Inside a 1.1 Million Layer Farm Project: Nine Houses Prepared for 10-Tier Automation

A large commercial egg production project is taking shape in Zhejiang, China. Designed for approximately 1.1 million laying hens, the farm includes nine steel-structure poultry houses that are being prepared for 10-tier automatic layer equipment.

Three houses are planned with five rows and ten tiers, while the other six houses will use six rows and ten tiers. At the stage documented in these photographs, poultry house construction is progressing and the automatic layer equipment has not yet entered the buildings.

This project demonstrates an important principle for large-scale egg farms: the poultry house and the equipment cannot be planned separately. Structural dimensions, cage-row layout, ventilation, feed delivery, egg transport, manure removal, utilities and installation access must work together as one production system.

Project Overview

· Application: Commercial egg production

· Planned capacity: Approximately 1.1 million laying hens

· Number of layer houses: Nine

· Building type: Steel-structure poultry houses

· Planned equipment configuration: 10-tier automatic layer equipment

· Layout group A: Three houses with five rows × ten tiers

· Layout group B: Six houses with six rows × ten tiers

· Current stage: Poultry house construction before equipment installation

· Location: Zhejiang, China

Aerial construction view of the 1.1 million-layer farm project in Zhejiang, China.

Figure 1. Aerial construction view of the 1.1 million-layer farm project in Zhejiang, China.

Why Must the Poultry House Be Designed Around the Equipment?

A high-capacity layer farm is more than a large building filled with cages. In a multi-tier system, the building and the production equipment function as one integrated facility.

A change in column position, internal clear height, floor level or service opening can affect cage installation and the movement of feed, water, eggs and manure. For this reason, the poultry house drawings and equipment layout should be coordinated before construction reaches its final stages.

The project team should align the following items before equipment production and installation:

1. Usable Internal Dimensions

The final clear width, length and height of each house determine how many equipment rows can be installed and whether sufficient space remains for operation, inspection and maintenance.

2. Columns, Beams and Structural Bracing

Structural members must not conflict with cage rows, egg conveyors, feed lines, manure discharge systems or maintenance access.

3. Floor Levels and Installation Tolerances

Long equipment rows require a suitable installation surface. Floor levels and tolerances should be checked against the approved equipment drawings before setting out begins.

4. Equipment Entry and Installation Access

Doors, temporary openings, unloading areas and internal routes must allow long components, installation tools and lifting equipment to enter safely.

5. Manure Discharge Routes

The direction of the manure belts and cross-conveying system should be coordinated with the farm’s manure storage, transportation or treatment area.

6. Egg Collection and Transfer

The layout should provide a continuous route from the cage rows to the egg collection, grading or packing area, depending on the project scope.

7. Ventilation and Environmental Control

Air inlets, exhaust areas, cooling equipment, sensors and control points must be designed around the stocking plan, house geometry and local climate.

8. Feed and Water Connections

Silo positions, feed transfer routes, water pressure, filtration, medication and flushing access should be confirmed before commissioning.

9. Electrical and Control Systems

Motors, environmental controllers, lighting, alarms and emergency systems require a coordinated electrical plan.

10. Inspection and Emergency Access

Farm personnel must be able to inspect birds and equipment and respond safely when maintenance or emergency intervention is required.

For a commercial buyer, this coordination is one of the clearest differences between purchasing individual machines and engineering a complete layer-farm system.

Steel framing and enclosure work progressing before the automatic layer equipment enters the house.

Figure 2. Steel framing and enclosure work progressing before the automatic layer equipment enters the house.

What Do the Zhejiang Construction Photographs Show?

The photographs document a genuine construction project rather than a finished showroom.

Wide views show multiple long poultry houses arranged across a hillside site. Closer views record the steel frames, roof structures, enclosure panels, concrete floors, construction machinery and supporting structural work.

These records are valuable to overseas buyers because they show the actual sequence between poultry house construction and equipment installation. The site is currently being prepared for the next stage, when the automatic layer equipment can be delivered and installed.

The poultry house structure taking shape before completion of the enclosure and equipment installation.

Figure 3. The poultry house structure taking shape before completion of the enclosure and equipment installation.

Roof-frame construction inside one of the tall poultry houses planned for 10-tier equipment.

Figure 4. Roof-frame construction inside one of the tall poultry houses planned for 10-tier equipment.

Interior roof and enclosure work must maintain the clear space required by the approved equipment layout.

Figure 5. Interior roof and enclosure work must maintain the clear space required by the approved equipment layout.

Understanding the Five-Row and Six-Row Layouts

The Zhejiang project uses two equipment-row configurations:

· Three houses are planned with five rows × ten tiers.

· Six houses are planned with six rows × ten tiers.

The number of rows alone does not determine the capacity of a poultry house. Final capacity also depends on the selected cage model, row length, compartment dimensions, birds per compartment, service sections, cross-equipment space and the stocking requirements applicable to the project.

This is why a responsible equipment proposal cannot be based only on a request such as, "I need cages for one million chickens."

To prepare a reliable layout and quotation, the supplier should understand:

· project country and site location;

· target laying-hen capacity;

· available land or poultry house dimensions;

· preferred housing system;

· local climate conditions;

· electrical supply and water conditions;

· required automation level;

· manure handling plan;

· egg collection and packing plan;

· installation and commissioning requirements;

· applicable animal-welfare, building and environmental requirements.

Floor preparation before cage-row setting-out and equipment installation.

Figure 6. Floor preparation before cage-row setting-out and equipment installation.

What Should Be Checked Before the Equipment Enters the Houses?

The transition from building construction to equipment installation is a critical project stage. A pre-entry inspection should normally review:

· final internal building measurements;

· floor completion and installation tolerances;

· roof and wall weather-tightness;

· confirmed equipment centerlines and aisle widths;

· possible conflicts around columns, braces and openings;

· unloading areas and temporary storage;

· internal access for installation equipment;

· feed, water, egg and manure routes;

· electrical distribution and grounding arrangements;

· ventilation and environmental-control interfaces;

· safe access for installation crews;

· the planned sequence for installation, testing and commissioning.

The final acceptance criteria should always follow the approved project drawings, contracts, equipment manuals and local engineering requirements.

A large poultry house interior during enclosure work and preparation for the equipment stage.

Figure 7. A large poultry house interior during enclosure work and preparation for the equipment stage.

What Does “Fully Automatic” Mean in a Layer Farm?

The phrase “fully automatic” can describe different scopes among poultry equipment suppliers. A procurement team should therefore ask every bidder to list the included systems, interfaces and exclusions.

Depending on the agreed project scope, an automatic layer solution may include:

· automatic feeding;

· nipple drinking;

· automatic egg collection;

· manure-belt removal;

· feed storage and conveying;

· ventilation and cooling;

· lighting;

· environmental monitoring;

· alarms;

· centralized control.

However, buyers should not assume that every subsystem is included simply because a quotation uses the words "automatic" or "turnkey."

A clear technical proposal should confirm:

· cage system model and configuration;

· capacity calculation and stocking basis;

· materials and corrosion-protection specifications;

· included motors, sensors and control panels;

· utilities and interfaces supplied by the buyer;

· spare-parts recommendations;

· installation supervision;

· testing and commissioning;

· operator training;

· warranty terms;

· after-sales responsibilities;

· drawings and technical documents supplied at each stage.

This makes quotations easier to compare and reduces the risk of unexpected scope gaps after the order.

Lessons for Investors Planning a Large Layer Farm

Begin With Production and Market Requirements

Housing choices are affected by local regulations, retailer commitments, customer expectations and egg-market positioning. Conventional cages, enriched colony systems and cage-free systems are not interchangeable. The permitted and commercially appropriate system should be confirmed before the building design is finalized.

Design the Farm as a Complete Flow

Birds, feed, water, eggs, manure, staff and vehicles each follow a route. Good planning reduces unnecessary crossings and supports biosecurity, inspection and maintenance.

Match the Climate System to the Actual Location

A poultry house designed for one climate should not be copied directly into another region. Temperature, humidity, altitude and seasonal conditions should be considered together with flock heat load and house design.

Define Capacity Carefully

Project teams should distinguish between design capacity, installed equipment capacity and actual stocking capacity. Final stocking must follow the selected housing standard, bird requirements and local regulations.

Keep Records From Every Project Stage

Approved drawings, inspection records, progress photographs, test reports and commissioning records provide traceability. They also help the operating team understand the facility after construction is complete.

The scale and terrain of the Zhejiang layer farm construction site.

Figure 8. The scale and terrain of the Zhejiang layer farm construction site.

Supporting reinforced-concrete construction underway at the project site.

Figure 9. Supporting reinforced-concrete construction underway at the project site.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many poultry houses are included in the Zhejiang project?

The planned configuration includes nine steel-structure layer houses.

What equipment layout is planned?

Three houses are planned with five rows and ten tiers. Six houses are planned with six rows and ten tiers.

Has the automatic layer equipment been installed?

Not at the stage shown in these photographs. The poultry houses are under construction and are being prepared for equipment entry.

Is the planned equipment an H-type layer cage system?

The confirmed project information currently describes 10-tier automatic layer equipment. The precise cage model should be stated only according to the approved equipment specification.

Does “fully automatic” always include feeding, egg collection, manure removal and climate control?

Not necessarily. The included systems should be listed individually in the supplier’s technical proposal and contract.

What information does a supplier need to prepare a layer-farm proposal?

Buyers should provide the project location, target capacity, available land or house dimensions, preferred housing system, climate conditions, power supply, water conditions, automation requirements, manure plan, egg handling plan and target schedule.

Can a 10-tier system be used in every country?

No single configuration is suitable for every market. Building codes, animal-welfare rules, climate, wind and seismic conditions, labor strategy, market requirements and service capability all require project-specific review.

Planning Your Own Commercial Layer Project?

A useful poultry equipment proposal should explain more than the cage price. It should clearly present the capacity basis, house and row layout, equipment scope, utility requirements, installation responsibilities and after-sales plan.

Send Henan Daofeng Livestock Equipment Co., Ltd. the following project information:

· target bird capacity;

· project country and location;

· available land or poultry house dimensions;

· preferred housing system;

· required automation level;

· local climate conditions;

· planned project schedule.

Our team will review your requirements and help prepare a project-specific equipment layout and scope proposal.

Contact Henan Daofeng Livestock Equipment Co., Ltd. to request a layer-farm layout and quotation.

Author: Zhao Jinhong

Company: Henan Daofeng Livestock Equipment Co., Ltd.

Project location: Zhejiang, China

Project stage shown: Poultry house construction before equipment installation