Page 94 - Agriculture_Form_Three

Agriculture for Secondary Schools

Advantages of cage poultry housing system
(a) The system requires less labour.
(b) There is no wastage of feed and space.
(c) It is difficult for the birds to pick pathogens that will cause them infections.
(d) Vices like egg eating and pecking are minimal.
(e) Sick birds can be easily identified and isolate them for treatment.
(f) Unproductive birds can be easily identified and culled.
(g) Birds have more protection from internal parasites and soil-borne illnesses.
(h) There is less cracking of eggs as the birds cannot perk on the eggs.
(i) It is easy to collect eggs.
(j) There is less mortality rate.

Challenges of cage poultry housing system
(a) It involves high initial investment cost.
(b) Handling of manure may be a problem. Generally, flies become a greater
nuisance.
(c) The laying birds may be subjected to an illness called cage layer fatigue. The
bird lies on its side giving an impression that it is affected with paralysis, hence
named as cage paralysis or cage layer fatigue. It may be due to calcium and
phosphorus deficiency.
(d) Broilers reared in this housing system have high incidences of breast blisters
especially when the weight is more than 1.5 kg.
(e) The incidence of blood spots in eggs is more.
Note: There is a wide range of poultry species that may slightly differ in housing
management. The details for poultry housing systems elaborated in previous
section are general and in some instances more applicable to chicken.
Depending on the poultry species to be housed, some modifications or
additional housing facilities may be required, for example, pond facility
is required in housing of water fowls such as duck and goose. Therefore,
advice should be sought from teacher, local extension worker or other
poultry experts in order to provide proper housing to particular species of
poultry.

Activity 4.3
Pay a visit to a school or nearby farm, choose type and class of poultry commonly
found and with reasons suggest the suitable housing structure.

Student’s Book Form Twos Book Form Three
Student’
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AGRICULTURE FORM 3 9.11.2022.indd 83 10/01/2025 12:31