LIVESTOCK HOUSING AND OTHER FARM STRUCTURES

Modern farming has created a need for better farm structures and buildings. In some farms,
there are buildings and structures that are unsuitable for progressive farming or are too expensive
to justify the expenditure. The objective of having farm structures and buildings is to develop
functional, low cost facilities using locally available materials and technical expertise.
The purpose of keeping livestock is to convert energy in feed to utilizable products for
example milk, eggs, meat, wool, hides and skins, draught power, manure, etc. For economical
benefits, house improved breeds, maintain good management and feeding and this results in
increased production intensity. Buildings and other livestock structures are constructed for
environmental control, reduction of waste of purchased feed, and better controls of diseases and
parasites. Before any design of buildings, a study of animal behaviour and patterns is done.
Each phases of design affect the profitability of production.

ANIMAL WELFARE

DEFINITION: It is the provision of a husbandry system appropriate to the health and, so far
as practicable, the behavioural needs of the animals together with a high
standard of stockmanship.
Needs that should be followed to meet welfare are:
1. Comfort and shelter
2. Readily accessible fresh water and diet to maintain the animals in full health and vigour.
3. Free movement. This is defined as allowing the animals to stand, lie down, turn, stretch
and preen, groom and scratch.
4. The company of other animals, particularly of the like kind.
5. The opportunity to exercise most normal patterns of behaviour.
6. Light during hours of daylight and lighting readily available to enable the animals to be
inspected any time.
7. Flooring which neither harms the animals nor cause undue sprain.
8. The prevention and rapid diagnosis and treatment of vice, injury, parasitic infections, and
diseases.
9. The evidence of unnecessary mutilation.
10. Emergency arrangement to cover outbreaks of fire, the breakdown of essential mechanical
services and the disruption of supplies.
Animal welfare in all cases is very pertinent to the question of health since there is no doubt that
one of the essential criteria for the provision of good welfare is the maintenance of health in the
animals. The essential of livestock welfare are:
1. Enough space for the animals to move around freely and stretch their limbs or wings, and
to turn round and groom or preen themselves.
2. Alls surfaces, especially the flooring, must be comfortable and unlikely to cause injury.
3. A suitable microclimate to be provided, that is, appropriate ambient temperature,
humidity, air movement, and ventilation.
4. All measures must be taken to ensure healthy stock.
5. A balanced ration should be available in sufficient quantity and of a suitable consistency
for the animal’s digestive system. Clean water should be available.
6. Groups of animals should be evenly matched. If the animals are kept individually, they
should have sight of others.
7. All sick animals and “bullies” must be removed and the former should be isolated from
the healthy stock.
8. There should be adequate provision to cope with the emergencies such as fire and
electrical or mechanical failures.
9. Wherever possible and especially with young animals, bedding such as clean straw or
wood shavings should be provided.
10. Mutilation of animals e.g. beak trimming of birds or de-tailing of pigs, should not be
undertaken except under exceptional circumstances when more suffering might result if it
were not done. Alternative systems which do not require mutilation should be
considered.
11. Lighting should be generous for the management of the animals and adequate at all other
times.

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

Design determines the physical environment (climate and mechanical factors). The
environmental factors affect production, breeding and feeding efficiency. The objective of
environmental control is to:
• Provide a healthy environment.
• Get high yields from animals.
 • Provide a stress-free environment.
• Experience of no physical harm or suffering by the livestock.
Factors to consider in housed environment include:
• Heat regulation and moisture production.
• Climatic factors that affect livestock performance. (Temperature, 10–20 °C comfort
zone, and humidity 40-70%).
• Radiation (direct and indirect). Provide a shaded area.
• Air movement assists in heat loss through evaporation and conduction/convection.
Minimum wind velocity is approximately 2-m s-1.
• Rainfall if heavy decreases insulation and accompanied with strong winds causes
excessive cooling. Therefore, provide a shelter for the animals.
• Acoustical factors: Certain sound levels affect production negatively or positively.
• Day length or photoperiod affects poultry and sheep production. This varies with
season and latitude.
• Dust levels when high causes diseases.
• Toxic and noxious gases from manure cause discomfort and diseases.

Sitting of farm buildings and structures

There may be little flexibility in choosing sites for farm structures if some buildings already
exist. There could also be other external factors that could affect the choice of the site. The
following factors should be considered when considering farm buildings or structures for
housing and handling animals. These structures include beehives, rabbit cages and fish ponds.
(i) Soil type: Farm buildings and structures should be located in an area with stable soil
structure to allow a strong foundation and free drainage to avoid water logging.
(ii) Topography: The site should be gently sloping to allow moderate runoff water and to
avoid water collection around buildings. Gentle slopes allow stable foundations and
buildings.
(iii) Services: Facilities such as water points, telephone lines, source of power and roads
should be located at convenient points from the farmstead. They should be economically
connected to the structures where necessary.
(iv) Security: The site should be convenient to provide security for the structures and buildings
in such a way that the farmer should feel secure carrying out activities even at odd hours.
 For instance, it should be secure enough for the farmer to check a poultry house at night.
(v) Prevailing winds: The site should be shielded from the prevailing winds. It’s a health risk
to the animals to face wind directly as this would drive droughts into buildings. This may
also render the building unsafe.
(vi) Position of the sun: High temperature and direct sun may cause discomfort and health
problems to some animals. Farm animals tend to eat less when the temperatures are high.

Maintenance of farm buildings and structures

Proper maintenance of farm buildings ensures a long life. The following are some essential
maintenance practices:
(a) Repair of leaking roofs in the structures is important. Leaking roofs lead to damage of
stored produce and may encourage dampness, which leads to diseases in animals. Leaking
roofs on structures such as cattle dips may lead to dilution of dip chemicals, which
reduces the efficiency of the dip.
(b) Repair of broken or damaged floors and walls. Damaged floors, especially in livestock
housing, may lead to injuries. The structures are also difficult to clean and may lead to
accumulation of dirt that encourages diseases. In extreme cases, damaged walls may lead
to the collapse of building.
(c) Experts should check electrical installations and connections periodically so that they
always remain safe and to avoid accidents. Regulations on power use and maintenance on
farm buildings and structures must be followed.
(d) The area surrounding the farm buildings must be kept clean and should be free from
rodents, flies, termites and decaying materials, which might harbour bacteria.
Accumulation of dung and urine around the housing should be avoided as it attracts some
pests such as tsetse flies.
(e) Broken hinges, doors, and windows should be repaired for security reasons and the
convenience of movement by both the livestock and workers.
(f) Where necessary, the structures should be painted not only for beauty but also for
protection against corrosion from environmental factors.
(g) Building materials such as timber should be treated with preservatives to protect them
against pest and fungal attacks.
 (h) Buildings should be kept clean to safeguard the health of livestock and human beings who
work within them.
(i) Buildings should be protected against damage from termites and rodents.

BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES FOR LIVESTOCK

The behaviour of animals has a big influence on the design of structures and buildings. The
following are some of the factors to consider when building structures.
(i) Though hens move around looking for food, they prefer privacy when laying eggs. Hens
tend to prepare own laying nests, therefore, adequate amount of litter should be provided to
meet this need.
(ii) Similarly, sows build nests close to farrowing time, and hence require a farrowing pen. The
oestrus cycle in sows and gilts are influenced by the presence of the boar nearby. It is
therefore important that sows and gilts which are about to be served be housed in the full
view of the boar.
(iii) Just as cattle live in herds, they prefer seeing each other while drinking water; therefore,
there is need for a spacious drinking trough for many animals. The drinking trough should
preferably be long and narrow. Where feed and water troughs are inadequate, younger
animals or those on the lower rank in the peck order will miss out. It is important that
feeders and waterers should be designed to meet the behaviour patterns of the animals.
Artificially reared calves require securely fastened buckets as they have a tendency of
pushing the buckets harder. Strong artificial teats are essential for the calves. Generally,
cows live and move in herds, but seem to prefer isolation and privacy at calving time. This
requires a calving pen.
(iv) Sheep have a tendency of fleeing when disturbed. There should be a provision to allow for
safety in such flight to avoid injury.

Planning of Construction

Factors to consider when planning construction of livestock buildings and structures include:
(i) Farming system in the area: This is important because a structure for a small scale farming
system may differ from that of a large scale farming system. In mixed farming, a structure
may serve different enterprises. It can also be modified to suit another enterprise.
(ii) The types of enterprises in the farm: Whether it is for crops or livestock or for different
purposes such as machinery shade. Some enterprises may require more elaborate permanent
structures while some may require temporary structures.
(iii) Environmental and climatic conditions: Animal housing should protect the animals from
the weather extremes, such as temperature variations.
(iv) Availability of construction materials locally: Locally available materials are generally
cheaper and can be used easily by local technicians.
(v) Economic and social status of the farmer: This will determine whether the farmer opts for
an expensive or cheap structure. It is important to consider whether the farmer can afford
the nature of the structure or the type of materials.