Meaning of Poultry Equipment
Poultry management is one of the most important aspects of poultry production. Poor management of poultry birds will lead to the outbreak of pests and diseases, which may constitute serious challenges on the farm. From housing to health management certain tools and equipment are necessary for the optimal performance of birds, these equipment are called Poultry equipment.
Poultry equipment, therefore, refers to a group or sets of instruments or devices used for the production and management of poultry birds and their environment.
Operations in the Poultry farm require the use of equipment and tools. These operations include brooding, hatching, vaccination, feeding, housing, and maintaining poultry birds, and each of these activities requires the use of special tools and equipment to keep birds in perfect health conditions.
Tools and Equipment are paramount in the poultry industry as they help in the feeding, supplying, protection, and maintenance of poultry birds and their environment. Effective management of poultry birds is promised based on the utilization of adequate poultry equipment and tools.
The equipment used in poultry farms may vary according to the management system, size of the farm, and types of bird reared (i.e. the types of equipment used in small-scale poultry farms may differ significantly from that of a commercial farm)
Some equipment used in the poultry farm include knives, cages, deBeaker, Nest boxes, Weighing balances, pliers, Perches / Roost, Rakes, Incubators, Brooders, bird Cages, Egg Crates, Feeders, and Drinkers, hypodermic syringes, (Vaccination Equipment), sprayer, hammers, Machine, lantern, etc.
These equipment are classified into production equipment, processing equipment, feeding equipment, brooding equipment, management equipment, and vaccinating equipment.
Importance of Tools and Equipment.
The importance of poultry equipment are
- Provision of Feed: Feeding is very necessary for the growth and development of poultry birds, and poultry tools aid the provision of food for poultry birds. Equipment like feeding troughs, drinking troughs, and other equipment in the poultry house are vital for the provision of feed and water,
- Aid the Collection of Eggs: Poultry equipment is necessary for the collection of eggs. The egg tray is basically designed to collect eggs for storage and sale.
- Improve Hygiene and Sanitation: A clean environment will help to keep the poultry environment clean and free from pest and disease infestation. Equipment such as spades, rakes, buckets, shovels, sprayers, and other tools will help to keep the poultry house clean. A hygienic environment helps improve the health status of the poultry birds.
- Processing of Poultry Birds: Processing of poultry birds is possible with the aid of poultry tools and equipment. Tools such as the poultry shear, cutlass, buckets, pots, fry pans, etc. are very crucial for processing poultry birds.
- Help in Brooding of Chicks: The brooding of poultry birds cannot be possible without the use of poultry equipment. These tools are necessary for providing warmth to the birds until they develop proper feathers to cover themselves.
- Maintenance of the Poultry: Poultry birds require a clean and hygienic environment for the well-being of the poultry birds. Healthy birds are very vital for the success of the poultry business, and to ensure that birds live in good health and perform optimally, tools such as hypodermic syringes, knapsack sprayers, and other devices are necessary to maintain the health status of the birds.
- Vital for Protecting Poultry Birds: Poultry equipment such as folds, and battery cages are crucial for protecting birds against adverse weather conditions. Poor housing will predispose birds to bad environmental conditions which can lead to various outbreaks of pests and diseases on the farm
- Transportation of Farm Feed and Other Materials: Transportation of poultry feeds, egg bedding materials, drugs, and vaccinations can be carried from the warehouse or stored in the poultry house with the aid of a wheelbarrow and head pan.
List of Poultry Equipment and Tools Types
The various types of poultry equipment used in the poultry industries as highlighted by the West Africa exanimation Council are:
| S/NO | Tools and Equipment in poultry | S/no | Tools and Equipment in Poultry |
| 1 | Folder | 14 | wheelbarrow |
| 2 | Battery cage | 15 | knife |
| 3 | Debrakers | 16 | Kitchen shear |
| 4 | Incubators | 17 | pliers |
| 5 | Candler | 18 | Screwdriver |
| 6 | buckets | 19 | Hammer |
| 7 | Feeder/hopper | 20 | saw |
| 8 | Drinkers | 21 | sprayer |
| 9 | Hydrodermic syringe/needle | 12 | table weighing scale |
| 10 | Nesting box | 13 | saw |
| 11 | hand gloves | 14 | sprayer |
| 12 | boxes | 15 | Tape rule |
| 13 | Egg tray/crate | 16 | Cutlass. |
| 14 | broom | 17 | Lantern |
| 18 | thermometer |
Poultry Equipment, And Their Uses
The equipment used in the poultry industry is classified based on the following headings. They are
Brooding Equipment
These are the equipment used for providing heat or warmth to the chicks until they have developed enough feathers to cover their body. The equipment used in brooding is called the brooder. They are manually, electrically, and gas-operated.
The manually operated brooding tools require critical care because it pose a lot of challenges to the birds, while the electrically operated poultry equipment is usually in areas where the electricity supply is erratic. In most commercial and small-scale poultry farms these equipment are available. and are used side by side.
Examples of brooding equipment are thermometers, lanterns, Charcoal stoves, Gas heaters / electric bulbs, Hovers, Brooder guards, electrical heaters (heating rods or coils), etc.
Brooding Equipment and Their Uses
| S/no | Brooding Equipment | Uses |
| 1 | Thermometer | Uses to measure the degree of hotness and coldness of the brooding house |
| 2 | Lantern | Use to provide heat or warmth to the birds and also help to illuminant or lighten the brooding house. |
| 3 | Charcoal stove | It is suitable for providing heat to chicks |
| 4 | Gas heater | You can use the gas heater to provide warm or heat in the brooder pen |
| 5 | Electric bulbs | It is suitable for providing heat or warmth to the birds. and can also be used to lighten up the brooder house. |
| 6 | Hovers | It helps to direct the heat sources to enable chicks received maximum warmth. |
| 7 | Brooder guard | It helps to restrict chicks’ movement from the heat source or supply |
| 8 | Electrical heaters | It is to provide warmth to the chicks. |
Poultry Feeding Equipment
These are equipment designed for feeding poultry birds. Feeding is one the most important aspects of poultry management and constitutes a higher percentage of the total cost of inputs on the farm.
Using good equipment will help to save costs, minimize feed wastage and contamination of feed. Examples of feeding equipment are poultry feeding troughs, automatic feeders, linear feeders, circular, mash box feeders, Poultry chick tray
Poultry Drinking Equipment
These equipment are designed to provide water for poultry birds. Water is very vital in the body of poultry birds because it helps to break down food, serves as a source of drinking for the farm owner, cleaning of the poultry house and other equipment on the farm.
Examples of watering equipment are poultry feeder troughs, automatic feeders, linear feeders, circular feeders, and poultry Trolleys (which are a simple, quick method of distributing feed and collecting dead stock.)
Poultry Processing Equipment
These are equipment designed for killing, de-feathering, and eviscerating poultry birds for consumption and sale. Processing is done when birds have attained the correct table size and can be done either for sales or consumption.
Certain tools are specially designed to process birds, some examples of Poultry Processing Equipment are knives, poultry shears, transport crates, killing cones, cutlasses, scalding machines, cutting machines, eviscerate tables, washing bows, and electric cutters.
Poultry Processing Equipment and their Uses
| S/no | Poultry Processing Equipment | uses |
| 1 | knife | It is excellent for eviscerating and cutting vital parts of poultry birds |
| 2 | Poultry shear | It is an excellent tool for dissembling part poultry birds |
| 3 | transport crates/baskets | you can use equipment for transporting and moving birds to |
| 4 | killing cones | the killing cone is suitable for killing birds |
| 5 | Cutlass | It is used for dissembling and cutting of bird |
| 6 | Scalding machines | excellent for de-feathering poultry birds |
| 7 | Cutting machines | It is a power machine used for cutting poultry birds |
| 8 | Eviscerate table | It helps to provides a suitable platform for the cutting of poultry birds |
| 9 | Washing bow | It helps to provide a suitable platform for the cutting of poultry birds |
| 10 | Electric cutter | It is an electric cutter suitable for dissembling poultry parts |
| 11 | Weighing scale | Determine the weight of birds for sales |
| 12 | Refrigerator | Use for storing poultry meat |
Poultry Hatchery Equipment
These equipment are used for detecting and hatching fertilized eggs. These equipment are very necessary in providing suitable temperature and relative humidity to enable the egg to develop an adequate embryo.
Examples of Hatchery Processing Equipment are incubators, candles, nest boxes, and Egg transfer machines. Chick master, setters, control systems, trays, trolleys, racks, washers, generators, egg grading equipment, and more.
Poultry Hatchery Equipment and Their Uses
| s/no | Poultry Hatchery Equipment | uses |
| 1 | Incubator | Excellent for hatching fertilized poultry eggs |
| 2 | Candler | Use for detecting unfertilized poultry eggs |
| 3 | Nest box | It is excellent equipment for the movement of eggs from the point of lay to the collection point or to another location |
| 4 | Egg transfer machines | It is used to provide warm or incubated poultry eggs |
| 5 | Egg tray | It is suitable for the collector or storing of poultry eggs |
| 6 | It is used to provide warm or incubated poultry eggs | It is used to provide warm or incubate poultry eggs |
| 7 | Racks | It is suitable for the collector or storing of poultry eggs |
| 8 | Generators | Power the incubator, and lighten the hatchery and electric power machines |
| 9 | egg grading machine | It is suitable for sorting poultry eggs into different sizes or grade |
Vaccination Equipment
These are tools and equipment used for preventing the outbreak of pests and diseases in the poultry farm. They are injected as inoculum into the body of the birds such that they will be resistant to the outbreaks of certain diseases in the environment. Examples of vaccinating equipment are Knapsack Sprayer, hypodermic syringe, drinking trough
Vaccination Equipment and their uses
| s/no no/b | Vaccination Equipment | uses |
| 1 | Knapsack Sprayer | Use for fumigating or spraying of vaccine on the body of poultry birds |
| 2 | Hypodermic syringe | Use of injecting and administering a vaccine |
| 3 | Drinking trough | Use for application of vaccine through drinking water |
Poultry Management Equipment
These are equipment used in the management of the poultry birds. These tools are vital for cleaning, repairing, and servicing other poultry equipment. They are used for the day-to-day activities of the activities on the farm.
Examples of management tools are Brooms, buckets, Debrakers Hammer, pliers, Screwdriver, cutlasses, tape rule, saws,
Management Equipment Tools and their Use
| S/no | Tools and equipment | uses |
| 1 | Broom: | Use for sweeping and cleaning the poultry house and stores |
| 2 | Hammer: | It is used for fixing wire mesh or fence of the poultry house. |
| 3 | Debeaker | You can use the debeaker to reduce the beaks of birds to prevent cannibalism |
| 4 | Pliers: | It is used for fixing wire mesh or fence of the poultry house. |
| 5 | Screwdriver | Use for driving nuts and bolts into poultry equipment during installation |
| 6 | Shovel/spade | It is an excellent tool for removing poultry dung, dirty litter and fixing feeds |
| 7 | Rake | It is an excellent tool for removing poultry dung, and dirty litter and fixing feeds |
| 8 | cutlass | Use for clearing grasses, cutting and dissembling parts of poultry birds |
| 9 | Tape rule | Use for measurement of poultry equipment during construction |
| 10 | Hand glove | Protect human hands against harmful materials, and prevent contact with pathogens |
| 11 | Cover all | Protect the human body against harmful materials, and prevent coming in contact with pathogens |
| 12 | Rain boot | Protect leg against harmful materials and prevent the spread of pathogens |
Maintenance of Poultry Equipment
Poor hygiene and sanitation in poultry farms may lead to widespread diseases. Unhygienic pens and litter will serve as a breeding ground for pests and diseases.
When Littre, equipment, and tools used for feeding and providing water for birds are not clean, and well-maintained disease may build up due to inadequate maintenance.
Hence, it is paramount to carry out daily maintenance and inspection of poultry equipment to determine dirty and worn-out tools. The maintenance practice of poultry equipment can be preventive and corrective maintenance
Preventive Maintenance
These are steps or actions taken daily to ensure that poultry equipment is clean and functioning optimally. These steps are carried out to ensure that equipment is not broken down. Examples of regular maintenance include
- Use poultry tools and equipment correctly following the manufacturer’s guide.
- Wash and disinfect poultry equipment after use.
- Lubricate moving mental parts of poultry tools and equipment to prevent friction.
- Rub light oil on the mental part of poultry tools and equipment before storage to prevent rusting and corrosion
- Inspect and remove damaged tools and equipment.
- Regularly paint poultry tools and equipment to prevent rusting.
- Service machine equipment regularly.
Corrective Maintenance
These are steps or actions taken daily to fix damaged tools and equipment. It is a repair action executed to ensure that poultry tools are functioning optimally. Examples of Corrective maintenance include:
- Replace damaged and worn-out equipment
- Weld or mend broken tools and equipment