Poultry farming is the process of raising domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese for the purpose of farming meat or eggs for food. Poultry - mostly chickens - are farmed in great numbers. Farmers raise more than 50 billion chickens annually as a source of food, both for their meat and for their eggs. Chickens raised for eggs are usually called layers while chickens raised for meat are often called broilers.
Egg-laying chickens - basic systems
Commercial hens usually begin laying eggs at 16-20 weeks of age, although production gradually declines soon after from approximately 25 weeks of age.
This means that in many countries, by approximately 72 weeks of age, flocks are considered economically unviable and are slaughtered after approximately 12 months of egg production, although chickens will naturally live for 6 or more years.
In some countries, hens are force moulted to re-invigorate egg-laying.
Environmental conditions are often automatically controlled in egg-laying systems.
For example, the duration of the light phase is initially increased to prompt the beginning of egg-laying at 16-20 weeks of age and then mimics summer day length which stimulates the hens to continue laying eggs all year round Normally, egg production occurs only in the warmer months.
Some commercial breeds of hen can produce over 300 eggs a year.
The cages usually made of metal in modern systems, housing 3 to 8 hens.
The walls are made of either solid metal or mesh, and the floor is sloped wire mesh to allow the feces to drop through and eggs can collect latter.
Water is usually provided by overhead nipple systems, and food in a trough along the front of the cage replenished at regular intervals as per the requirements.
Battery cages are arranged in long rows as multiple tiers, often with cages back-to-back (hence the term).
Within a single barn, there may be several floors containing battery cages meaning that a single shed may contain many tens of thousands of hens.
Light intensity is often kept low (e.g. 10 lux) to reduce feather pecking and vent pecking.
Benefits of battery cages include easier care for the birds,
Floor-laid eggs (which are expensive to collect) are eliminated, eggs are cleaner, and capture at the end of lay is expedited,
Generally less feed is required to produce eggs,
Broodiness is eliminated, more hens may be housed in a given house floor space,
Internal parasites are more easily treated, and labor requirements are generally much reduced.
In farms using cages for egg production,
There are more birds per unit area; this allows for greater productivity and lower food costs.
Floor space ranges upwards from 300 cm2 per hen.
EU standards in 2003 called for at least 550 cm2 per hen.
The space available to battery hens has often been described as less than the size of a piece of A4 paper.
Animal welfare scientists have been critical of battery cages because they do not provide hens with sufficient space to stand, walk, flap their wings, perch, or make a nest, and it is widely considered that hens suffer through boredom and frustration through being unable to perform these behaviors.
This can lead to a wide range of abnormal behaviors, some of which are injurious to the hens or their cage mates.
Furnished Cage Method: Furnished cage method is a developed version of battery cage system. In this system the hens get more spaces and facilities than battery cage system. A furnished cage for hens should contain sufficient space for walk, perch, flap their wings, nest, special feed and water pot etc.
Highlights of Method
It is very easy to care for the birds.
Very easy to collect eggs.
Cleaner eggs.
Requires less feed to produce eggs.
Thousands of hens may be housed in a specific floor space of the house.
The birds suffer less by internal parasites.
Labor cost is very low.
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