If you plan to raise chickens, investing in a high-quality chicken cage is important for their health and safety. The chicken cage is the core of the chicken coop. It directly affects the survival rate and egg-laying rate of chickens. In addition, caged chickens affect land use, feed, labor costs, etc., thus directly influencing the breeding cost. At present, there are A type chicken cages and H type chicken cages. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the design of these battery chicken cages? What are the precautions in the battery chicken cages design? Next, we will provide a detailed explanation.
1. Structural design
The battery chicken cage is composed of parts such as the front net, top net, rear net and side net, and is assembled by connecting them with clips.
- The front net design is benefical to the feeding and drinking of chickens.
- The top net has little effect on load-bearing capacity, the main consideration in the design is not to let the chickens run. Therefore, large rectangular grids perpendicular to the food trough are mostly used.
- The the partition net varies depending on the drinking water method. There are also cases where the partition net is inclined forward due to the relationship with the fecal support board to increase the space of the cage. Moreover, the partition net should generally take into account the overall bending resistance requirements of the chicken cage, and a horizontal rectangular grid is better.
- The bottom net design has a slope of 8° to 10° and could make the chicken manure fall off easily, so could keep the interior of the chicken cage clean and hygienic and reduce the occurrence of diseases. Suitable the bottom net could provide laying hens with a more comfortable standing and walking environment, which is beneficial to their health and egg-laying efficiency.
- The weight of cage door should be determined based on the size of the chickens and their entry and exit requirements. Generally, vertical fences are made by welding metal wires with a diameter of 3 millimeters, with a spacing of 5 to 6 centimeters. The height of the cage door is usually around 400 millimeters, and its lower edge should be at a certain distance from the bottom net to leave a rolling gap.
2. Size design
Generally, the front height of single cage dimensions is 44.5-45 cm, the rear height is 40 cm, the bottom slope of the cage is 8-10 degrees, and the cage depth is 31-35 cm. This size of cage is suitable for most chicken breeds and can provide a good environment and comfort.
A type chicken cage
It is composed of multiple single cages, every layer cage has steps of a certain height, making it convenient for managers to observe and pick up eggs. The length, width, and height of every set of the cage could be adjusted according to breeding scale and site conditions. Generally, the height of the three-layer A type chicken cage is 150 centimeters, and the width is 210 centimeters. The four-layer cage has a height of 185 centimeters and a width of 220 centimeters.
H type chicken cage
It is composed of multiple layers of cages stacked together. And it saves land area and improves the utility rate of space. Compared with A type chicken cage, about 50% more chickens can be raised in the same space.
3. Material design
- Cold galvanizing: cold galvanizing is thin, It usually rusts within two to three years and has a service life of about six to seven years. It is of the poorest quality among all materials.
- Hot galvanizing: hot galvanizing is rather thick, has excellent corrosion resistance and durability, and has a service life of 15 to 20 years. However, there may be unevenness during the hot-dip galvanizing process, It leads to excessive burrs and may damage the chicken or puncture the raw egg, increasing egg breakage rate.
- Zinc-magnesium alloy wire: it has excellent corrosion resistance and ductility, not prone to rust and good elasticity, can effectively prevent raw eggs from being puncched. But its cost is relatively high .
- Stainless steel: stainless steel chicken cages are known for their durability, ease of cleaning and resistance to bacterial growth. The bottom net design combined with the egg collection trough extending out of the cage, it makes the eggs less likely to break. The service life of stainless steel chicken cages can reach over a decade or even several decades.
4. Type design
A type chicken cage design makes breeding density increase greatly and saves land area, improves the degree of intensive breeding, and increases economic benefit. In addition, A type chicken cage equipped with automatic feeding, drinking, and cleaning manure systems reduces manual intervention and enhances the efficiency of labor productivity.
H type chicken cage design is scientific, the operation is simple, and the material is sturdy and durable. Its good ventilation provides a nice environment for chicken growth. H type chicken cage is divided into full-stepped and semi-stepped types. Each layer of the full-stepped chicken cage is staggered in a stepwise manner in the vertical direction, reducing breeding density and providing a more comfortable environment. The upper cage of the semi-stepped cage partially overlaps with the lower cage. It is equipped with a manure collection board to cover the chicken manure on the upper layer and prevent it from falling into the lower chicken cage, but the ventilation effect is worse compared with the full-step type cage.
5. Design of Auxiliary equipment
- 1-5000 chickens recommend choosing A type chicken cage and an automatic drinking system. If you have enough budget, you could add automatic manure cleaning. It uses a manual collection egg system is more cost-effective.
- 5000-10000 chickens are recommended to use a cage with automatic drinking, feeding, cleaning manure, and a climate system.
- More than 10,000 chickens are due to the large scale of breeding, and collecting eggs is time-consuming and labor-intensive, so we recommend adding an automatic egg collection system and egg incubator. Other fully automatic poultry farm equipment is also necessary.
6. Solution design
- You should send your basic information for the farm, such as bird type and quantity to our company.
- AGICO Group offers a plan, solutions and quotation for the project, we reach an agreement for the project.
- After reaching an agreement, AGICO Group will start designing the chicken cage of the farm.
- We will start the production after the details are confirmed.
- The equipment will be loaded and delivered to your country by our professional transportation team.
- An excellent installation team will be sent to your farm for project installation, commissioning and operation training.
Sum up
The design of the battery cage will affect the success of your poultry farming business. By following six things consider for battery chicken cage design, you can make informed choices, thereby enhancing productivity and profitability. AGICO poultry farming equipment offers customizable battery cage designs to meet the diverse needs of modern poultry farmers. Are you ready to optimize your poultry farming operations? Contact AGICO to find the perfect solution for your farm.
