I. Introduction
Importance of a Good Housing System
While free-range farming gives chickens the freedom to
roam and forage for food, a properly designed housing system is essential
for their welfare, safety, and productivity. Even free-range chickens require a
house for shelter against rain, storms, and extreme temperatures, and a night
shelter for safety.
Impact on Egg Production and Growth
A quality housing system directly impacts the farm's
success:
- Growth
and Health: Proper housing, especially during the brooding stage,
helps chicks grow better and faster. The house should provide ample
space to prevent overcrowding and suffering from heatstroke.
Proper housing, particularly an elevated or hanging coop, is important for
minimizing ammonia buildup and maintaining cleanliness, which is
detrimental to the chickens' health when congested.
- Egg
Production: The housing must include specific structures like nesting
boxes, where hens can lay their eggs. Without proper nesting areas,
hens may lay eggs on the floor, leading to breakage and contamination.
Furthermore, maintaining cleanliness in the nest helps ensure the
production of clean and safe eggs.
II. Coop Requirements
The structure must adhere to basic physical and
environmental needs as defined by best practices and standards.
Ideal Floor Space Per Bird
Floor space requirements vary based on the coop type:
- Minimum
Usable Space (PNS/BAFS Standard): The standard for cage-free egg
production requires space of 0.14m²/bird for single-tiered housing
and 0.1m²/bird for multi-tiered housing.
- Stocking
Density: Housing should accommodate roughly 5 to 6 chickens per
square meter. In elevated or slatted systems, the density can be
slightly higher (6 to 8 birds per square meter), while deep litter
systems recommend 4 to 5 birds per square meter.
- Preventing
Overcrowding: The housing must have an ample amount of space or
allowance to avoid overcrowding and prevent chickens from suffering
from heatstroke.
Proper Ventilation
Good ventilation prevents the buildup of harmful substances
and heat.
- Elevation:
The house should be elevated to ensure better ventilation.
This helps keep the environment fresh.
- Airflow:
Housing should be oriented with the long axis in the East-to-West
direction. This allows air flow while preventing direct, stressful
sunlight exposure.
- Design:
Walls can be made of materials like bamboo with spaces in between to
ensure the chicken inside receives fresh air.
- Roofing:
A semi-monitor roofing (or split-type) design, which is not
completely sealed and allows air to flow through a small gap at the top,
is suggested for ventilation.
Lighting and Temperature Needs
Chickens are photosensitive, meaning light affects
their productivity.
- Natural
Light: The sun provides light and vitamins; chickens should receive early
morning sunlight. Sunlight also serves as a natural disinfectant.
- Artificial
Lighting (Layers): Lighting patterns should provide a minimum of an 8-hour
continuous light period and a minimum of a 6-hour continuous
darkness period for every 24-hour cycle. Lighting should be switched
off gradually to allow hens to prepare for darkness.
- Temperature
Control: Temperatures inside the house should be maintained within a
range that promotes good health and welfare. This is especially important
during the brooding stage, where additional heat is needed.
- Heating
(Brooder): For brooding, heating bulbs or lamps may be used, with a
requirement of 1 watt per bird. The height of the light should be 2
feet above the beddings. Alternatively, a fireless brooding
technique using rice hull as a litter material can be employed to
provide heat to the chicks.
III. Nesting and Roosting Structure
Nesting and roosting areas cater to the hens' natural
instincts and social hierarchy.
Number of Nest Boxes
- Ideal
Ratio: The standard ratio is one nest box for every three hens.
For group nesting, the requirement is 1m² of nesting substrate per 120
hens.
- Dimensions:
Individual nest boxes should be a minimum of 35 cm length x 35 cm width
x 35 cm height.
- Placement:
Nest boxes should be placed in a cool and shady area. They must be enclosed
and draught-free.
- Curtains:
Nest boxes should have curtains on the opening, covering it with an
overlap of at least 1 cm from the floor of its opening.
- Training:
Placing dummy eggs (e.g., plastic eggs) in the nest boxes is a
technique to train would-be layers to lay eggs in the designated
area.
Roosting Perch Design
Perches allow hens to sit, roost, and maintain their social
hierarchy.
- Space
Allowance: Each hen requires a minimum linear length of 15 cm of
usable perch space. Some sources suggest allowing 8 to 10 inches
of space per bird.
- Construction:
Perches should be designed to allow hens to wrap their toes around the
perch and balance evenly. They should be at least 1.9 cm in width
or diameter.
- Placement:
Perches should be installed at around 45 days old. They should be
elevated at a minimum of 40 cm from any level and at least 15 cm
above the closest floor. They must be positioned to minimize fecal
fouling of feeders, drinkers, or other hens below.
- Material:
Perches should be easy to clean and should not harbor mites.
Treating wood or bamboo perches with used oil may help prevent
parasites.
Bedding Choices
Bedding material must be clean, dry, and support natural
behavior.
- Function:
Litter allows hens to dust-bathe and forage. It should occupy at
least one-third of the ground surface.
- Materials:
Recommended materials include fresh rice hulls (ipa), carbonized
rice hulls, wood shavings, saw dust, hay, loose
sand, shredded paper, or chopped dried straw. Rice hull
is also used because it is warm for chicks.
- Maintenance:
Beddings should be kept in a dry and friable condition and should
be replaced every 45 days or whenever necessary. Litter should be
used at a depth of about 2 inches in the brooder pen.
IV. Outdoor Run Setup
The outdoor run is where the term "free-range"
truly applies, encouraging natural behavior and foraging.
Land Size Per Bird
- Requirement:
Chickens need a roaming area, or "run". A ratio of 1 square
meter per chicken is required for the foraging area. The Philippine
National Standard (PNS) suggests at least 2 birds per square meter
of range.
- Roaming
Time: Hens should have 6 to 8 hours of roaming time per day
(e.g., 9 AM to 4 PM).
- Benefits:
Roaming allows the chickens to exercise, sunbathe, and perform dust
bathing to remove parasites.
How to Grow Natural Forage
Foraging significantly reduces feed costs.
- Natural
Diet: Chickens feed on grass, insects, and worms while
foraging.
- Vegetation:
Planting tall plants on 5% of the total forage area is recommended
to serve as shade.
- Forage
Options: Natural feed options that can be grown include Madre de
agua (a good source of protein), azolla (protein substitute for
rice bran), and Rensoni.
Fencing and Shade
Security and comfort are mandatory for the outdoor area.
- Fencing:
The ranging area must be enclosed with fences. A perimeter net of
at least 6 feet high is suggested to prevent escape and entry of
ground predators. Fencing can be made of cheap net or bamboo, or more
durable materials like GI pipes.
- Shade:
The area must be shaded to minimize heat stress. Trees (like
bananas) can be planted near the coop to provide shade.
V. Flooring, Sanitation, and Drainage
Sanitation is crucial for avoiding disease and maintaining
an odor-free environment.
Best Flooring Materials
- Litter:
The floor of the hen house, whether concrete or ground, is typically
covered with litter. Recommended materials include rice hulls (or
carbonized rice hulls), straw (dayami), saw dust (kusot),
and sand.
- Purpose:
Litter absorbs moisture, controls ammonia, and acts as a substrate for
natural behaviors like scratching.
Waste Management
- Odor
Control: To achieve odor-free flooring, earthworm manure can be
used as a deodorizer. This involves fermenting the manure in water with
muscovado sugar and rice bran for 24 hours to multiply microorganisms.
- Manure
Use: Chicken manure is a valuable resource that can be used as organic
fertilizer for growing vegetables. Manure can also be used to produce biogas
when added to pig or cow manure.
Avoiding Muddy Runs
- Drainage:
The farm should be located on an elevated area to prevent water
logging.
- Materials:
Using materials like rice hull on the ground of the coop and
walkways can absorb moisture and reduce muddy conditions, which can lead
to disease.
VI. Predator Protection
Since free-range chickens are outdoors, securing them from
predators and pathogens is critical.
Common Predators in Rural Areas
- Airborne:
Hawks (lawin) that snatch chicks.
- Ground:
Snakes (ahas), lizards (bayawak), and wild
cats are inland predators. Rats pose a threat, especially at
night when eggs are left uncollected. Stray dogs are also
significant predators that can cause extreme loss.
- Pests:
Harmful insects like flies and black bugs should be precluded using nets.
Motion Lights and Fencing Solutions
- Fencing:
The outdoor run should be enclosed with fences and nets. A net
cover above the run is necessary to prevent attacks by airborne
predators like hawks.
- Night
Lock-up: Chickens should be secured inside a coop or cage during
the night to protect them from ground predators.
Biosecurity Features to Reduce Diseases
Biosecurity is essential for health management.
- Physical
Security: Foot wells (for people) and Wheel Baths (for
vehicles) should be located at the entry points of the farm. These baths
should contain a mixture of Zonrox and water.
- Access
Control: Access to areas containing vulnerable chicks and breeders
should be limited.
VII. DIY Coop Plans vs. Ready-Made Structures
Farmers have options when constructing or acquiring housing,
primarily driven by cost and durability.
Pros and Cons
|
Type |
Pros |
Cons |
|
DIY/Indigenous Materials |
Low initial cost; materials like bamboo, pawid,
and cogon are locally available. |
May harbor pests like termites (anay); less
durable; maintaining cleanliness can be laborious. |
|
Durable/Metal Structures |
Lifetime investment; more hygienic and easier to
clean. |
Higher initial cash outlay. |
Cost Comparison and Sample Layouts (Described)
- Cost:
A high-quality, durable housing structure for 100 chicks can cost around Php
70,000 – 80,000. One large DIY coop using cheap bamboo materials cost
about Php 50,000 (or $1,000).
- Brooder/Chick
House: Used for chicks from zero to eight weeks old. These are often
small, enclosed areas (like a flat-sheet type pen) with heating lamps.
They must prevent stampeding (around 1 square meter for every 50 chicks
is the minimum).
- Layer
House/Breeder House: Used for laying and breeding stock. A large house
was noted to be 20m x 20m (400 square meters) with high ceilings to
prevent workers from hitting their heads while cleaning.
- Hanging
Coop (Elevated): This innovation uses raised cages/coops for layers,
often with a ramp or foldable wall connecting the coop to a larger
outdoor run, allowing chickens access to the ground while keeping the
manure separate from the birds. This design aids in maintaining
cleanliness.
VIII. Conclusion
Final Tips for Durable and Stress-Free Housing
- Prioritize
Elevation and Ventilation: Always build on a flat area and
ensure the housing is elevated for better air circulation, which is
essential to prevent heat stress and manage odors.
- Invest
in Quality: While initial construction cost may be high, consider
building a durable structure (like using metal or GI pipes) as a one-time,
lifetime investment to ensure the coop's longevity and minimize
parasite risks.
- Manage
Space Prudently: Avoid overcrowding. Implement fencing
and net covers to prevent predators from getting in, especially
during the day and for vulnerable chicks.
- Embrace
Biosecurity: Maintain strict physical biosecurity, including foot
wells and wheel baths, to prevent the introduction of viruses
and pathogens from the outside environment.
A well-designed free-range coop is like a fortress combined
with a day spa: it needs to be secure enough to ward off all threats, yet
comfortable and open enough to let the chickens thrive naturally.
