Housing and Equipment Systems

Objective: Describe the housing and equipment used in the beef, swine and poultry industry.

Beef Housing and Equipment

• Careful planning of facilities is important to success– land requirements

• location is very important– building requirement– fence and pen requirement– water

Beef Housing and Equipment

• Wise planning– makes handling easier– saves labor– ensures a safe working environment– cost less

Beef Housing and Equipment

• Types of facilities:• Cow-calf facilities require the simplest

facilities1. Confinement barns

• cold- open on one side• warm- closed, insulated and temperature

controlled. Most expensive to build

Beef Housing and Equipment

2. Open feedlot• no buildings• windbreak fences and sunshades• limited protection

3. Open barn and feedlot• open front barn and feedlot• provides some protection for animals

Beef Housing and Equipment

Open Barn and Feedlot, UC Davis Photo

Beef Housing and Equipment

4. Feeding barn and lot• Feeding bunks are in the barn• offers some protection for cattle• protects feed from being damages by the

weather

Beef Housing and Equipment

Feedlot with a feeding barn

Beef Housing and Equipment

• Corrals– Needed for all types of beef cattle

enterprises– Holding pen, working chute and

headgate• easier to handle• reduces labor• saves time• reduces stress• safer for the workers and cattle

Beef Housing and Equipment

Corral with a loading chute, working chute and squeeze chute

Swine Housing and Equipment

• Types of Housing:– Pasture or range– Confinement houses

• cold- no heat, mainly for finishing operations

• warm- heated, used for farrowing and young animals

Swine Housing and Equipment

• Most North Carolina swine farmers use warm confinement houses

• Ventilation is used to control temperature, moisture, odor and airborne diseases

Swine Housing and Equipment

• Location:– Regulations– Odor is the main problem

• Colorado already has Amendment 14, which regulates odor at the property boundary of a swine farm

• Missouri has regulations for odor on large farms and has required that these farms develop odor-control plans

Swine Housing and Equipment

• Equipment:– Automatic feeding and watering

• more expensive• requires less labor

– Hand watering and feeding• low cost• requires more labor

Swine Housing and Equipment

Equipment– Farrowing enterprises require small

equipment• castrating knives• ear notchers• teeth clippers

Swine Housing and Equipment

Swine Housing and Equipment

Swine Equipment and Housing

Poultry Housing and Equipment

• Facilities– Range– Confinement housing

• Confinement has become more popular because it reduces:

• land requirements• diseases• predators• protects from weather

Poultry Housing and Equipment

• In recent, most poultry operation are confinement type houses with:

• automatic waters• automatic feeding• artificial lighting• artificial ventilation

Poultry Housing and Equipment

• Brooding:– 90 to 95 degrees F– Temperature taken 3 feet off the floor– Temperature reduced 5 degrees per

week– Temperature no lower than 70

degrees F– Hover guards keep chicks from

wondering away

Poultry Housing and Equipment

• Broiler and turkey houses:– used for meat type animals– dirt floors– covered with litter

• wood shavings• newspaper• straw

– lights are on 24 hours per day

Poultry Housing and Equipment

• Laying houses– Confinement with wire cages

• saves space• cleaner eggs

– Artificial lights• automatic timer• 14 hours of light per day

Poultry Housing and Equipment

Poultry Housing and Equipment

Poultry Housing and Equipment

Poultry Housing and Equipment

Poultry Housing and Equipment

Poultry Housing and Equipment

Poultry Housing Bio-security

Poultry Housing and Equipment

Poultry Housing and Equipment

Poultry Housing and Equipment