Folding poultry system is one of four extensive poultry housing system that you use to raise chicken. This system which is also known as folding unit is one of the best alternatives to free range system.
Generally, you can apply the folding poultry system in both backyard or commercial poultry farming.
A folding unit system protects your flock from predators. However, you’ve to be extra cautious when moving the system to ensure the safety of your birds. Furthermore, you’ve to ensure that your pastures are free of environmental pollution or toxins.
Folding poultry system defined
There are 8 poultry systems that you can apply in your poultry farm. Moreover, these are categorised in 2 categories: extensive and intensive. Folding units system is one of three extensive poultry systems. The others being free range and semi intensive.
In a folding poultry system, you house your birds in a mobile unit that consists of a coop and free run area. The mobile coop serves as a means for you to move birds from one location in a pasture, to another.
Coops in a folding system comes in all shapes and sizes. Of course, this is dependent on the size of your flock, and the means to move the coop. Below is a folding unit coop that can house a large flock and is moved with a tractor.
Typically, in the folding system, the coop and run area provide housing, grazing area and security from predators. Since you move the unit from one location to another, this enables fertilization and regeneration of pastures.
Every poultry system has its own advantages and disadvantages and the folding system is no exception. Below is a brief look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of the folding system.
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Advantages of folding poultry system
Firstly, as with other extensive poultry systems, the folding system enables your birds to access to pasture and sunlight or daylight. This is an important aspect in poultry farming especially if you are concerned about animal welfare and or want to cater to consumers who are.
Secondly, since birds in a folding system primarily feed on pasture, you have minimal if any poultry feed costs incurred.
Additionally, access to the outdoors and feeding on pastures means that your flock has a variety of food sources including bugs, worms, grass, other types of vegetation and grit.
Moreover, in a folding system, your birds can engage in dust bathing and other natural locomotion behaviours especially if your run area and coop are sizeable.
Another advantage of folding poultry system is that your pastures are fertilised and have time to replenish. Essentially, this also means you have less need for coop cleaning or litter extraction, if any.
Lastly but not least, since your birds are protected by a run area and coop, they are more safe from predators in comparison to birds in other extensive systems. Similarly, eggs laid are more secure especially if your coop or run area is equipped with laying boxes.
Disadvantages of folding poultry system
The first disadvantage that you may encounter with a folding poultry system is the need to move the folding unit. Essentially, this can be labor intensive especially if your folding unit is huge.
Additionally, if you’ve a large flock, you will have to move the folding unit often to ensure access to sufficient pasture. Effectively, the larger your flock, the greater the need for large pastures.
Folding units can be easily applicable in tropical regions, where pasture grow all year round. However, it may not be applicable, if you live in regions with cold seasons.
Therefore, during winter, you may have to supplement your flocks with poultry feeds to ensure sufficient feeding. Moreover, during cold seasons, you need to provide heating to the coop.
If winter would make folding system unsuitable for you, you can consider semi intensive poultry system. In semi intensive system, you can graze your birds outside during the warm seasons then house and feed them during cold seasons.
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