Chicken is one of the livestock that have been consumed this far as one of the source of animal protein that is needed by a lot of people. There are two kinds of chicken that could be farmed, which is the broiler chicken and the laying hen. Even though they’re both chickens, the farming process of both broiler chicken and egg-laying hen is certainly not the same.
One important point that is important especially for laying hen is the cages that are used must have easy access to harvest the eggs. If you’re still a beginner on farming chickens, you should take notes of the possible obstacles in farming layer hens that you may face in the future. Different with the steps on making cages for broiler chickens, here are 6 ways to make laying hen cage from wires that are strong and safe.
1. Prepare the materials
The first step to make a cage for laying hen is to prepare the materials. Wires are the main material for making egg-laying hen’s cage that is specifically called battery cage. Battery system cage is a type of cage that is composed in a lined and leveled structure, similar to a birdcage. Every cage are only filled with one or two egg-laying hens so it could yield a bountiful harvest of eggs. The material that’s needed to make this cage are wires that could be made into frames, it could be from bamboos, but iron wires are better.
2. Determine the size of the cages
Before entering the next stage, the thing that needed to be noticed is determining the size of the cages that are wanted to be build. This size should be based on the number of hens that would be contained. Also, determining the height of the cages could determine whether the head of the hens would be inside or outside the cages, which have their own benefits.
3. Make sketches of the cage
Before starting the making of the cage, it’s better to make the sketch first. The sketch could begin with a well structured frames that are adjusted from the size of the cage. The sketch doesn’t need to be very artistic and neat, but the important part is that the sketch should be understandable and easy to read. Be sure to put more considering to sketch if you’re planning make cages for both ducks and chickens.
4. The making of the cage’s frames
The frames are the first one that needs to be done before we use the wires to cover the frames. The frames of battery system cage could be make from bamboo or steel frames that are adjusted to the size in the sketch. The making of the frames is the critical point of making a good cage.
5. Covering the frames with wires
The wires which are the main material for making the cages are added into the frames as cover so the hens cannot escape the cage, and also as a sealer for the cage’s interior. Be cautious when covering the frames with wires so that there’s no part of the wire that could hurt or pierce the hens inside. If you noticed some scarring in your hens but you’re already sure that the wires are safe, your hens could be suffering from poultry lice.
6. Add accessories if needed
If the cages has been successfully built, the last step that is needed to be done other than to re-check the durability of the cage is adding some few alternatives that would be useful for the farm later, such as feed and water trough, egg pipes, and other useful alternatives that could support your cage.
And that is all 6 ways to make laying hen cage from wires that are strong and safe to make your egg farming easier and more effective. Be sure to read our other article on the difference between farming ducks and chickens and the comparison between duck’s and chicken’s eggs. See you on our next article!