Animal Housing, Facilities and Equipment
Purpose of housing
Housing protects animals from weather and predators, reduces disease and theft, and improves handling and labour efficiency. It must also allow expression of natural behaviour. Candidates should evaluate site selection (well drained, accessible, away from dwellings, with wind and sun orientation considered), construction materials, ventilation, floor type and waste handling.
Space and facility standards
Know that floor space, feeder space and drinker space are expressed per animal and vary with age and system. Overstocking raises humidity, ammonia, disease and aggression. Ventilation may be natural (open ridge, side curtains) or mechanical (fans, inlets). Flooring choices include concrete, slats, deep litter and earth, each with trade-offs for hygiene, injury and cost.
Equipment
Feed troughs, water troughs and nipples, milking machines, incubators, weighing scales, crushes and races, spray races, dipping tanks, fencing and handling pens. Equipment must be cleaned, maintained and calibrated; a wrongly calibrated scale or incubator ruins records.
Traps
- Confusing ventilation with draught; a draught is unwanted air movement at animal level.
- Assuming concrete is always best - it is hygienic but hard and cold for young stock.
- Ignoring slope and drainage, which cause wet bedding and foot problems.
- Forgetting that handling facilities reduce stress and injury for both animals and handlers.
Worked rule of thumb
Plan for a floor area of about 1.5–2 square metres per growing pig and about 0.1 square metre of feeder space per bird in deep-litter poultry. Always check the standard against the age and weight of the animal and the local welfare code.
Maintenance routine
Daily: water, bedding, cleanliness. Weekly: equipment check, fence inspection. Monthly: structural repairs, drainage clearing, calibration.