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Semi intensive poultry housing

Poultry farming

Pros and cons of semi intensive poultry farming: One of the best alternative to free range

Kukufarm
Feb 9, 2024

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3 min read

Semi intensive poultry farming is the best of both worlds, if there was such a thing. That is, of intensive (free range) and extensive poultry systems, since it is a hybrid of both.

Since this system sits right in the middle of intensive and extensive poultry systems, it inherits benefits and drawbacks from both. The next best alternative would be free range system. That is particularly if you are concerned about consumer perception and animal welfare.

FYI you can tag your coops with respective poultry system on Kukufarm.

A coop set to deep litter poultry system - Kukufarm poultry app
A coop set to deep litter poultry system – Kukufarm poultry app

Semi intensive poultry system is ideal when you want your birds to engage in natural behaviours and also want to supplement their diet. For instance if there is not enough pasture or for productivity reasons need to feed them.

Semi intensive poultry farming defined

A semi intensive poultry system is classified as an extensive system. However, that is like a misnomer. Essentially, semi intensive farming is a hybrid of free range and intensive systems.

Semi intensive poultry system

In a semi intensive system, birds are housed but are allowed access to the outdoors from time to time. This provides you some flexibility on how you feed your chicken. Additionally your birds have the possibility of having a diet with a wide nutritional source. That is because, in addition to having chicken feed, they can feed on vegetation, bugs and other organisms.

Pros and cons in semi farming poultry system

Note that this contrast of the benefits and drawbacks in semi intensive system is not exhaustive. In addition to the factors mentioned, you will have to consider others to weigh the suitability of this system for you.

ProsCons
Birds have access to a wider nutrition sourceFeed monitoring is required to ensure egg production is maintained
Birds engage in natural behaviours incl. locomotion, and dust bathing Not most suited to scientific methods
Birds have access to the outdoors and direct sunlightExtra care is required to ensure birds and eggs are safe from predators
Can result to lower feed costsRequires land for pasture
Relatively healthier birds
Positive consumer perception
Good animal welfare rating
A quick overview of pros and cons in semi intensive poultry sytem

Keep in mind that these pros and cons are not equivalent on a one-to-one basis. Inescapably, you need to have some context of poultry farming to understand them. The following video will help you in that regard.

For the purpose of keeping this comparison updated, let us know if we missed something. In the meanwhile, you may be interested in similar contrast of other poultry systems:

  • Pros and cons in battery cage poultry system
  • Pros and cons in slatted floor poultry system
  • Pros and cons in aviary poultry system
  • Pros and cons in free range poultry system
  • Pros and cons in deep litter poultry system

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