Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/464Show full title

Article 15 Characteristics of and technical requirements for poultry houses

1. Poultry houses shall be constructed in a manner allowing all birds easy access to open air areas. For this purpose, the following rules shall apply:

(a) the external boundary of the poultry house shall have exit/entry pop-holes giving direct access to open air areas;

(b) every single exit/entry pop-hole shall be of a size adequate for the birds;

(c) birds shall be able to access pop-holes without any obstacle;

(d) pop-holes from the external boundary of the poultry house shall have a combined length of at least 4 m per 100 m² of the usable area of the minimum surface of the indoor area of the poultry house;

(e) where pop-holes are raised, a ramp shall be provided.

2. For poultry houses with verandas, the following rules shall apply:

(a) the external boundary both from the indoor house to the veranda and from the veranda to the open air area shall have exit/entry pop-holes allowing easy access respectively to the veranda or to the open air area;

(b) pop-holes from the indoor house to the veranda shall have a combined length of at least 2 m per 100 m² of the usable area of the minimum surface of the indoor area of the poultry house and pop-holes from the veranda to the open air area shall have a combined length of at least 4 m per 100 m² of the usable area of the minimum indoor surface of the poultry house;

(c) the usable area of the veranda shall not be taken into account for the calculation of the stocking density and the minimum surface of the indoor and outdoor areas as set out in Part IV of Annex I. However, an additional, roofed outdoor part of a building intended for poultry, insulated in a way that it does not have an outdoor climate, may be taken into account for the calculation of the stocking density and the minimum surface of the indoor areas as set out in Part IV of Annex I, if the following conditions are met:

(i)

it is fully accessible 24 hours a day;

(ii)

it complies with the requirements of points 1.6.1 and 1.6.3 of Part II of Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2018/848;

(iii)

it complies with the same requirements for pop-holes as set for verandas in points (a) and (b) of this paragraph;

(d) the usable area of the veranda shall not be included in the total usable area of poultry houses for fattening poultry as referred to in point 1.9.4.4.(m) of Part II of Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2018/848.

3. For poultry houses subdivided into separate compartments in order to house multiple flocks:

(a) compartments shall ensure that contact with other flocks is restricted and that birds from different flocks cannot mix in the poultry house;

(b) the following maximum flock sizes in a single compartment of a poultry house shall apply:

(i)

3 000 parents Gallus gallus;

(ii)

10 000 pullets;

(iii)

4 800 fattening poultry Gallus gallus;

(iv)

2 500 capons;

(v)

4 000 poulardes;

(vi)

2 500 turkeys;

(vii)

2 500 geese;

(viii)

3 200 male Peking ducks or 4 000 female Peking ducks;

(ix)

3 200 male Muscovy ducks or 4 000 female Muscovy ducks;

(x)

3 200 male Mulard ducks or 4 000 female Mulard ducks;

(xi)

5 200 Guinea fowls;

(c) compartments shall be separated by solid partitions for fattening poultry other than Gallus Gallus; such solid partition shall ensure a complete physical separation from the floor to the roof of the building of each compartment of the poultry house;

(d) compartments shall be separated by solid partitions or semi-closed partitions or nets or meshes for parents Gallus gallus, laying hens, pullets, brother roosters and fattening poultry Gallus gallus.

4. Multi-tiered systems may be used in poultry houses. Where multi-tiered systems are used, the following rules shall apply:

(a) multi-tiered systems may only be used for parents Gallus gallus, laying hens, pullets for future egg production, pullets for future parents and brother roosters;

(b) multi-tiered systems shall have no more than three tiers of usable area including the ground floor;

(c) the elevated tiers shall be constructed in such a way as to prevent droppings falling on the birds below and shall be equipped with an efficient system of manure removal;

(d) all tiers shall allow for easy inspection of the birds;

(e) multi-tiered systems shall ensure that all birds can move freely and easily to the different levels or intermediate areas;

(f) multi-tiered systems shall be constructed in such a way as to provide easy equal access to open air areas to all birds.

5. Poultry houses shall be equipped with perches or raised sitting levels or both. Perches or raised sitting levels or both shall be provided to the birds from a young age in dimensions or proportions commensurate with the size of the group and of the birds as laid down in Part IV of Annex I.

6. Mobile poultry houses may be used for poultry provided that they are moved regularly during the production cycle in order to ensure the availability of vegetation to the birds and at least between each batch of poultry. The stocking density for fattening poultry laid down in Sections 4 to 9 of Part IV of Annex I may be increased to a maximum of 30 kg live weight/m² provided the surface of the ground floor of the mobile house does not exceed 150 m².