Just like all other poultry systems, a folding unit poultry system has its own benefits and drawbacks that you’ve to consider. Although this system has positive consumer perception and positive animal welfare ratings, it requires a huge pasture.
Essentially, a folding unit poultry system your next best alternative to free range system. Your other alternative being semi intensive system.
Folding unit poultry system defined
For your information, the folding unit poultry system is classified as an extensive poultry farming method. A folding unit poultry system is one of 3 systems that are classified as extensive methods. The other being free range and semi intensive.
In a folding unit housing, 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.
In this system, the coop and free 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.
Here is an example of a large folding unit being moved with a tractor.
Folding units come in all shapes and sizes. Essentially, the shape and size of your unit will mostly be determined by the number of birds you are rearing. Moreover, your mobile unit can consist of a run area only. In such cases, you’ve to return chicken to the coop for the night.
Pros and cons in folding unit poultry system
As with every poultry system you need some basic knowledge of poultry farming to understand the pros and cons. This is the case because the benefits and drawbacks are not equivalent on a one-to-one basis.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Less capital intensive; feed not necessarily required | Moving folding has to be moved every now and then |
| Birds have access to the outdoors and direct sunlight | The moving the folding unit can be labor intensive if its large |
| Flocks have access to a wide variety of nutrition source: bugs, and vegetation | Large flock requires large pastures |
| Birds can engage in natural behaviours incl. dirt bathing, and locomotion | |
| Requires less cleaning | |
| Pasture fertilisation is core to the system | |
| Enables controlled pasture regeneration | |
| Positive consumer perception | |
| High animal welfare rating | |
As is the case with every article this series we would like to keep this one updated. In that regard, let us know if we missed something. In the meanwhile, you may be interested in similar contrast of other poultry systems: