Organization of industrial production of table eggs at poultry farms

The technology for industrial production of table eggs directly depends on the scale of the poultry farm. The average annual population of laying hens at such enterprises ranges from 200–500 thousand to more than 1 million birds. To ensure economic efficiency, intensive year-round poultry housing in facilities with controlled microclimate without access to outdoor runs is used.

How to organize processes in a closed-loop system

Large poultry farms most often operate on a closed-loop principle, integrating all production stages in one location. This reduces dependency on external suppliers and ensures quality control at every stage. All technological operations are performed in strict sequence.

1. Production of hatching eggs by the parent flock.
2. Incubation of eggs to obtain young stock.
3. Rearing of replacement young stock to build up the flock.
4. Completion of parent and industrial flocks.
5. Housing of layers and production of table eggs.
6. Release of finished products (eggs and meat of culled poultry).

If necessary, a poultry farm may choose a narrow specialization — for example, only rearing replacement young stock or housing an industrial layer flock. In this case, the enterprise becomes part of a group along with breeding farms, hatcheries, and poultry slaughtering facilities. Such structural division is typical for large poultry holdings.

Economic efficiency of cage housing

Cage housing of layers is the most intensive method of production organization, which has become widespread in poultry farms. Limiting poultry mobility combined with optimal microclimate significantly reduces body energy expenditure and feed consumption. Placing poultry in small groups simplifies monitoring and allows for the prompt culling of weak individuals.

• Share of cage housing for layers — over 93%
• Reduction in feed consumption in cages — by 10–25%
• Feed savings per 1 million eggs at 10% efficiency — 16–20 tons
• Workload per poultry operator — up to 20 thousand layers and more

The use of multi-tier battery cages allows for more efficient use of poultry house volume, reducing the demand for land area. High stocking density reduces costs for building roads, water supply, sewage, and other utility systems. This is of great economic importance when designing large poultry farms.

Cage housing completely eliminates the need for bedding material, the procurement and transportation of which require significant costs. Clean, bedding-free manure is much easier to process — for example, by drying it to produce organic fertilizer. At the same time, the saved bedding materials can be used for other farm needs.

Poultry house design and site zoning

For rearing chicks and housing adult poultry, either separate poultry houses for age-matched batches or large combined blocks are built. Separate buildings are erected faster, allowing for rapid commissioning of capacity and flexible production scaling. Combined buildings save land, reduce the length of utility lines, and lower specific capital investment per bird. The choice of the specific building type depends on the plot size and the design conditions of the poultry farm.

A traditional poultry house for cage housing is an elongated windowless building. When using multi-tier battery cages, the ceiling height should be 3–3.5 m. In designs with single-tier cages, a room height of 2.5 m is permissible.

• Poultry house width — 12–18 m
• Poultry house length — from 72–84 m
• Building height (multi-tier cages) — 3–3.5 m
• Building height (single-tier cages) — 2.5 m
• Fire safety and veterinary gaps — not less than 20 m
• Sanitary gaps between zones — from 60 to 300 m

In poultry farming practice, multi-story buildings with a height of 4 to 6 floors are also used. The country's first three-story layer house was commissioned back in 1934. However, the efficient use of such large structures is possible only at poultry farms with a capacity exceeding 0.5 million hens.

The placement of structures on a farm territory is regulated by technological design standards (NTP) approved by the Ministry of Agriculture. Windowless buildings are positioned with consideration for the terrain and general layout. Buildings with windows are oriented with their longitudinal axis from north to south, with a permissible deviation of 30–45°.

Homogeneous buildings are grouped into zones, maintaining sanitary distances between them depending on the scale of the enterprise. For example, when designing a poultry farm for 400,000 caged laying hens, seven isolated zones are identified:

• industrial flock;
• replacement pullets for the industrial flock;
• parent flock;
• replacement pullets for the parent flock;
• incubation;
• administrative and utility center;
• poultry slaughter and processing.

Engineering systems and microclimate control

Facilities for cage poultry housing are equipped with a full complex of engineering utilities. Heating, supply and exhaust ventilation, water supply, sewage, and lighting are installed within them. Automation of processes is ensured by the installation of external feed silos, conveyor belts for feed distribution, scraper systems for manure removal, and general control switchboards.

In cage housing, the stocking density of poultry per unit of floor area is significantly higher than in floor housing. For this reason, it is critically important to ensure uninterrupted operation of the ventilation system. Fresh air is supplied to the upper zone of the room. During the cold period, it is heated using air heaters or heat generators, and in hot regions, it is cooled and humidified.

The removal of exhaust air occurs through axial fans installed in the lower part of the longitudinal walls of the poultry house. To create an optimal microclimate, ready-made equipment kits are used, such as "Klimat-47". Such systems include heat generators and low-pressure fans. The fan electric motors have three rotation speeds and are started automatically by temperature sensor signals.

Ventilation calculation and lighting selection

The fresh air supply volume is calculated individually for each kilogram of live weight of the poultry per hour. The rate depends on the geographical location of the poultry farm, the time of year, and the age of the livestock. The lower the outside temperature, the less air is supplied to the poultry house to avoid overcooling the room.

• Air consumption at −40 °C outside — 1.4 m³/h per 1 kg of live weight
• Air consumption at −10 °C outside — 5 m³/h per 1 kg of live weight
• Incandescent lamp power — from 40 to 100 W
• Distance between lamps — from 2 to 3 m

For lighting poultry houses, incandescent lamps or fluorescent light sources are used. Incandescent lamps are mounted along the center line of the aisles between the batteries. It is more practical to install a larger number of low-power lamps at a close distance than a few high-power ones — this eliminates the appearance of unlit zones in the cages.

Fluorescent lighting is more economical than incandescent lamps, but its effect on poultry is assessed ambiguously. Manufacturers offer lamps of various spectra and power, such as LDTs-40, LDTs-80, or LB-40. At the same time, 80 W lamps create uneven illumination, so their use in poultry houses is not recommended.

Design and types of cage batteries

Cage batteries are assembled from sections with a wire mesh floor, through which manure falls onto a deck or the floor of the poultry house. The front wall of the cage serves as a door and is a grate, the mesh size of which depends on the age of the poultry. Most batteries do not have built-in heating — the required temperature is maintained throughout the room. The exception is the KBE-1 type batteries for young poultry, equipped with electric heaters.

All batteries are equipped with automated life support systems. Feeders are mounted on the outside of the cages, and feed delivery is organized using hopper, chain, or cable-disk dispensers. The method of distribution directly affects the possible dimensions of equipment inside the poultry house.

For poultry watering, three types of structures are used. Trough drinkers require a constant flow of water, which leads to its overconsumption. Nipple systems are more economical and hygienic but are sensitive to filtration quality. Cup drinkers operate using a float valve in the tank of each tier; they are easy to maintain and reliable.

To collect eggs, the floor in the cages for layers is installed at an incline of 8–12°. Eggs roll onto a conveyor or into an egg collector. To minimize breakage and shell cracks, the metal floor mesh is covered with a layer of plastic, and the conveyor belt is made of elastic materials. Manure from the decks is removed by electric scrapers or belt conveyors.

According to their layout and the number of tiers, battery cages are divided into several main types. The choice of a specific scheme depends on the poultry house area, ceiling height, and planned stocking density. Each type has its own maintenance and airflow distribution characteristics.

Cage batteries can be single-row, double-row, and four-row. In three-tier stepped battery cages, the first and second tiers differ in design from the top one. The layout of battery cage tiers is largely determined by the convenience of mechanizing technological processes, primarily manure removal. In conventional stepped battery cages, which can be two- or three-tier, as well as in single-tier cages, manure from the cages of each tier falls directly onto the floor of the poultry house or into a special concrete trench.

In terms of utilizing the room area, multi-tier battery cages are the most economical. For example, when placing layers in four-tier battery cages, on average, there are up to 18 birds or more per 1 m² of area, in single-tier four-row cages up to 14, and in three-tier stepped cages 12 birds. A semi-stepped battery cage with inclined manure decks in the second and third tiers is a very successful design. Such a battery cage combines the advantages of other designs and allows for placing up to 30 hens per 1 m² of the poultry house area.

Battery cages for young poultry. Simple and universal battery cages are used for rearing replacement pullets. The former are designed for rearing chicks over a short period of time — from one to three months; in universal cages, replacement pullets can be kept from day-old age until they are transferred to cages for layers.

Simple (age-specific) battery cages were widely used in poultry farms and were manufactured by the industry for a long time. They are still used in many poultry farms today. They are designed for rearing chicks from 1 to 30 days, from 31 to 60, and from 61 to 140 days.

The KBE-1 battery cage is a single-row type with mechanized manure removal and trough drinkers; feed distribution is manual. In the middle of every three cages of any tier, there is a removable heating unit consisting of a canopy, electric heaters, and a thermostat. When preparing the battery for receiving chicks, three adjacent cages are converted into two by rearranging the partitions accordingly. In this case, each cage has two compartments: a darkened heated one, imitating a broody hen, and an unheated "exercise" area. When the chicks reach the age of 15—20 days, the units are removed and every two adjacent cages are again divided into three. Chicks are initially placed at 33 heads per cage, and after the cage partition, the chicks are placed at 99 heads per cage.

KBM-2 and KBA battery cages are similar in design. They were produced in different variants, differing in the number of tiers and the length of the battery. In these battery cages, feed is distributed by means of mounted hopper feeders, drinkers are trough-type, and manure is removed by mechanized scrapers. At some

Fig. 53. KBM-2 battery cage for rearing chicks.

poultry farms, KBM-2 battery cages are converted for rearing chicks from day-old to 60-day age.

The KBU-3 battery cage is universal and replaces all three previous designs. The battery is double-row. The internal height of the cage can be changed depending on the age of the chicks. Drinkers are nipple, trough, or cup types; feed is distributed by a mounted feeder; manure removal is carried out by mechanized scrapers. Day-old chicks are placed in one tier at 30 heads per cage; after 20—75 days, they are redistributed at 10 heads per cage across all tiers. The batteries do not have devices for heating day-old chicks, so they are installed in rooms with room heating. Characteristics of the battery cages are shown in table 33.

The K-15 battery cage is also universal. K-15 batteries are manufactured in the GDR, from where they are purchased for equipping chick-rearing facilities at a number of poultry farms and state farms in our country. The battery is single-tier, single-row. The dimensions of the cage intended for 50—70 chicks are as follows (mm): 2080 x 993. The cages are equipped with nipple drinkers, the height of which above the cage floor can be changed depending on the age of the chicks from 100 to 350 mm. Round feeders are located inside the cages; feed enters them through inclined pipes connected to horizontal pipes, inside which there is a conveyor. Manure falls through the floor grate into a manure channel made in the floor of the room, from where it is removed by a scraper installation. Placing chicks into the cage and removing them is carried out through a door made on top of the cage.

Fig. 54. Single-tier battery cages for chicks.

The BGO-140 battery cage is similar in design to the V-15 battery and is used for rearing replacement young stock from day-old to 140 days of age. The production of BGO-140 battery cages is organized at a machine-building plant in the city of Nizhyn, Chernihiv Region, Ukrainian SSR. BGO battery cages are also available in a two-tier version.

Single-tier battery cages are convenient for installation in relatively low-ceilinged premises, for example, when converting floor-based poultry houses for cage housing of poultry.

However, compared to multi-tier batteries, they require 1.5–3 times more floor area to house the same number of young stock.

Battery cages for laying hens. KBN battery cages are widely used on poultry farms and in state poultry enterprises. This battery is double-rowed. It is assembled from sections 1.4 m in length. In terms of cage size, number of tiers, and design features, the battery is unified with KBM-2 and KBA battery cages. Feed is distributed by a hopper-type mounted feed dispenser. Trough drinkers are located between rows of cages, that is, in the depth of the cage. Slanted slatted floors are covered with plastic. Eggs are collected in special removable trays that move along the cages simultaneously with the feed dispenser. The dropping board under the cages is made of reinforced glass or flat asbestos-cement

Table 33. Characteristics of battery cages for young chickens

Battery models Indicators KBE- | KBECHA | VMB KBA | KVU-Z Purpose, age of chicks, | 1[—30|] 1—30 31—60 | 31—60 | 61—140 | 1—140 days Number of tiers 5 5 5 4 3—4 3 Battery dimensions, m: length 9.3 13.5 |153—25.111.1-15.315.2-—40.4]| 38.6 width 0.7 0.7 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 height 1.8 1.8 2.6 2.2 2.0—2.5 2.2 Cage dimensions, mm: length 700 700 700 700 700 900 width 538 538 455 455 455 455 height 220 220 280 280 400 |370—420 Battery capacity, number of chicks 1320 | 1980 1980— 1056— |864—2592| 2400 3520 1584 Number of chicks per cage 22 22 11 11 8 10

Depending on the length of the battery and the number of tiers, the KBM-2 model is supplemented with letters.

plates. Droppings are removed to one side of the battery by mechanized scrapers.

The disadvantages of the KBN battery cage are the difficulty of servicing the top tier and, often, a large percentage of eggs with damaged shells due to the imperfection of the egg collection mechanism.

Fig. 55. KBN battery cage for keeping laying hens:

• 1 — feed dispenser;
• 2 — egg collector;
• 3 — frame;
• 4 — cage;
• 5 — drinker;
• 6 — scraper;
• 7 — feeder.

The OBN battery cage is produced by the industry as part of complete poultry house mechanization kits. The battery is single-tier, four-rowed. The length of the battery is 95.2 m, so poultry houses must be 100 m long; in shorter buildings, batteries of shorter length are installed by reducing the number of cage sections.

In premises 12 m wide, four batteries are placed, in 18-meter poultry houses — six batteries. Three hens are placed in each cage. Eggs roll down the slanted floor onto a longitudinal conveyor made of jute tape. When the conveyors are turned on, the eggs are fed to a transverse conveyor, which delivers them to the storage area in the service section of the poultry house.

Feeders with a chain feed dispenser are located above the longitudinal conveyors, and trough drinkers are mounted above the feeders. The conveyor, feeder, and drinker are located between two rows of cages; their arrangement one above the other requires great precision during the installation and adjustment of the equipment. The switching on of all battery mechanisms is performed automatically according to a set program.

The characteristics of the KBN and OBN battery cages are shown in Table 34.