Small Animals - How to Build Animal Housing

To achieve the maximum yield from animal production, appropriate housing structures must be constructed. This lesson will help you each that goal.

 

Objective

The students will learn to build cages and pens for laying hens, broilers, goats, rabbits, and guinea pigs.

Preparation

Before presenting the lesson, have the cages and pens built by the school professor that will be hosting the program. The following materials must be prepared beforehand: 1. Drawings or pictures of the cages for laying hens. 2. Drawings or pictures of the cages for broilers. 3. Drawings or pictures of the goat pens. 4. Drawings or pictures of the cages for rabbits in reproduction and growth stages. 5. Drawings or pictures of the guinea pig pens.

(Prepare only the cages that will be used in the school).

Click on the magnifying glass of any image for enlargement.

Concepts to teach

1. Laying hens must be kept in cages that separate them from natural enemies. They are more appropriate for an efficient production and for their health.

2. Broilers must be kept in such a way to allow the control of their health, nutrition and growth, while being protected from natural enemies. It is also important to have limited space to limit their exercise.

3. Goats must be kept in secure places so that they do not escape or damage neighboring crops. The structures must facilitate their care, health, and nutrition management.

4. The rabbits require structures that keep them away from natural enemies. They must not be in contact with the excrement. The structures must provide facilities for the females can have their young in a secure and calm environment.

5. The guinea pig structures must protect them from the environment and natural enemies, as well as facilitate their nutrition and management.

Introduction

Housing structures play an important role in achieving the maximum yield from animal production.

First, the structures must be designed to protect animals from the environment. Drastic temperature changes, rain, excessive sun and wind are damaging for animal production. By protecting the animals from these natural elements, animals preserve the energy for production, instead of using it to fight against these.

Second, they must be designed to confine the animals to a minimum space, which lowers the costs, as well as maximizing the protected space with the highest possible amount of animals. Also, animals do not waste much energy in moving from one place to another, and this energy is transformed into meat, milk, or eggs.

#1

Third, the structures must be secure, so that animals will not escape or that natural enemies cannot come in (#1).

It is important to remember that neighbors are also considered among natural enemies. Therefore, it is convenient to locate the cages and pens at a reasonable distance from other houses. Build the structures far away to avoid problems with bad odor and flies, but not too far away in order to have direct surveillance.

The materials must be preferably those found in the area. They must be resistant, durable, easy to clean and disinfect. Wood, bamboo and palm leaves are easily found in rural areas. All these materials are appropriate to build the cages and pens.

It is recommended to have a reasonable distance between the housing structures of the different species, to maintain good health. There are many diseases and parasites that exist in some species without problem, but are deadly for others.

Concept #1

Laying hens must live in cages that separate them from natural enemies and that provide adequate housing for an efficient production and health.

#2

The family self sufficiency model proposes that each family have at least 12 light-weight, high production laying hens. This assures the availability of 2800 eggs every year (#2).

The housing space recommended for commercial production for four or less chickens is 30.5 cm x 45.7 cm of floor area. This is the minimum area that should be provided for the chickens in the program. There are two simple ways of building the cages for the 12 chickens.

#3

The first one is to build a rectangular cage (50 cm width and 130 cm length) and place the feeders and waterers on the outside. The distance from the ground to the cage floor must be of 60 cm. The floor must slope downward to the front dropping 2.5 to 4 cm to facilitate the eggs sliding to the outside. Provide a 10 cm opening so that any eggs will roll down to the front and cut a 80º angle border upward that will retain the eggs, to be easily gathered by the family. The border must be 5-6 cm in height (#3).

When, building cages, use common materials found in the area. It is recommended to use welded wire for they cages, since they are durable, cleaner, and easy to install. If wire is not available, due to its price or other reasons, use the same material as that for the entire cage (bamboo or wood). Be careful that the pieces used are 2.5 cm in width or less and that they are 2.5 cm in between each other. When using wire, it should be resistant and the spacing should be 2.5 cm x 2.5 cm in squares.

The feeders and waterers must be made of available materials as well. They can be made of a bamboo cut in half or plastic containers. The objective is to lessen the costs to the minimum and that the cages can be easily imitated by friends and neighbors.

#4

The second model for laying hens is a square cage of 91 cm x 91 cm divided in four smaller cages of 45 cm x 45 cm. The objective is basically the same: use the available materials in the area. The height from the ground to the cage’s floor must be 60 cm. The central part of the floor must be 4-5 cm higher than in the ends, so the eggs can slide and be easily gathered by the family. In this model, the feeders are located in the north and south sides and the waterers in the east and west sides (#4). A bamboo cut in half works perfectly for the feeders, waterers, and the whole cage. If the bamboo is not available for the feeders and waterers, plastic containers may be used.

#5

#6

For both models, use 40-50 cm for height. The lateral walls must reach to the ground; there must be a 5-7 cm space between the lower border and the ground in the front wall to facilitate egg gathering, but prevent the birds from escaping (#5).

The space between the wood or bamboo pieces that form the front and bottom walls in the case of the rectangular cages, or the outside walls in the case of the square cages must be of 5-6 cm. This allows the chickens to easily take their head out to eat or drink. The cages must have a cover which protects them from predators and prevents them from escaping. The two cage models are designed to be built inside a covered structure (#6).

Learning activity #1

Prepare the necessary materials to build a four compartment cage for laying hens. Have families build it using the one built in the school as a model.

#7

Concept #2

Housing for broilers must allow health, nutrition, growth control, and it must protect them from natural enemies. It is important to provided limited space to limit their exercise. The Benson Institute’s model requires that the small producer keep the chickens for seven weeks. They will arrive at 8 days old and must be killed or sold at 8 weeks old (seven weeks later) (#7). Chickens grow so fast, that they require two types of cages: one for the first three weeks and another one for the last four weeks.

The goal is to produce about 144 chickens every year, which means that 12 chickens will be needed every month. By raising 12 chickens every month, there is a more uniform availability of meat for the family every year.

Considering this information, there is a need to resolve the problem of housing 12 chickens every month. Since the chickens stay for seven weeks, there will be separate cages for 12 chickens from the second to the fourth week and for 12 chickens for the fourth to the eight week.

From the second to the fourth week, the chickens require 300 cm² per bird, which makes 3700 cm² for the 12 birds. From the fourth to the eighth week, the chickens need 1 m² for each of the birds.

Broilers can be raised in cages or pens; there is no yield difference. It is more hygienic to raise chickens in cages, since there is a higher probability of contamination and diseases when on the ground. There should be enough bed material, which should always be maintained clean. The structure must be cleaned and disinfected constantly to avoid contamination. Cages do not require bed material; there is also less risk of contamination and diseases.

If the cages are chosen, these must be divided in two parts. One sections is for the 2-4 week old chickens, which can be built with materials available in the area. The floor should preferably have wire, with a 1-1.5 cm spacing between wires. The walls must have a minimum spacing between the wood or bamboo strips to prevent the chickens from escaping. For this age, the feeders and waterers are preferred inside the cage.

The second period (4-8 weeks old) requires a 1 m² space for each chicken. The floor should be made of wire, with 2.5 cm spacing between wires. The walls must be made of 5 cm width strips, with an equal spacing distance. Feeders and waterers must be located outside the cage. The cage covers should not allow the birds to escape or allow predators in.

If the broilers are raised on plain ground, this must be impermeable. Dirt floors are not recommended. The cage should be divided so that 33% of the cage is destined for chickens in their two to four week age period. The 66% remaining space is destined for the chickens in the in four to eight week age period. The feeders and waterers should be located inside the pens. The walls must be high enough to avoid that birds can escape; a one meter height is sufficient. If the height is less than one meter, a cover must be installed. As a general rule, double the require space (per bird) used for cages, when building pens.

Learning activity #2

The family will build a cage according to the number of chickens they plan on raising, using the cage built at school as a model. If it is built on ground, they will have to divided it as described in the instructions.

Concept #3

Goats must be kept in secure structures as to prevent them from escaping and damaging neighboring crops. The housing structures should facilitate their care, health, and nutrition.

#8

If goats have been included in the models because the conditions allow it, make sure that the pens will be their permanent housing structures. For a long time, people have tried to gain a benefit from raising goats, but the result has been more damaging to the environment than the benefit. Goats can be very beneficial, but they must be kept inside a pen all the time. The Benson Institute suggests to raise two milking goats that will provide 900 liters of milk per year to feed the children of a family (#8). Understand that not all families will be able to implement the model with goats. However, those that can should keep their goats in pens.

#9

Smooth wood should be used to build the pens to avoid hurting the animals. Their height must be of 1.50 m at least, to prevent them from escaping. Two spaces should be available in the pens: one for the two females, one for the male. Each should measure 4 m²; the males space should be located on the opposite side of the females space. The milking area should be located next to the females space. This should be elevated at least 60 cm from the ground, and the surface should measure from 60-120 cm. The floor should be rugged to have enough traction. There should be a 2 m² area for the young and a 2-3 m² area for forage and concentrate storage. The pens should be built inside a covered structure. However, it will be convenient that 50% of the goats be uncovered (#9).

The materials used for the ceiling should be preferably those available in the area: palm, straw, and tile. It is not recommended to use metal lamina because they do not provide good insulation; they overheat during the day and are very cold during the night.

Learning activity #3

Build a pen with the given instructions for two goats in the farmers land, making sure that it is at a reasonable distance to guard it. It is necessary to first make sure that the farmer meets the requirements to include goats in the model.

Concept #4

The rabbits require a structure that keeps them away from natural enemies, as well as from their own excretes and humidity. They should also provide a secure environment for the mothers to have their young.

If raising rabbits is an option, the model proposes four females and one male.

Individual wire floor cages are the cheapest and cleanest method for the rabbits housing. Having them all in cages is too complicated and there is a high mortality rate among the young.

Small breeds, such as Californian and New Zealander, require cages with a 0.5 m² space for each animal. Females must have access to a nest by the 28th day of pregnancy, where they will have their young. The cages should be made of a hard wood or preferably of metallic net wire. Cages made of soft wood are not very durable, because rabbits tend to chew on it. The cages for males and females should be the same.

#10

#11

#12

#13

There are many cage designs. However, the important thing is to make sure that the excrement won’t contaminate the water or the food and that the female won’t have access to the nest, until the end of the pregnancy. If the female has access to the nest, it will be used to defecating in it and it will be dirty and contaminated (#10 & #11).

The nests can be of several forms and models. The important thing is that they are 45 cm in length, 30 cm wide, and at least 12 cm tall. The height of the nest is very important, because when the mother leaves it rapidly, she might pull the young out and they might die if they are not old enough to return to the nest. Rabbits do not return their young to the nest like other species (#12).

Rabbits are much more resistant to the environment than laying hens or broilers are; however, they still need protection from the sun, rain, and wind. If the cages have their own ceiling, the height of the cage should be of about 60 cm and the materials should provide good insulation. It can be made of tile, asbestos, cement, or wood (#13). It is not recommended to use metal lamina. The exterior walls must be complete. The door must be located in the front and should preferably have the opening to the inside. Therefore, if it ever stays open, the animals can’t escape. The spacing between wires in the floor net should be between 1-1.5 cm for medium rabbit breeds. The front side of the cages should always be opposite from the main wind direction.

Under this program, the rabbits will mainly eat forage and waste crops. Thus, they need forage and pasture feeders for the cages. It is not recommended to put the food on the floor of the cage. It is preferred to build forage feeders and incorporate them on the door or on the side of the cage, so that it is not required to open it to feed the animals. There are three advantages to this feeding method: food does not get contaminated with excrement or animals stepping on it, there is less waste, and the feeding time is less. It is also possible to build the cages so that the feeders are located in between two cages.

For an efficient production, it will be necessary to supplement the diet with dry balanced foods, to make drinking water essential. The waterers should guarantee pure, fresh water every day. There are several drinking systems, from small bottles with a spout to automatic systems. The cheapest system is to use 1 liter plastic or glass containers for each animal. A rubber cover is put in each bottle with a tube of 0.5 cm in diameter and 10-15 cm in length. Animals should always have fresh water in the bottles.

Learning activity #4

Build five cages (1 m x 0.5 m x 0.45 m) for adult rabbits and two cages for young rabbits. The cages must have net wire floors if possible; if not, any available hard wood is a good option. Also, build four nests (0.45 m x 0.30 m x 12 m). These should be built with 1.5 cm (width) pieces of wood. The rabbit cages will only be built in areas considered good for meat production.

#14

#15

Concept #5

Guinea pig pens must protect them from the environment, as well as from natural enemies. They must also facilitate their management and nutrition. These animals are easy to raise and their housing requires minimum requirements (#14).

The best way to raise guinea pigs is in cages or pens. They must be protected from the sun, rain, wind, and cold weather. Every 2 m² space is integrated by a male, 10 females and their young for 7-14 days old (#15).

If the meat from the guinea pigs will be for self consumption, it is recommended to raise 2 sets: 2 males and 20 females. These will produce 300 lbs of meat per year for the family.

Three 1 m² cages will be required for the young, where they will stay from 7-14 days old until 3 months old, when they will be killed, sold, or integrated to the main breeding set of guinea pigs as reproducers. One of these three required cages will contain the males that must be castrated when they are 30 days old. The other two will contain the females, separated by age and size, trying to keep homogenous groups.

Learning activity #5

Build cages or pens with enough space to hold 20 female guinea pigs, 2 males and their young. The total required number of cages is two 2 m² for the adults and three 1 m² for the young. The cage floors do not have to be made of wire net.

The cages or pens will only be built with those farmers for whom the guinea pigs will be the family’s source of animal protein.

List of figures for: How to Build Animal Housing

(Click on the magnifying glass of any image for enlargement)

1. Drawing of some of the natural enemies to small animals.

2. Drawing of 12 light-weight laying hens.

3. Drawing of a bird cage.

4. Drawing of a cage for laying hens.

5. Drawing of bamboo shelter for birds.

6. Drawing of a bamboo cage.

7. Drawing of hybrid chicken.

8. Drawing of well kept goats.

9. Drawing of the goat pen.

10. Drawing of a cage model for breeding and rearing.

11. Drawing of typical cage.

12. Drawing of the nest types.

13. Drawing of a bamboo cage for rabbits.

14. Drawing of well kept guinea pigs.

15. Drawing of pens for guinea pig.