Animal Housing Requirements for Specific Categories of Domestic Animals | Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science Optional for UPSC PDF Download

Pregnant Cows

• Pregnant cows should be moved to special pens or boxes 2-3 weeks before they give birth.
• About 5% of the total female cows should have dedicated calving pens, located conveniently for the farmer to monitor.
• These pens can be in a row or grouped together, and each should be around 3 x 4 meters with a covered area and an open pad lock.
• The covered area needs a 1.25-meter high wall with a 1.2-meter gate into the open lot.
• A manger and water trough should be provided, and the floor should slope towards a drain, made of moorum, brick, or cement.

Pregnant Sows

• Pregnant sows need farrowing pens during the birthing period.
• Newborn piglets are sensitive to cold and need a warm environment (32°C) for the first week.
• Farrowing pens should have separate areas for the sow and piglets, with extra heat for the piglets.
• After the first week, the temperature can be reduced to 29-30°C.
• Pigs are sensitive to temperature, affecting their performance and health.
• Sows need about 50 sq. ft. of space in the pen, along with guard rails to protect piglets from accidents.

Farrowing Crate with Creep Provisions

• A useful addition to the farrowing pen is a special crate (Figure 1) with designated areas for piglets, ensuring a safe birthing environment.
• The crate allows the sow to farrow without risks to piglets, and piglets have their own space beside the sow.
• Piglets can move in and out freely, accessing both the crate and the entire pen.
• The crate is long and wide enough for the sow to lie down comfortably but not turn around, usually made of sturdy wood or metal tubes.
• Typically, the crate is 8 feet long and 2 feet wide, with two creep areas for piglets.

Farrowing Pen Dimensions

• The farrowing pen should offer 15 sq. ft. of sleeping space and 1.5 feet of feeding space for the sow.
• This space is already provided within the crate itself.
• For the sow and her litter, the pen should have 30-40 sq. ft. of sleeping space and 40-50 sq. ft. of feeding space.
• These dimensions ensure a comfortable and safe environment for both the sow and her piglets during birthing and nursing.

Milking Cows and Milking Barn

• A milking barn is a covered space where milch (milking) cows are milked.
• It's a busy place, so it's important to put it in the center with other buildings around it.
• The barn has individual standings or stalls for cows, arranged in one or two rows.
• Double rows are better, and each standing is for two or three cows during hand milking.
• The number of standings needed is half to one-third of the milch stock.
• Standings' dimensions depend on the animal size, typically 1.5 to 1.7 meters in length and 1.05 to 1.20 meters in width.
• The central passage between the rows should be 1.5 to 1.8 meters wide, sloping gently towards the drain.
• Continuous mangers are on both sides along the heads of standing rows, with a 0.75-meter feeding alley beyond each manger.
• There are shallow U-shaped drains, 20 cm wide, on either side of the central passage.
• For a single row barn, one drain towards the standings side is sufficient.

Milking Barn Construction

• The floor of the cow standings should have a gentle slope of 1 in 40 towards drains for easy cleaning.
• Walls should be along the length and at each end to support the roof beams.
• The roof should be gabled, and the eaves (projected parts) should extend at least 60 cm from the side walls.
• Side walls can have open spaces at intervals, but in colder or heavy rainfall areas, complete walls up to the roof are needed, with windows for ventilation.
• Each standing should have a device to secure the individual animal by the neck (see Figure 4).
• The milking barn can be extended for down-calvers and calves, and cows in heat can stay after milking for insemination.

Sheds for Milch/Dry Cows

• Sheds for milch and dry cows can be separate or in one shed with a partition for dry cows.
• In small farms, all cows can be housed together.
• These sheds have a covered area and an open paddock.
• The covered portion is preferably made of cement concrete but can also have brick or stone-alab flooring.
• The open paddock can have moorum or kankar flooring, and brick-on-edge is better for the covered area.

Broiler Birds - Raising and Housing

• Raising Method:
  • Broilers are typically raised on the floor using various heating methods like coal, wood, gas, electric brooders, or hot-water brooding.
  • Commercial production focuses on broilers aged 8-12 weeks (up to 2 lb. each) or fryers aged 13-15 weeks (2-3 lb. each) when dressed for market.
• Numbers Reared Together:
  • Commercial broiler producers rear more chickens per brooder and floor space compared to farm-poultry raisers due to the shorter raising period.
  • The number of chickens per brooder varies, but overcrowding is avoided to prevent growth issues and disease spread.
• Litter and Brooding Houses:
  • Various litter types like straw, cornstalks, carncobs, moss, pine needles, shavings, and sand are used.
  • Commercial-broiler houses are typically simple, with shed-roof or gable-roof designs.
  • Houses are about 20 ft. deep, and length varies based on the number of chickens to be raised.
  • Continuous brooding houses can be up to 50 ft. deep, often divided into pens.
  • Dirt floors are common, but some use sanitary concrete floors.
• House Design and Ventilation:
  • Houses have relatively open fronts, covered with windows or burlap in cold weather.
  • Windows in the rear provide ventilation in warm weather.
  • Ventilation is crucial, as excessive heat without proper airflow can lead to bird loss.
• Access to Ground:
  • Chickens usually have access to the ground in front of the house or a limited yard space.
  • Green crops are grown initially, but the yard may become bare after chickens are let outside.