Structural frame
An Atlas steel frame configured for the selected span, length, loads and equipment coordination.
Agricultural structuresAgricultural structures / poultry housing
Poultry houses planned around flock, airflow and site
An effective poultry house starts with the production system and environmental brief. Smart Steel configures the Atlas structural shell around flock type, capacity, ventilation, hygiene and future operating needs.
poultry house
Atlas agricultural building shell
Projects across South Africa
Operation-led delivery
The shell must support the poultry environment.
Poultry housing is an environmental system as much as a building. Public ARC guidance places temperature, humidity, ventilation, ammonia management, light, floor conditions and hygiene at the centre of the housing brief.
Smart Steel defines the Atlas frame, roof and agreed enclosure around that brief. Stocking decisions, ventilation equipment, internal systems, biosecurity and production management remain part of the farmer’s specialist poultry plan.
Published planning basis
What the poultry brief should establish
ARC poultry material provides clear planning principles without publishing one universal house size for every production system.
01
A well-drained site protected from flooding and suitable building orientation
02
Ventilation designed for bird age, stocking density, temperature and humidity
03
Rain protection, shade, lighting and an interior that can be cleaned effectively
04
House separation and farm layout considered as part of disease-risk management
05
Water, feeding, brooding and other equipment coordinated before the frame is fixed
Atlas building pathway
Capacity and environment come before a preset size
ARC guidance identifies siting, temperature, humidity, ventilation, lighting and cleanability as core housing decisions. A responsible shell recommendation therefore starts with the flock and environmental strategy, not a generic footprint.
Size the shell from the operating brief
Tell us whether the project is for broilers, layers, pullets or brooding; the intended bird capacity; ventilation approach; equipment layout; and site. We will translate that brief into an appropriate released Atlas span and 4m bay length.
Smart Steel scope
A structural package with clear boundaries
The quotation starts with the building shell and records exactly what Smart Steel will supply, coordinate and deliver.
Roof and enclosure
Agreed roofing and cladding zones coordinated with the chosen natural or mechanical ventilation strategy.
Defined delivery scope
A documented supply and installation package with exclusions, site requirements and finish specifications clearly recorded.
Planning a new poultry house?
Share the flock type, capacity, site and environmental-control approach. We will frame the first Atlas structural proposal around the way the house must operate.
Agricultural project brief
Request an Atlas review for your poultry house
Share the farm location, production intent and structural package you need. You do not need a finished plan to start the conversation.
Useful before you start
Have the bird type and target capacity in mind, plus the proposed site, ventilation approach, equipment supplier and whether the project is naturally or mechanically ventilated.
Responsibility matrix
Know who carries each part of the project
01
Smart Steel structural scope
- Translate the poultry brief into an Atlas structural proposal
- Coordinate frame geometry with agreed openings and equipment zones
- Define structural, roofing and cladding inclusions
- Confirm assumptions before manufacture
02
Client and professional team
- Confirm flock type, capacity and production system
- Appoint poultry, ventilation and professional specialists where required
- Confirm site, orientation, biosecurity and approval requirements
- Coordinate floors, drainage, water, power, equipment and environmental controls
Smart Steel is an independent structural supplier and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Agricultural Research Council. ARC material is used as public planning guidance; final stocking, welfare, biosecurity and environmental-control decisions require the client’s agricultural and professional team.
Agricultural design inputs
The structure has to support the operation
These considerations shape the brief before a steel package can be responsibly confirmed.
Ventilation
01Natural or mechanical ventilation changes openings, enclosure and equipment coordination.
Heat and humidity
02Insulation and environmental control must suit local climate, bird age and stocking strategy.
Hygiene and corrosion
03Wash-down, moisture, manure and ammonia exposure affect detailing and finish selection.
Farm layout
04House spacing, access, drainage and prevailing wind should be reviewed across the whole site.
What to send
Information for a useful first review
- Broiler, layer, pullet or brooding application
- Target bird capacity and management system
- Farm location, orientation and proposed position
- Natural or mechanical ventilation brief
- Feeding, watering, lighting and equipment layouts
- Roofing, insulation and cladding requirements
Delivery roadmap
01
Define the flock brief
Confirm production type, capacity, climate strategy and equipment.
02
Set the building envelope
Select the Atlas span and bay length around the operational layout.
03
Coordinate the interfaces
Record openings, cladding, services and specialist responsibilities.
04
Review and quote
Confirm engineering, finishes, delivery and installation scope.
Agricultural building system
One template, distinct farming applications
Piggery structures
Atlas steel building shells for 20-sow breeding, farrowing and growing-pig facilities.
Available
Milking and dairy sheds
Practical steel cover for milking, holding and dairy-support areas.
Available
Cattle and feedlot sheds
Roofed livestock areas and structural cover coordinated with the handling layout.
Available
Sheep and small-stock sheds
Steel structures for lambing, shearing and covered small-stock facilities.
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Grain and farm storage
Atlas storage buildings for equipment, inputs and protected on-farm operations.
Available
Questions before quotation
poultry house FAQs
Can Smart Steel recommend a poultry-house size from bird numbers alone?+
Bird numbers are a starting point, but flock type, age, production system, stocking policy, ventilation and equipment layout also affect the envelope. Smart Steel confirms these inputs before recommending an Atlas size.
Does Atlas include poultry equipment and ventilation fans?+
Not as part of the standard structural shell. Equipment, controls, electrical work and specialist ventilation can be coordinated but are included only when expressly stated in the quotation.
Is the building an official ARC poultry-house plan?+
No. ARC public guidance informs the planning questions. Atlas is Smart Steel’s independent structural system and the final project remains site- and operation-specific.
Can the house be naturally ventilated?+
Potentially, subject to the production system, climate, orientation, openings and specialist assessment. The chosen approach must be confirmed before enclosure details are fixed.
Start with the plan and site
Bring us the agricultural brief. We’ll define the structural next step.
Project reviews across South Africa · Reviewed 26 October 2026