A poultry holding system that can be erected tool-free by assembling lengthwise and crosswise members on support posts. Multiple upright support posts are set up in an evenly spaced grid. The crosswise members and lengthwise members are constructed as U-profile rails, with through-holes in the horizontal sections of the U-profiles that allow the members to be assembled and supported on the support posts. The poultry holding system thus constructed can have at least two tiers, one above the other. The assembly components are designed to be particularly economical, which allows greater flexibility in the design and construction of the poultry holding system to accommodate the constraints of the particular facility.