Five Advantages of Using Battery Cages to Raise Chickens
With the development of poultry farming, more and more poultry farms choose battery cages to raise chicken. On the one hand, battery cages can save space and feed. On the other hand, by separating from manure, the rate of spread of disease is reduce a lot.
Two main types of battery cage
- A type battery cage commonly use by farmers all over the world. It can place in open or closed chicken coop, farmers can choose semi-automatic or fully automatic according to specific needs. The complete battery cage system includes feeding, water, egg collecting, waste removal and environment control system.
- H type battery cage requires fully automatic equipment, because the upper and lower layers completely overlap, generally 3-5 layers. There is a large gap between the upper and lower layers, and a manure conveyor belt is installed inside to facilitate the removal of manure. It can raise in a large capacity house, reducing land area and construction costs. The enclosed coop equips with an intelligent environmental control system to create the right ambient temperature for the flock.
Five Advantages of raising chicken in battery cages
1.Space efficiency
Battery cage has high density, which makes full use of the chicken houses. It allows for efficient use of space, as they designing to maximize the number of birds that can house in a given area. This can be particularly beneficial for commercial poultry operations with limited space.
2.Disease prevention
Chickens are separated by several barrier nets in every level. The confined environment of battery cages can help reduce the spread of diseases among the chickens. Thus, the separation between birds minimizes direct contact and transmission of pathogens. And fully automatic H type battery cage has a central integrated control system. If choose this type of battery cage, poultry farmers just need to handle the management computer to monitor the whole poultry farm. This type battery cage can realize the separation between human and chickens, which can provide a much cleaner environment for chickens.
3.Efficient feed utilization
In battery cages, the feed can be provided directly to each chicken, ensuring that each bird receives an adequate and controlled amount of feed. This can help optimize feed utilization and minimize wastage.
4.Egg quality and cleanliness
Battery cages can help keep eggs cleaner compared to other housing systems, such as free-range or floor systems. The design of the cages prevents the eggs from coming into contact with litter or feces, reducing the risk of contamination.
5.Ease of management
Battery cages can simplify the process of feeding, watering, and collecting eggs, making it more efficient for farmers to manage large numbers of chickens. It’s important to consider that these advantages are often outweighed by the ethical concerns associated with battery cages, such as limited movement, lack of natural behaviors, and compromised welfare. Many countries and consumers are moving towards alternative systems that prioritize animal welfare, such as free-range or cage-free farming.
Battery cage is convenient for poultry farms, and can be labor-saving. The cost of starting poultry farming is also not very high, in the long run, it is beneficial to the farm.
