COC 1.

Maintaining Poultry
Environment
 Description:
This unit covers the knowledge, skills and attitudes
required to maintain poultry house and its facilities. It
includes activities such as conducting preparation
activities, maintaining poultry house and facilities,
maintain farm area and perform work to completion.
 POULTRY HOUSING
PURPOSE:
to protect them from floods, rain and the sun
to protect them from predators - dogs, cats, snakes, birds of prey,
rats and thieves
to prevent mice, rats and other birds from eating their feed and
transmitting disease
to give hens a safe place to lay their eggs
 What are the basic requirements
for a poultry house?

It must be :
rain proof
protect the birds from direct sunlight and keep them cool
must have good drainage around the house
easy to clean
have a strong door with a secure lock

Noted: Housing will likely be your biggest investment and to cut

Costs, local material can be used. Positioning of the house is
important to conform to some of the basic requirements (mentioned
above). High ground will stop flooding in rain storms
FREE RANGE / EXTENSIVE SYSTEM

• Oldest system and adopted only when aequate land is

available
• Rearing of poultry by letting them loose on ground( field)
called as range.
• A range should provide shelter, greens, feeds, water, shade
etc
• Foraging is the major source of feeding of birds
• Shelter is usually provided by temporary roofing supported
by ordinary poles.
• Stocking density: 300-400 birds per hectare
SEMI INTENSIVE SYSTEM

• Commonly used by small scale

producers
• Birds are half way reared in houses
and half wy on ground on range.
• Birds are confined to houses in night
or as per the need, they are also
given access to runs.
• Houses may be simple house,
thatched roof, littered earthfloor or
slatted
• Provides protection from inclement
weather predator and shade.
• Stocking density: 4-5 birds m.sq. in
houses
INTENSIVE SYSTEM

DEEP LITTER SYSTEM

• Poultry birds are kept in large pens on floor, mainly
for broilers
• Floor is covered with litters, such as straw, saw dust
or leaves up to depth of 2-3 inches
• Bird Density: 5-7 birds per square meter
• Easy assess feed, water, egg collection, provide good
protection
• Disadvantage: Require high quality liter and litter
born diseases
SLATTED OR WIRE FLOOR SYSTEM

• Small houses with a slatted or wire mesh floor

• Slats- wooden pieces of 2.5- 5 cm wide placed 2.5 cm
apart, running through the length of house.
• Slats placed 3 ft above the ground floor to allow
accumulation of dropping.
• Bird density can be 6- 8 per square meter
• feeding., watering and egg collection handled from
outside the house.
• Cooler houses but expensive and suitable for adult bird
only
CAGE SYSTEM

• Rearing of poultry on raised wire netting floor in smaller

compartments, called cages
• Initially introduce for individual egg and pedigree
recording and culling of poor layers.
• At present, 75% of commercial layers in the world are kept
in cages.
• Suitable for keepig high density of birds, when space is
limitation.
• Feeders and waterers are attached to cages from outside,
except nipple waterers, for which pipeline is installed
through or above cages.
• Auto- operated feeding trolleys and egg collection belts can
also be used.
• The droppings are either collected in trays underneath
cages, on belts or on floor or deep pit under the cages.
HOUSING DESIGN

Distance between sheds

• Preferably locate chicks, growers and
layers in different localities for better
biosecurity
• Distance between sheds= 0.4 x H√ L
ORIENTATION OF THE BUILDING
the front side of the building should be facing EAST
and the rear side should be facing the WEST. This would
be prevent the animals too much exposure to the sunlight,
this orientation will ensure equal distribution of sunlight
throughout the day.
Type of roof
Maintenance procedures and
poultry house and facilities
Minor repairs and maintenance

* Roof repair
* Pipe repair
* Floor slat repair
* Curtain fixing and or replacement
* Cage repair
* Net repair and maintenance
* Feeder repair
* Waterer repair
Major malfunctions and irregular
conditions

* Electrical problem
* Ventilation problem
* Lighting system problem
* Generator malfunction
* Sludge flushing
 Cleaning and disinfecting poultry
houses
Effective cleaning and disinfecting methods can decrease
transmission by reducing pathogens in the environment below
infectious level.
by reducing the number of surviving pathogens, the chance of
disease being passed to an uninfected flock will be reduced.
through C&D coupled with all- in, all- out farm replacement is
recommended to prevent disease transmission from old flock to new
ones.
cleaning and disinfecting should also be applied to all aspects of
human and mechanical traffic between farms and flocks, in addition to
sanitizing poultry houses between flocks.
PREPARING THE HOUSE:

Preparing the house begins with removing the previous flock and
continous through removing all manure and providing a sufficient empty
house down period to allow for a die- off of residual pathogens that may
have survived the C & D process.

Its important steps are:

• Bird removal
• Litter or manure removal
• Feed system sanitation
• Water system sanitation
• Vector control
• Housing and equipment sanitation
• Idle time between flocks
BIRD REMOVAL:

• Removal of bird is essential to breaking a disease cycle from flock to

flock.
• Fugitive birds are perfect reservoir of pathogens and will meander
from house to house in their search for feed and water
• All the birds must caught and disposed of before the C&D process can
be competed
FEED SYSTEM SANITATION:

• All remaining feed from the previous flock should be removed from the
system.
• Residual feed left in the house is an attractive food source for rodents and
beetles, which can act as vectors for pathogens.
• Feed bin should be thoroughly cleaned to prevent mold buildup.
• After the bins have dried completely, the boot can be reassembled.
• Feed pans should be removed from line feeders and completely cleaned with,
paying particular attention to removing any mold buildup.
• After applying a disinfectant, placing the pans outside in the sun to dry will
allow ultraviolet rays to aid in killing pathogens.

Caution:
do not return pan feeders to the houses until the total house C&D has been
completed.
WATER SYSTEM SANITATION:

• Water lines should be flushed by openings the line at the end, to

remove any build up of loose alime or scale.
• All water filters should be replaced between flocks.
• Chlorine compounds are good disinfectant in the absence of organic
debris.
• Chlorine is effective against bacteria and many viruses. These
compounds are also more active in warm water than in cold water.
• With the used of a medication proportion, the water system can be
chlorinated.
• Clean and remove all feed and other organic material from waterers
before chlorinators
• The best way to distribute the chlorine solution quickly throughout
the drinking system is to remove the drain plug at the end of the
each line and left 24 hours.
CAUTION:
great care is required with chlorine concentration greater than 5%
because they may cause corrosion of metal equipment for parts.
VECTOR CONTROL:

• It is important to reduce or eliminate insects, free flying birds, and

rodents as the can transmit pathogens.
• Insects can be finished by applying an insecticide while.
• Cleaning of feed system can greatly reduce rodent population.
• Free flying birds can be excluded from the houses by eliminating
openings in excess of ¼ inch.
• Be sure to sweep away all dead insects and removed any dead rodents
before disinfecting the house.

• AVAIN MALARIA NECROTIC ENTRITIS

 HOUSING AND EUIPMENT
SANITAION
• The house should be swept from top to bottom and thoroughly dry and
cleaned including fan blades, louvers, lighting fixtures, curtains and
walls.
• Then it should be washed with a detergent solution that is best applied
with a high pressure sprayer.
• Then high pressure clean water should be sprayed, to wash off residual
detergent and organic material.
• Finally, after it is allowed to dry, apply a high pressure spray
disinfectant- through covering all surfaces. It is important that good
penetration into cracks and crevices.
• Two application are recommended when the previous flock has had a
disease history.
 Idle time between flocks(ideal
downtime)
• Idle time between flocks is the final step, and one of the most
important part of C&D.
• After the final disinfection, close and lock the house while it is
drying.
• Be sure to exclude all traffic including employees and especially
animals vectors.
• Pathogens vary in their ability to survive outside the host, so the
longer the idle period between flocks, the greater will be the
reduction of the pathogens.
• Ideally, poultry houses should be left idle for a minimum 10 to 14
days.
CHOOSING DISINFECTANT
INTRODUCTION:
Disinfectants are chemicals that kill pathogens on contact. The
lethal action of disinfectant for various pathogens(viruses, bacteria,
fungi, and protozoa) depends on the chemical composition of
disinfectant and the type of organism. When choosing a disinfectant,
consider these characteristics:
• Cost
• Efficacy
• Activity
• Toxicity
• Residual activity
 DISINFECTANTS
Disinfectant s that used on poultry farm can be divided into the
following classes based their chemical composition:
• Phenols
• Hypochlorites
• Iodophors
• Quaternary
• Formaldehyde
• Oxidizing agents
• Natural disinfecting agents
PHENOLS:
• Phenols are coal-tar derivatives.
• They turn milky in water.
• Phenols are effective antibacterial agents, are effective
against fungi and many viruses.
• They also retain more activity in the presence of organic
material than iodine or chlorine- containing disinfectants.
• They are not effective against bacterial spores.

HYPOCHLORITES:
• Chlorine compounds are good disinfectant on clean
surfaces, but quickly inactivated by dirt.
• Chlorine is effective against bacteria and many viruses
• These compounds are also much more active in warm
water than in cold water.
• Chlorine solutions can be somewhat irritating to the skin
and corrosive to metal.
• They are relatively inexpensive disinfectants.
IODOPHORS:
• Iodine compound are available as iodophors, which are combinations of
elemental iodine and a substance that makes the iodine soluble in water,
• They are good disinfectant, but do not work well in the presence of organic
material.
• Iodophors are effective against bacteria, fungi and many viruses.
• In hatcheries, iodine is used on equipment and walls, and for water
disinfection.
• It is least toxic of all other disinfectants.

FORMALDEHYDE:
• Formaldehyde gas is the most commonly used fumigant.
• Crystals of formalin are mixed with chromic acid that react to release
formaldehyde into the air.
• In order to be an effective disinfectant method beacause the toxic gas can
penetrate well into small cracks and crevices.
CAUTION:
formaldehhyde gas can be extremely toxic to humans and other animals and
its use may not be allowed in some areas.
QUATERNARY AMMONIUM:
• QA compounds are greatly odorless, colorless, nonirritating and
deodorizing.
• They also have some detergent action, and when used properly, all are
good disinfetants.
• However, some QA compounds are inactivated in the presence of some
soaps or soap residues, so careful product selection is important.
• Like most disinfectant, their antibacterial activity is reduced in the presence
of organic material.
• QA compounds are effective against bacteria and somewhat effective
against fungi and viruses.

OXIDIZING AGENTS
• Hydrogen peroxide and other oxidizing agents like per acetic acid and
propionic acids or acid peroxygen systems are used in commercial poultry
operations.
• They are active against bacteria, bacterial, viruses and fungi at quite low
concentrations.
NATURAL DISINFECTING AGENTS:

• The natural forces that reduce the pathogen load in the

environment are important and can often be used to our
advantage.
• These include sunlight are tremendously potent killers of
microorganism.
• This can be extremely effective outside of buildings but
unfortunately the ultraviolet rays cannot pass through glass,
roofs or dust.
• Drying from fresh air and wind will also kill pathogens,
particularly when directly exposed after the facilities have been
cleaned,
NOTED:
A well designed C&D program is one of the best methods we have of
maintaining a farm free of disease producing microbial agents. It is one of
the most difficult tasks to accomplish, but when it is successfully done, the
improvement in flock performance generally more than justify the effort.

SUMMARY:
• C&D process is necessary to gain high production.
• First of all dry cleaning or dusting is done.
• Then all the remaining debris is removed by the washing of detergent
solution.
• After drying n disinfectant is applied.
• Disinfectant should be powerful and less expensive.
• Phenols, QA, iodophors, hypochlorites, and oxidizing agents are most
commonly used in poultry farms.
 BIOSECURITY
a program meant to reduce the introduction of pathogens into
the Flock or minimize the impact of endemic pathogens,

- STRICLY limit and control access to the farm- fencing/

controlled entry point.
- KEEP an all- in all- out flock management
- PROVIDE a security or decontamination area
- REQUIRE all persons entering the farm sign a visitor’s
logbook: vehicle plate numbers must also be recorded
- CLEAN AND DIRTY areas should be well- defined
- THOUROUGHLY clean and disinfect all equipment and
vehicle entering and leaving the farm
BETTER NOT to borrow equipment or vehicles from other
farms
DON’T USE same vehicles for transporting birds, feeds,
equipment or waste product.
REGULARLY clean and disinfect all equipment and vehicles
before and after use
KEEP WILD BIRDS off- bird- proofing
KEEP other animals livestock in the farm
ONCE CLEANED, a farm should be closed and left idle: the
longer the downtime, the better the results

Noted: downtime period is to 14 days

Perform Completion Activities
SORT- decided what you need
-removed unnecessary clutter
-all tools, gauges, materials, classified and then stored
-removed item which is broken unusuable
SET (ORDERLINESS)
Organized layout tools and equipment:
-designated locations
-use tapes and labels
-ensure everything is available as it is needed

Workplace Checkpoints:
- positions of aisles and storage clearly marked?
-tools classified and stored by frequency of use
-safety equipment easily accessible?
SHINE
-divide areas into zone
-define responsibilities for cleaning
-tools and equipment must be owned by individual
-focus on removing the need to clean

STANDARDISE
-Develop procedures, schedules, practices
-continue to assess the use and disposal of items
-regularly audit using checklist and measures of housekeeping
SUSTAIN
- means inoculate courtesy and good habit
-driving force behind 5’s
-make it a way of life
-part of health and safety