Poultry farming is defined as ‘raising different types of domestic birds commercially for the purpose of meat, eggs and feather production’. Though, the most common and widely raised poultry birds are chickens. Around five million chickens are raised every year as a source of food. If this has grabbed your attention, read on, as I attempt to entice you into the world of chicken farming.
1. Intensive poultry farming
According to the Worldwatch Institute, “Around 74% of total poultry meat and 68% of total poultry eggs are produced from intensive poultry farming methods.” Free-range farming is the other alternative method to intensive poultry farming. This method is used for a large number of poultry birds with high stocking density.
The intensive poultry farming method is a highly efficient system that saves land, feed, labour, and other resources and increases production. Here, the poultry farming environment is fully controlled by the farmer. Therefore, it ensures continuous production throughout the year in any environment and season.
Intensive poultry farming, on the other hand, has several drawbacks. Some argue such intensive systems pose health hazards, are cruel to animals, and are destructive to the environment. On the other hand, the free-range poultry farming method necessitates a big area for raising the birds, and the production is comparable to the intensive method.
However, in both intensive and free-range poultry farming methods, farmers must utilise nationally approved medications such as antibiotics on a regular basis to keep the poultry birds disease-free.
2. Layer poultry farming
The poultry birds which are raised for egg production are known as layer poultry. Do you know that commercial hen generally starts laying eggs at the age of 12-20 weeks? Well yes, they start laying eggs regularly at their 25 weeks of age which after 70-72 weeks of age egg production of layer poultry gets reduced.
In commercial layer poultry farming, hens are typically kept for 12 months after their first laying season. They then sell them to be slaughtered. Chickens, on the other hand, can live for more than 6 years in the wild. In some nations, hens are force moulted to stimulate egg-laying.
3. Free range farming
Free-range poultry farming means giving freely roaming facilities to birds for a certain period of the day. In this method of farming, poultry birds are kept inside the house at night to keep them free from predators and adverse weather. Poultry birds generally roam freely throughout the whole day. It can be said that they spent half of their life outside the house.
For this type of farming, select a suitable land that has the facilities of an adequate drainage system, good ventilation, appropriate protection from prevailing winds, good protection from all types of predators and free from excessive cold, heat or dampness. The poultry manure from free range farming is used as fertiliser for crops directly.
4. Battery cage method
Interestingly, it is one of the very common methods used in many countries. In this system, usually small sized metal cages are used. Every cage can accommodate about three to eight hens.
Generally, the walls of the cages are made of mesh or solid metal and the floor is made of sloped wire mesh which allows the faeces to drop down. When the hens lay eggs, then all the eggs gather in the egg collecting conveyor belt of the cage.
In the battery cage method, food is given in front of the hens by a long bisected metal or plastic pipe, and water is served to them by using overhead nipple systems. The cages are arranged in long rows in one above another system.