Factors Contributing to Poultry House Failures

A poultry house can be considered a complex system in which all parts of the system work together to accomplish a task. Each element of the house structure (foundation, walls, knee braces, trusses, etc.) has a certain form and function that acts to support loads (e.g., wind, snow, ice) applied to the house. Poultry houses are often considered to be simple, even low-tech structures. While not complex to construct they are no less complex in how they carry loads from each part of the structure to ...the ground. Each part of the structure interacts with other parts. For example, a poorly built foundation can create stresses in other parts of the building (e.g. trusses), which can eventually result in failure.