AGE 309 — Techniques of Non-Ruminant Animal Production: Lecture Note

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AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Course code: AGE 309 Course title: Techniques of Non-Ruminant Animal Production Course credit load: 2 Units Series 1: Housing and Equipment for Non-Ruminants • Part 1.1: Principles of Housing Non-Ruminant Animals o Sub Part 1.1.1: Functions and importance of housing o Sub Part 1.1.2: Site selection and orientation o Sub Part 1.1.3: Building materials and construction principles • Part 1.2: Poultry Housing Systems o Sub Part 1.2.1: Extensive and semi-intensive poultry systems o Sub Part 1.2.2: Intensive poultry housing systems o Sub Part 1.2.3: Brooder house design • Part 1.3: Swine and Rabbit Housing o Sub Part 1.3.1: Pig pen design and types o Sub Part 1.3.2: Farrowing and weaner accommodation o Sub Part 1.3.3: Rabbit hutch design • Part 1.4: Equipment for Non-Ruminant Production o Sub Part 1.4.1: Feeding and watering equipment o Sub Part 1.4.2: Environmental control equipment o Sub Part 1.4.3: Biosecurity and sanitation equipment

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Introduction Non-ruminant livestock species, poultry, swine, and rabbits, depend on well-designed housing and equipment to protect them from weather extremes, predators, and disease, while supporting efficient feeding, watering, and overall management. AGE 309 examines these species together because they share important production characteristics: relatively short production cycles, high reproductive rates, and intensive management systems compared to ruminant livestock. This opening Series introduces the general principles of housing non-ruminant animals; specific housing systems for poultry, swine, and rabbits; and the equipment needed for feeding, environmental control, and biosecurity across these species. This foundation supports the management, disease, marketing, and processing topics covered in the remaining four Series of AGE 309. Series Learning Outcomes Upon completing this Series, you should be able to: • SLO 1.1 explain the functions of housing and principles of site selection and construction for non-ruminant animals (Linked to Part 1.1), • SLO 1.2 describe poultry housing systems, including extensive, semi-intensive, intensive, and brooder house designs (Linked to Part 1.2), • SLO 1.3 describe swine and rabbit housing designs (Linked to Part 1.3), and • SLO 1.4 identify feeding, environmental control, and biosecurity equipment used in non-ruminant production (Linked to Part 1.4).

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS 1.1 Principles of Housing Non-Ruminant Animals 1.1.1 Functions and importance of housing Housing for non-ruminant animals serves several essential functions: protection from adverse weather (rain, excessive heat, cold, and wind) that would otherwise stress animals and depress growth, egg production, or reproduction; protection from predators and theft; facilitation of feeding, watering, and routine management tasks through organised, accessible space; and disease control through controlled stocking density, sanitation, and isolation of sick animals. Good housing also supports record keeping and selective breeding by allowing animals to be grouped, identified, and observed systematically, a management advantage difficult to achieve under fully free-range conditions. The appropriate level of housing investment depends on the production system intensity, scale, and species, ranging from minimal shelter in extensive systems to fully climate-controlled structures in intensive commercial poultry and swine operations. Fill in the blank: Housing for non-ruminant animals serves several essential functions, including protection from adverse weather, predators, and disease, and facilitation of feeding, watering, and routine ________ tasks. 1.1.2 Site selection and orientation A good livestock housing site should have well-drained, slightly elevated land to avoid flooding and waterlogging; adequate distance from human residential areas and other livestock farms to reduce disease transmission risk and odour/noise nuisance; reliable access to water and electricity; and good road access for input delivery and product/animal transport. Building orientation typically runs east-west (long axis) in tropical climates such as Nigeria, minimising direct sun exposure on the long side walls during the hottest parts of the day and

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS supporting better natural ventilation through prevailing wind patterns, an important low-cost climate control strategy before considering mechanical ventilation equipment (Part 1.4.2). Fill in the blank: In tropical climates such as Nigeria, livestock housing typically runs ________ -west (long axis), minimising direct sun exposure on the long side walls and supporting natural ventilation. 1.1.3 Building materials and construction principles Roofing materials (corrugated iron/aluminium sheets, asbestos, or thatch) affect internal temperature and cost: metal roofing is durable but transmits heat strongly without adequate roof height or insulation, while thatch provides better natural insulation at lower cost but shorter lifespan and higher fire risk. Wall materials range from solid block/brick (durable, good security, higher cost) to wire mesh or wooden slats (cheaper, better ventilation, common for poultry housing in warmer climates). Floor type (concrete, raised slatted, or earth) affects sanitation, disease control, and construction cost: concrete floors are easiest to clean and disinfect but most expensive; raised slatted floors (common in some poultry and rabbit housing) separate animals from droppings, improving hygiene; earth floors are lowest cost but hardest to sanitise effectively. Adequate roof height and overhang, eave openings, and ridge vents support passive ventilation, reducing heat stress without electricity-dependent equipment. Fill in the blank: Raised ________ floors, common in some poultry and rabbit housing, separate animals from droppings, improving hygiene compared to solid earth floors.

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Figure 1.1: Principles of non-ruminant housing Pilot questions 1.1 1. State four functions of housing for non-ruminant animals. 2. Name three factors to consider when selecting a livestock housing site. 3. Explain why livestock housing is typically oriented east-west in tropical climates. 4. Compare metal roofing and thatch roofing in terms of heat transmission and cost. 5. State one advantage of raised slatted floors over earth floors. 1.2 Poultry Housing Systems 1.2.1 Extensive and semi-intensive poultry systems Extensive (free-range/backyard) systems allow birds to roam freely during the day, scavenging for part of their feed, with minimal housing provided mainly for night shelter and protection from predators; this low-cost system suits small-scale rural household poultry keeping but offers limited control over feed intake, breeding, and disease exposure.

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Semi-intensive systems combine a simple house with an attached outdoor run/paddock, giving birds some freedom to range while allowing better feed and health management than fully extensive systems; this intermediate system suits small commercial layer or dual-purpose flocks where full intensive housing investment is not yet justified. Fill in the blank: ________ systems combine a simple house with an attached outdoor run, allowing birds some freedom to range while permitting better feed and health management than fully extensive systems. 1.2.2 Intensive poultry housing systems Deep litter systems house birds on a floor covered with absorbent litter material (wood shavings, rice husks), allowing birds to move freely within the house; this system is widely used for both broiler and layer production in Nigeria, requiring good litter management (depth, moisture control, periodic turning) to prevent disease and ammonia buildup. Battery cage systems house layers in individual or small-group wire cages arranged in tiers, separating birds from droppings (improving hygiene and egg cleanliness) and allowing higher stocking density and easier individual bird management, though raising animal welfare considerations increasingly debated internationally. Battery cages are primarily used for commercial egg (layer) production rather than broilers, which grow too large and active for cage confinement. Fill in the blank: ________ cage systems house layers in individual or small-group wire cages, separating birds from droppings and allowing higher stocking density, but raising animal welfare considerations. 1.2.3 Brooder house design Brooder houses provide the specialised early-life environment day-old chicks require: supplementary heat (since chicks cannot regulate body temperature effectively in the first 2-3 weeks), draft-free but well-ventilated space, and protection from predators and disease, typically

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS maintained at 32-35 degrees Celsius in the first week, gradually reduced as chicks feather and mature. Brooder guards (a circular barrier confining chicks near the heat source initially) prevent chicks from straying too far from warmth and huddling in corners (which can cause smothering); adequate floor space allowance per chick (expanded as birds grow) and easy access to feed and water within the brooding area are essential design features for good early chick survival and growth. Fill in the blank: Brooder houses are typically maintained at ________ to 35 degrees Celsius in the first week of a chick life, gradually reduced as chicks feather and mature. Figure 1.2: Poultry housing systems Pilot questions 1.2 1. Distinguish between extensive and semi-intensive poultry systems. 2. Describe the deep litter poultry housing system. 3. Explain one advantage and one welfare concern of battery cage systems. 4. State the temperature typically maintained in a brooder house in the first week. 5. Explain the purpose of a brooder guard.

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