Livestock and Poultry :: Housing Home

Floor

Floor types
Solid floor
  Deep litter floor
  • It is a common floor with solid surface made out of different materials such as cement concrete, vitrified paving brick, building brick, stones and gravel.
  • Such solid floors should be laid properly for good drainage.
  •  A slope of 1/40 is desirable in animal standing and a slope of  1/60 is desirable towards the dung channel.
  • Even in surface with impervious quality is necessary to prevent water stagnation.
  • In this type proper cleaning and disinfection are essential to control diseases.
 
  • It is made of bedding material as dried layers.
  • Straw, paddy husk, saw dust groundnut hulls, dried leaves are spread on the floor used as litter materials.
  • It can be spread as layer of 4-6 inches thickness and can be allowed to accumulate over a period of a month to 1 year.
  • The litter get mixed with excreta and decomposed.
  • The dried litter materials absorb the moisture. Hence bacterial activity is controlled.
  • Excessive bacterial action in the deep litter is kept controlled by addition of lime.
Floor materials

Cement concrete floor
  Vitrified paving bricks
  • This is a common material used in animal house.
  • It is cheap and durable floor if properly constructed.
  • In tropical condition, it provides the required cool condition for the animals.
  • Groove and rough surface are to be provided for making it nonslippery and to prevent accident.
 
  • These are hard impervious bricks with grooves on the surface.
  • It is an ideal flooring for animals because of durability and damp proof condition.
  • The bricks are set over the bottom and a cushion of sand.
  •  The joints are coated with cement mortar.
Stones     Building bricks  
  • Granite stones are used in place where they are easily available.
  •  They are made into a block.
  • The floor surface is roughened and laid over a cushion of sand.
  •  It is durable and strong.
 
  • They are sometimes used as a flooring material.
  •  They are not good floor materials.
  • They absorb water and are easily worn out.
  • They are set on edges closely and packed with good quality of cement.
Gravel        
  • Fine quality of gravel can be used as cheap quality flooring materials.
  •  It absorbs water and worn out quickly.
  • Periodical repair and maintenance is required.
  • During disease outbreak disinfection is not possible with this type of flooring.
  • Lime dressing and smearing of cow dung mixture will help in proper maintenance of floor.
     


Source : Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Science University, Chennai

Updated on April 2015

 

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