct contact with eggs (in egg production chicken) can cause breakage and reduction in revenue.
Stock keeping is difficult
Much Labour is required to feed and remove waste
Wastage of feeds as a chicken might scatter the feeds
Poor conversion of feed to meat or egg as energy is lost to movement.

Battery cage

This is a method in which chickens are restricted to a confined space or cage. This device method denies chicken-free movement.

Advantages
Prevent contact with chickens with their feces which reduces infection
Lowers the overall cost of production.
Prevent contact of chicken with their eggs thereby reducing breakage of egg and maximizing profit.
Stocking is easily affected in the battery cage system
Easy removal of waste.
Effective feed conversion in battery cage system as movement is restricted thereby reducing the cost of energy through movement.

Disadvantages: 
Expensive to construct
Not convenient for small-scale poultry farms
This is measured to help you decide on the right housing for your poultry farms. But Irrespective of the housing method adapting your poultry building must fulfill the following standard:

Ventilation.
Easy to clean
Ensure sufficient entrance of sunlight
Be situated in a place free from wild animals.

For deep litter, provision must be made to overcome wetting and can be achieved through the use of straw or sawdust.
Should be well protected.
Keep rain and other forms of water out.
Make provision for the feeding requirements, etc
Conclusively, just as a good house contributes to the good health conditions of humans is also how good poultry chickens are.