Standardized Renovation and Management Strategies for Small and Medium-Sized Layer Farms

Small and medium-sized layer farms in China are important industry players in ensuring the supply of poultry eggs and increasing farmers’ incomes. However, their extensive development model falls significantly short of the industry’s requirements for standardization and environmentally friendly development. Drawing on practical farming experience, this article reviews common shortcomings at small and medium-sized layer farms in four areas: farm construction, production management, biosecurity, and manure and wastewater management. It identifies the main technical pathways for standardized upgrading and proposes supporting management strategies in three areas: policy support, technical services, and regulatory oversight and operation. The article provides a practical reference for improving the quality and efficiency of the layer industry, achieving standardized production, and supporting sustainable development.

 

　　The layer chicken industry has become an important part of modern animal husbandry, playing a significant role in promoting rural economic development, ensuring the supply of eggs to residents, and increasing farmers’ incomes. For a long time, China’s layer chicken industry has followed a development pattern of “small-scale operations with a large overall population.” Small- and medium-scale farms (households) make up the majority of operations in the industry and play an irreplaceable role in ensuring regional supplies of poultry eggs, absorbing rural labor, and increasing farmers’ incomes. However, as the strategy for high-quality development of animal husbandry advances, regulatory requirements for food safety, animal disease prevention and control, and ecological and environmental protection continue to tighten. Problems at small and medium-sized layer farms—such as rudimentary facilities, extensive management, weak disease prevention and control, and inadequate pollution treatment capacity—are becoming increasingly apparent. These problems not only constrain improvements in farming efficiency but also pose risks of disease transmission and environmental pollution［1］. Promoting the standardized upgrading of small and medium-sized layer farms is a key measure for implementing standardized livestock and poultry production and an important means of supporting industrial revitalization. This article systematically reviews the existing problems at small and medium-sized layer farms and develops a technical framework and management mechanisms for standardized upgrading, providing a practical, actionable pathway for industrial upgrading.

 

　　I. Main problems currently facing small and medium-sized egg-laying chicken farms

 

　　Small and medium-sized laying hen farms currently have shortcomings across multiple aspects of farming, which seriously constrain standardized and regulated development. First, the construction of on-site hardware facilities is not standardized. Most farms have been renovated on land they already own, without scientific planning. Functional areas are poorly organized, and clean and dirty routes intersect and are used interchangeably. Hen houses have poor insulation and limited temperature and humidity control. Supporting facilities for farming, ventilation, and egg storage are rudimentary, and the level of automation is low, making flocks prone to disease and preventing the assurance of safe farming production and egg products. Second, the level of standardization in feeding management is inadequate. Farming relies largely on farmers’ experience; there are no consistent standards for breed sourcing, feed formulation, or feeding procedures; feed storage poses numerous risks; production records are incomplete; and workers lack professional expertise, resulting in unstable farming returns. Third, the biosecurity prevention and control system is weak. Farms lack disinfection facilities, disinfection procedures are not standardized, and controls on the entry and exit of people, vehicles, and supplies are lax. Immunization programs are unreasonable, and the capacity for disease monitoring and diagnosis is inadequate, creating a risk of pathogen transmission and excessive veterinary drug residues. Fourth, environmental management capacity is insufficient. Supporting facilities for manure and wastewater treatment are inadequate, with manure and wastewater discharged indiscriminately or stored in the open. Treatment processes are simple and crude, and integrated crop-livestock circular systems are underdeveloped. This can pollute surrounding soil, water, and air, making it difficult to meet environmental regulatory requirements.

 

　　II. Standardization and renovation measures for small and medium-sized layer farms

 

　　1, site layout and infrastructure renovation

 

　　Optimize the overall layout of the site in accordance with the principles of “zoned isolation and functionally matched facilities.” Strictly delineate the production area, living area, and manure and wastewater treatment area, and install physical isolation facilities in each area. Build clean and dirty roads to ensure that the transport of clean supplies and contaminated materials is completely separated, thereby blocking cross-contamination pathways through spatial separation. Carry out standardized renovation of the chicken houses, using thermal-insulating building materials to improve their airtightness and environmental control capabilities. Install automatic feeding, automatic watering, mechanical manure removal, and environmental control systems to automate feeding, manure removal, ventilation, and temperature control, reducing the impact of human factors on flock growth and egg-laying performance. Build a standardized temporary egg storage room equipped with cleaning and low-temperature storage facilities to ensure egg quality and safety. Improve the site’s perimeter walls and vegetated buffer belts to strengthen the physical barriers for biosecurity.

 

　　2, Standardized Development of the Breeding and Management System

 

　　Establish standardized management practices for the entire rearing process so that every production stage is governed by clear procedures and fully traceable. First, standardize sourcing: obtain breeding stock from reputable chicken farms licensed to produce and operate breeding livestock and poultry, and strictly implement origin quarantine and isolation and observation upon arrival to ensure chick quality and biosecurity at the source. Second, establish precise feeding standards based on the different growth stages and laying cycles of laying hens; optimize the nutritional composition of the diet to ensure balanced nutrient supply. Standardize feed storage management by building dedicated feed storage facilities and implementing moisture, mold, rodent, and pest prevention measures. The use of moldy or expired feed is strictly prohibited. Third, establish complete rearing records, documenting key information in detail, including flock size, age in days, egg production, feed consumption, immunization and medication, and the handling of sick or dead chickens. Standardize daily operating procedures to improve management consistency and production stability.

 

　　3, upgrade of the biosafety prevention and control system

 

　　Set up disinfection facilities in stages at the site entrance, production area entrance, and poultry house entrances, with disinfection baths, disinfection passages, and changing and disinfection rooms. Establish standardized disinfection management procedures specifying disinfection frequency, disinfectant types, and operating procedures, and regularly assess disinfection effectiveness. Strictly control personnel and materials. Production staff must change into dedicated work clothes and footwear and complete the full disinfection procedure before entering the production area. As a rule, outside personnel are prohibited from entering the production area; those who must enter require strict approval and disinfection. Before feed, veterinary medicines, and other materials enter the site, their outer packaging must be disinfected; they must be stored in designated locations and clearly labeled. Develop a scientifically sound immunization program based on local disease prevalence, standardize vaccine storage, transportation, and administration, and conduct regular antibody testing to provide booster immunizations and preventive measures in a timely manner［2］.

 

　　4, manure resource utilization transformation

 

　　Following the principles of “reduction, harmless treatment, and resource recovery,” upgrade manure treatment facilities and address environmental protection issues through coordinated source reduction and end-of-pipe treatment. First, adopt a dry manure removal process and equip it with mechanical manure removal equipment to reduce the moisture content of manure and the difficulty of subsequent treatment. Build rainproof and seepage-proof manure storage and fermentation areas, as well as wastewater collection and treatment facilities. Based on the scale of the farm and the capacity of surrounding land to absorb manure, select appropriate treatment processes such as aerobic composting or off-site fermentation beds, ensuring that treated manure meets discharge standards or is used in compliance with applicable requirements. Second, establish a circular model combining crop and livestock production, with supporting manure transport and field application facilities. Use harmlessly treated manure as organic fertilizer on farmland to create an ecological cycle of “livestock farming–manure–crop cultivation.” Third, implement measures to control malodorous gases. Reduce odors on the farm and improve the living environment on and around the site by optimizing manure removal frequency, improving ventilation in animal housing, and using methods such as biological deodorization.

 

　　Three. Management support strategies for the standardized upgrading of small and medium-sized laying hen farms

 

　　1, policy guidance and funding support mechanisms

 

　　Local governments should, in light of the actual development of the regional layer industry, formulate special implementation plans for the standardized renovation of small and medium-sized layer farms, specifying renovation standards, acceptance procedures, and subsidy rules to provide a clear institutional basis for the work. Increase fiscal support by establishing dedicated subsidy funds for standardized renovations and providing fixed-amount subsidies to farms that pass acceptance inspections. Give priority to supporting standardized renovation of poultry houses, equipment upgrades, biosecurity, and the construction of manure and wastewater treatment facilities, reducing renovation costs for farmers. Broaden financing channels by coordinating with financial institutions to introduce dedicated credit products for standardized farm renovations, simplify approval procedures, and offer preferential interest rates.

 

　　2, technical services and talent development system

 

　　A technical guidance team comprising professionals in animal husbandry and veterinary medicine, environmental protection, and equipment will be established. A system of designated contacts for different areas will be implemented, with team members visiting livestock farms to provide on-site guidance, assist in developing tailored improvement plans, and address practical technical challenges arising during improvements and production. Building on the grassroots animal husbandry and veterinary technical extension system, standardized livestock farming training will be conducted regularly. Combining theoretical instruction with hands-on practice, the training will cover key areas including feeding and management, disease prevention and control, manure and wastewater management, and quality and safety, enhancing livestock farmers’ professional skills and compliance with standardized operating procedures.

 

　　3, supervision and management, and long-term operation and maintenance mechanisms

 

　　Establish a full-cycle supervision and management mechanism to ensure the quality of improvements and long-term compliant operation. Strictly implement the filing system for livestock and poultry farms and the review system for animal disease prevention conditions. Inspect renovated farms against the relevant standards; they may enter formal production only after passing inspection. Include standardized operation in the scope of routine supervision, and regularly check the implementation of biosecurity measures, the use of veterinary medicines and feed, the treatment and discharge of manure and wastewater, and the harmless treatment of dead livestock and poultry. Handle violations in accordance with laws and regulations. Promote tiered and category-based management: assess farms based on their facility conditions, management standards, and disease prevention status, apply differentiated supervision, and improve its precision and effectiveness. Guide farms in establishing routine maintenance systems for facilities and equipment, and regularly inspect and repair farming equipment, disinfection facilities, and manure and wastewater treatment equipment. Foster regional specialized service organizations to provide socialized services such as equipment repair, disease prevention, and manure and wastewater removal, addressing the inadequate operation and maintenance capacity of small and medium-sized farms.

 

　　Four. Conclusion

 

　　Standardized upgrades to small and medium-sized layer farms are a foundational initiative for promoting high-quality development of the layer industry. They cover multiple areas, including hardware upgrades, improved management standards, stronger disease prevention and control, and environmental compliance, and deliver economic, ecological, and social benefits. To address the common shortcomings currently found at small and medium-sized farms, upgrades should be advanced in four areas: optimizing farm layout, standardizing feeding management, upgrading biosecurity, and promoting the resource utilization of manure and wastewater. These measures will comprehensively improve overall farming standards. At the same time, a comprehensive support system for implementation and long-term operation should be established by improving policy support, strengthening technical services, and improving oversight and maintenance mechanisms. Standardized upgrades can effectively improve the production efficiency, risk resilience, and compliant operations of small and medium-sized layer farms, helping revitalize the industry and promote green, sustainable development of animal husbandry.