If poultry are to achieve their genetic potential for meat or egg production, they need an environment that meets their physiological requirements. This includes:
- a suitable physical environment in terms of temperature, humidity, air movement and the surfaces on which they live;
- adequate food and water;
- minimal exposure to disease causing organisms; and iv) avoidance of exposure to stress resulting from the physical and social environment. The factors influencing these are determined largely by housing and management.
Indigenous birds in small semi-scavenging flocks are typically provided with overnight shelter in very rudimentary structures made from local building materials such as thatch, timber, mud bricks and/or bamboo. Most small-scale commercial operations with commercial birds also use simple housing constructed from local materials, but in this case the birds are typically reared in confinement and fed compounded diets. As commercial production progresses to medium- and large-scale operations, greater use is made of commercial materials and equipment, accompanied by increased mechanization and automation. A major element of this progression is the move from natural to mechanized and automated ventilation with fans.
Whatever the production system, all management procedures with adult stock – during incubation and hatching, brooding of young chicks, and rearing of young meat and layer stock – should focus on meeting the birds’ physiological requirements at all stages of life by providing an ideal physical environment, minimizing exposure to diseases, meeting the birds’ behavioral and social needs, and providing them with clean water and good-quality feed that satisfies their nutrient requirements.
Waste management
Advances in technology and growing demand favor the intensification of poultry production in many countries. However, in some countries traditions and economic aspects continue to promote small family poultry systems. To avoid conflict and ensure the sustainability and potential growth of all poultry production systems, fundamental knowledge of the environmental and health issues associated with poultry waste management will serve both small and large poultry producers now and in the future.
The by-products of poultry production are of value if managed and recycled properly, regardless of flock size. However, if not managed or recycled properly, they also represent elements, compounds, vectors for insects and vermin, and pathogenic microorganisms, which are of concern. The management of poultry by-products focuses on soil, water and air quality issues. Concerns include the degradation of surface and groundwater owing to poultry waste nutrients and pathogenic microorganisms. Air quality issues include emissions of ammonia, hydrogen sulphide, volatile organic compounds and dust. Greenhouse gas emissions and health effects associated with nuisance odorants are also issues in the context of global climate change and increasing human population near poultry operations.
The planning, construction and operation of poultry installations of any size should consider the issues involved in storing, managing and utilizing waste by-products. On a global scale, much research has been conducted to identify ways of recovering value-added products from animal wastes to mitigate environmental impacts. Many systems and approaches, including land application as fertilizer, recycling as animal feed components, and recovery for fuel energy, are available and can be successful if properly operated and managed.
Did you know?
Poultry manure has a high crop nutrient content, is relatively easy to manage and is widely used as fertilizer.
On average, layers emit fewer greenhouse gases (GHGs) than broilers or backyard systems when measured in terms of kg of protein.
Chickens are estimated to emit 0.6 gigatonnes of CO2-equivalent, representing 8 percent of the livestock sector’s total emissions.