Livestock farming for egg production is a practice that by far predates us all. Every generation has tried to improve the system to make for efficient farming system that will guarantee high yield while also been hygienic. Farming for egg production has greatly improve lately that it seems like there is no other place to go from the point we are at, from feeding to automatic egg collection up to automated manure cleaning and been in a temperature controlled environment, it may seem that the world has finally got its mojo when it comes to housing birds for egg production.


DEEP LITTER VERSUS BATTERY CAGES IN EGG PRODUCTION
Deep litter system though been the closest in replicating the natural conditions a bird will ordinarily prefer to be in, has a lot of challenges that makes using cages more attractive for layers. The major challenge being cannibalism, egg breaking and waste of energy in running around thereby increasing the food consumption to compensate for it, ease in diseases spread as birds are clustered together. The cage system is not without its challenges also as it denies birds conducive nesting environment resulting in severe frustration each time an egg is laid, lack of dust bathing opportunities, high incidence of foot lesions. Personally, I have a preference for raising layers in Battery cage system, generally the advantages outweigh its disadvantages when placed side by side. Cage system allows for easy management of layers. Feeding can be fully or semi-automated. The birds do not have access to the eggs and as such cannot feast on it, Cleaning is easier in this system and this helps ensure that the level of ammonia in the house is largely reduced.


A TYPE CAGES VERSUS H TYPE CAGES
There are 2 types of battery cages, the A and H type, they got their names from how they look. A cages is the most popular but H type is gaining increasing popularity. Both types of Cages support full automation, the major difference is that while A type is designed to have the manure from all the tiers drop to a common manure cleaning belt, in H type all the tiers have different manure cleaning belt, making H type cage more expensive than A type cages. For same floor space, H type can take twice the number of birds A type can take. H type can equally cost twice the price of A type. With the A type cages, breakeven can be achieve in a year but you need twice the time for H type. People mostly use H type where there is land constraint. There is also a school of thought that believes that better ventilation is achieved using H type cage as against the A type cages in a closed temperature controlled housing, I seriously do not subscribe to this school of thought. All process from feeding, egg collection, manure cleaning and temperature controlled can be fully automated in any of the two cage types


CLOSED AND OPEN HOUSES
The poultry structure can utilize open air ventilation system (mostly achieved by having wire gauze round the building) or a completely closed house. In modern livestock farming, it is all about control. The more control you have of living conditions of the birds the better you can adjust it to get the best results. Personally I prefer closed housing structures. In this you use cooling pads and vent fans to achieve the exact temperature, wind speed and humidity required for optimum performance of the birds at any given age. Environmental conditions greatly affect the food conversion rate of birds so having a control of this is key. In closed house everything including lightening is under your control. The birds have limited exposure to the outside world thus reducing diseases that can gain access to them. Since a good control is needed, the structure materials should be such that it doesn’t compromise what you want to achieve. I prefer the use of properly insulated prefabricated steel structure for housing livestock. Insulation can be achieved by using EPS materials round the building. I do not like brick walls as they tend to retain cold and warmth for a longer duration of time.


SCALE CALCULATION AND COST IMPLICATIONS
Making money from automated poultry farming has everything to do with scale. Economy of scale comes into play in this type of housing livestock. For example, a feed hopper can push feed up to a distance of 120m, so if you have a structure that is for example 50m in length, you are already having an overhead cost that could have been used for more. To make the best out of a closed housing system, I advise a building with a dimension of 105m X 16m X 3.5m. (L W H). You can have a building with a length of 120m but then the vent fan might have difficulties in pushing air for that distance especially when it starts getting weak. To be safe 105m will never fail you. The height of 3.5m maybe considered too high for Layers, some people do 3m. I am in Nigeria and it can be hot here during dry season, if you have such low structure and for instance you used glass wool for insulation, if it fails, you have the heat very close to the birds except you are using a 3 tier cage which is itself a disadvantage. If the building is higher, the hot air can find a place to go up to as hotter air climbs in heat convention. So generally, if in Tropical region, I will advise you go for height of 3.5m. the cost difference is about 5000USD. For a structure that can last 50years, it is not too much of an extra cost to take. This seize of structure will accommodate up to 30000 birds if you are using 4 tier cages arranged in 4 rows. I always advice the use of 4 tier cages, this will help you maximize what you can get from same available space.
The cost of erecting a standard steel prefabricated house using EPS material for insulation will be about 55,000USD (LABOUR COST EXCLUDED) To purchase all equipment for the bird rearing (Cages with feeding and drinking line, temperature control equipment, Manure cleaning system, Egg collection system, feed hopper machine etc.) you will spend about 6500USD (INSTALLATION COST NOT INCLUDED) Also you will need to provide source of energy as the equipment are electrically driven. Generally, you will spend up to 150,000USD for structure and all equipment needed when you factor in all labor cost and installation cost, power provision and water provision. (LAND COST IS EXCLUDED IN THIS CALCULATION)
In conclusion, in this system, a person or two can successfully manage all the bird rearing as the system is fully automated. So within a year, when you compare the saved cost on labor and the extra profit from reduced number of broken eggs, you can break even when you successfully run a full cycle of 30000 laying birds. The good thing is the structure will keep serving you. Automated poultry house, though expensive is preferably in housing layers if you can afford it.

NB.
If you are interested in setting up such, contact us, we can connect you to our partners (OEM) at no cost for equipment procurement and you are welcomed to also check out our farm. In addition, we are currently working out a supply chain that will enable us buy up from farms and sell off on our own thereby absolving the farmer from the responsibility of looking for consumer so by this we would have solved the market issue for you as well.
We can completely guide you as we need farms that can feed our supply chain.

For More Enquiries Contact
Roksdada Company Limited
+2348137353536, www.roksdada.com, info@roksdada.com