How To Choose The Best Cage For Egg Laying Chickens?

In the process of laying chicken breeding, the choice of chicken cages directly affects the egg productivity, health of hens, and economic benefits. A reasonably designed layer cage that fits the style of breeding can not only increase the comfort level of the hens, but also reduce labor costs, and enhance the degree of automation.

Clarify the scale and goals of chicken farming

Before choosing one chicken cage, the farmer needs to consider what is their goal and the scale of the farm.

Small-scale chicken breeding (100-500birds): It is advised to use the A type layer cage with a simple structure and at a moderate cost for starters with relatively low investment and mainly depends on manual management.

Medium to large scale chicken farm(＞1000 birds )：H type layer cage is advised for its highly efficient system including automatic egg collecting, breeding, drinking, climate control, manure cleaning, etc. It is conducive to centralized management and increases egg production efficiency.

In addition, whether to adopt a centralized breeding method or a decentralized multiple points one, whether to expand the farm in the future, all of these factors will affect the choice of chicken cages.

Get to know the features of different layer cages

Different layer cages are varied in many aspects such as the structure design, functional configuration, and applicable scenarios. You should choose based on your breeding needs, site condition, and budget.

A type layer cage

A type layer cage is a classic design of stacked cages that resembles the character “A” from the side. It usually has 3 to 4 tiers and a simple structure, good ventilation, suitable for farms of small to medium scale.

Benefits:

The price is reasonable and the cost performance is high.
Easy to install and maintain, convenient for manual operation.
Moderate space taking suitable for existing chicken house improvement.

H type layer cage

H type layer cage has a multi-layer (usually 4-8 tiers) modernized design. It is widely applied on large-scale chicken farms which can better support high degree automation work.

Benefits:

Less floor space, high density of unit area.
It is conducive to climate control, centralized management, and labor-saving.

Mobile or single-tier layer cage

This type of chicken cage has features of simple structure, and high flexibility, and is commonly used by family breeding, school labs, breeding training, etc.

Benefits:

It is movable and easy to lay out.

Suitable for outdoor chicken breeding combined with free-range breeding.

Small investment, convenient for observation and management.

When deciding the type of layer cage, the condition of the chicken house (height, width, ventilation condition) and whether it is suitable for installing automatic equipment also should be taken into consideration. A well-chosen structure will directly affect the health of chicken flocks and breeding efficiency.

Identify layer cages with designs that are good for chicken’s health

A premium chicken cage should not be only strongly built, and convenient to manage, but more importantly, take a full account of the behavioral habits and health needs in design details. A sound layer cage design can effectively reduce chicken stress, improve egg production rate, and reduce disease incidents.

Is there enough space for each chicken?

Although chickens are social animals, but long time living in a cage with excessive density will lead to problems such as stress response, feather pecking, fighting, etc., and even influence egg productivity. It is suggested that each chicken should at least take 450-550cm2. Layer cages should contain chickens according to the size and quantities, and avoid overload.

Is the feeding and drinking system reasonably arranged?

The ease of feeding and drinking directly affects chicken’s growth and egg production efficiency. The feeding trough should be placed in front of the cage to feed multiple chickens at the same time. The water pipe or nipple drinkers should be evenly distributed to avoid dehydration caused by difficulty in drinking. It is advised to use automatic drinking systems which provide clean water and can save water.

The inclination angle of the cage bottom and egg protection

Laying hens lay eggs every day. After laying, the eggs need to be smoothly rolled into the egg collection trough to avoid being crushed or pecked by the hens. It is generally recommended that the bottom of the cage be tilted at an angle of 7 to 8 degrees to ensure that the eggs roll smoothly. The spacing of the steel wires at the bottom of the cage should be moderate, which not only prevents the chicken feet from being pinched but also facilitates the leakage of chicken manure.

Ventilation and lighting

The structure of the cage for egg laying chicken should be conducive to ventilation, avoiding respiratory diseases caused by the accumulation of ammonia. The multi-tier chicken cage should also pay attention to whether each chicken gets light.

Safe and detailed design

Ensure there is no burr, or sharp corner which may hurt chickens. Door locks are strong and can prevent chickens from running or opening by mistake. The cage should provide easy observation and easy daily management.

Material and manufacturing process

The durability, safety, and service life, to some extent, greatly depend on raw materials and the manufacturing process. Premium raw materials and a delicate production process can not only extend its service life, but also reduce maintenance costs, and improve overall breeding benefits.

Comparison between common materials

Electro-galvanized steel wire: Smooth surface, average anti-rust ability. Relatively low cost, suitable for chicken farms with limited budget. 3-5 years of service life and regular anti-rust treatment are needed.

Hot galvanized steel wire: Immerse the steel wire as a whole into the molten zinc to form a thick zinc layer. Excellent anti-rust ability, suitable for environments with high humidity and high ammonia. The general lifespan is 8-15 years, and high-quality cages may reach 20 years. The economic performance is high. It is one of the most prevalent materials for exporting breeding equipment.

PVC-coated steel wire: Coat the surface of the steel wire with a layer of plastic coating. It has a soft touch, a beautiful color, and a good anti-rust effect. It is more suitable for use in areas with humid climates and strong air corrosiveness.

Steel wire diameter and welding process

The main wire and support wire need to have a certain thickness (such as the main wire ≥3.0mm) to ensure stable load-bearing. The welding points should be uniform and firm, and not prone to de-welding or deformation. High-quality cages are welded by automatic welding robots, with consistent and aesthetically pleasing weld points and high welding strength.

Edge processing and security design

Whether the edges of the chicken coop have been polished or edged is related to whether the chickens are prone to scratches. Good craftsmanship requires no burrs and no welding slag. The structure of the door lock should be simple and durable to avoid deformation or failure caused by frequent opening and closing.

Whether the bottom cage design is reasonable

The space between the steel wire of the bottom cage is about 2.0cm × 4.0cm to facilitate manure drop and avoid foot clamping. A certain elasticity is necessary meaning that the bottom cage can’t be too soft to collapse and should enable chickens to stand steady.

Durability and quality assurance

Choosing a manufacturer with warranty service is more reliable. Generally, high-quality chicken cages offer a warranty period of 3 to 10 years. Find out whether repair or replacement of spare parts support is provided.

Whether automatic supporting systems are available

With the continuous expansion of the breeding scale, traditional manual operation can not meet the requirements of high efficiency and management demand. Whether the modern layer chicken is compatible with automation is a key factor in whether the client will choose to buy. A reasonable automatic configuration can not only save labor costs but also improve production efficiency and egg quality.

Automatic feeding system
Automatic egg collecting system
Automatic manure removal system
Automatic drinking system
Automatic climate control system

After-sale service and installation support

No matter how premium the cage for laying chicken is, without a complete after-sale service and technical support it is also possible to encounter various difficulties in actual use. Especially for users who are building a farm for the first time or using an automatic system for the first time, guidance from the manufacturer is particularly crucial.

Whether installation guidance or on-site installation is provided.
Whether parts supply and replacement services are provided.
Technical guidance and troubleshooting.
Warranty and after-sales commitment.
Can services be customized as needed

Budget and cost-effectiveness considerations

In the process of selecting egg laying chicken cages, price is undoubtedly one of the most concerned factors for many farmers. However, merely pursuing low prices often leads to the neglect of product quality, service life, and long-term operating costs. Therefore, when considering the budget, one should start from the perspective of “cost performance” and make scientific decisions.

Initial procurement cost vs. Service life

After a few years of use, inexpensive chicken coops may need to be updated, increasing the overall cost.

Although they cost a little more up front, high-quality hot-dip galvanized or PVC-coated chicken coops last eight to fifteen years and have a lower average annual amortization cost.

It is advised to prioritize selecting cages with a more robust structure and greater resistance to corrosion if long-term breeding is being considered.

The trade-off between manual and automation input

Despite being inexpensive, manually operated chicken coop equipment is inefficient and requires a lot of labor.

Although they come with a comparatively high initial cost, systems like automatic feeding, manure removal, and egg collection can save a lot of work, cut down on waste, and enhance the quality of eggs.

This problem of "buying cheap but using expensive" should be avoided by carefully calculating the payback period in conjunction with the amount of labor and breeding costs.

After-sales service and Hidden costs

When issues arise, products without an after-sales warranty could need to be replaced or repaired by themselves, which would prolong production and add to unanticipated costs.

Some manufacturers provide slightly more expensive quotes, but the real investment is more economical because they include services like accessories, installation advice, and after-sales support.

Whether it is suitable for future expansion

It is advised to select chicken coops with modular designs or those that facilitate the development of supporting systems if there are future intentions to increase the breeding scale.

Standardized layouts and unified models simplify long-term operation and maintenance while facilitating equipment compatibility and later expansion management.

The price difference between domestic purchases and imported purchases

Export clients should thoroughly compare import taxes and fees, transportation charges, service promptness, etc.

Even though domestic purchases are less expensive, there may be a higher chance of long-term use if there is no English assistance and no foreign after-sales mechanism.

In order to increase total cooperation efficiency, high-quality export producers typically offer full packing, container loading, English instructions, and after-sales guarantees.