Page 134 - Calculating Agriculture Cover 20191124 STUDENT - A

12-4 Poultry Science CH 12]

Space requirements. For square footage required per bird, the poultry scientists recommend
1.5 – 2 square feet for chickens and 3 – 5 square feet for turkey poults. Traditionally grow-out
houses are 16,000 square feet easily measured 40 feet wide by 400 feet long. Given these
measurements a house for chickens will house from 8,000 to 11,000 birds. When growing poults
the house will grow from 3,200 to 5,400 turkeys.

Example A: A grow-out building is measured 30 feet wide by 150 feet. Management has decided
to grow birds allowing 1.5 square feet per bird. How many pullets can be grown in
this house?
Solution:
a) Grow-out building square footage

House square footage = width x length
= 30 feet x 150 feet
= 4,500 square feet

b) Number of birds = Building square footage ÷ square foot / bird
= 4,500 ÷ 1.5 square feet/bird
Number of birds = 3,000 birds

Example B: A turkey grow-out building is measured 40 feet wide by 200 feet. Management has
decided to grow birds allowing 5 square feet per bird. How many poults can be grown
in this house?
Solution:
a) Grow-out building square footage
House square footage = width x length
= 40 feet x 200 feet
= 8,000 square feet

b) Number of birds = Building square footage ÷ square foot / bird
= 8,000 ÷ 5 square feet/bird
Number of birds = 1,600 birds

Management Requirements for Broiler (Meat Bird) and Rearing Pullet (Egg Layer)
Flocks

Feeding, watering and heating equipment. Birds
raised in grow-out houses need to receive feed, and water.
There are specific equipment that may be built or purchased
to accommodate feeding, watering and heating chicks and
poults. These are used until the bird is ready for the market or
to be moved into a laying flock. Growing chickens requires
about 6 gallons of water per day for 100 birds. Typically
though, a mature chicken will drink approximately 0.13
gallons of water each day in temperate weather, and as much
to 0.26 gallons in warmer weather. These numbers vary as
birds grow.
Turkey poults, depending on age and sex, vary daily from
Figure 12.1 Poultry Waterer
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