Does loose housing affect egg production?

[JosiahK]

Does loose housing affect egg production?

UPDATE:

By loose housing I mean in a hoophouse with deep (2ft) with 5-10 square feet per bird.

Thanks!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Does loose housing affect egg production?

By "loose housing" do you mean free ranging (where the birds are free to roam a large, open area with a coop available to enter/leave at will)? Are you concerned about an impact to the positive or negative?
Sometimes free ranging results in a perceived impact on production (to the negative) because birds who are ranging may opt out of returning to the coop to lay in the nest boxes and, if those rogue nests go undetected, the result is fewer eggs in the nest boxes and the flockmaster thinking that production is down.

 

[JosiahK]

Loose housing in a hoophouse with 5 square feet per bird and deep (1 foot) bedding.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Loose housing in a hoophouse with 5 square feet per bird and deep (1 foot) bedding.

So the 5 square feet per bird is the total amount of space allotted each bird? Will they be confined in that size area at all times, or will it be used as a secure area when they are not out free-ranging?

 

[JosiahK]

They will be confined at all times.

 

[PapaChaz]

I'm confused by the term 'loose housing' what do you mean by that? 5 square ft per bird total is very TIGHT, if that's all you're giving them total you'll have behavioral problems with them

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

They will be confined at all times.

If I am understanding you correctly, you are using "loose housing" to describe a single structure, hoop house, that is the sum total of the birds' living area - meaning that there is not a separate coop with the hoop structure acting as an attached run? Will the entire structure be covered, partially covered or entirely uncovered?
A total space of 5 square feet per bird in the entire area in which they will be confined is not sufficient to maintain a healthy, productive flock of large fowl birds and any impact on production by such an arrangement will be to the negative - as well as having high likelyhood of some very undesirable behavioral issues.

 

[JosiahK]

Thanks! Maybe 10-15 square feet per bird would be better.