The simplest chicken coop in the country. How to build a warm chicken coop with your own hands. Technical features of poultry house design
It would not hurt the owner of a dacha who permanently resides there to acquire a small chicken coop. The benefits of this solution are obvious: fresh domestic eggs are a complete food product, and caring for poultry does not require much effort or large expenses.
By calculating the cost of feed and comparing it with the cost of the eggs received, you will be convinced of the profitability of your mini-farm. If you add to this full-fledged organic fertilizer, which laying hens will provide your garden for free, the economic effect will be even higher.
How many birds should you have in order to provide your family with an excellent dietary product and at the same time not be too burdened with care concerns? How to build a chicken coop for 10 chickens efficiently, inexpensively and quickly? We will try to give comprehensive answers to these questions that concern beginners in poultry farming.
Features of building a small chicken coop
To provide for a small family of 2-3 people, 10 laying hens are enough. 20 birds can feed a larger family a delicious omelet. You should not have a larger number of chickens on your summer cottage to avoid problems with neighbors and the sale of finished products.
Building a mini chicken coop with your own hands is relatively easy if you make a drawing in advance and think through all its important elements. A superficial approach is unacceptable here, since the productivity and health of the bird directly depend on the living conditions. Therefore, immediately tune in to high-quality work, rejecting the prevailing opinion that a poultry house can be built haphazardly from any available materials.
Choosing a location for the chicken coop
The place to build a chicken coop should be dry and well lit. Low areas and shaded areas under trees are not suitable for it. It is very good if the terrain has a slight slope. This will allow rainwater to drain away quickly without soaking the soil. The chicken run and the entrance to the poultry house should be located along the south side. In this case, the sun's rays will warm the room and the ground well even in winter.
The dimensions of the walking area have been calculated by experienced poultry farmers, so you don’t have to do your own research. There should be at least 1 m2 of space per 1 hen. Therefore, a chicken coop for 20 chickens should have a run of at least 20 m2.
The geometric proportions of the enclosure are best tied to the size of the house. Therefore, if your housing for 10 laying hens is 2 meters wide, then the paddock for them needs to be 2x5 or 2x7 meters in size.
The size of the poultry house is also selected based on veterinary standards: 3-4 laying hens can be placed per 1 m2. Therefore, for 10 hens led by a rooster, a “living space” measuring 2x2 meters will be enough.
Construction instructions
Having determined the dimensions of the poultry house and aviary, you can begin construction. We do not recommend placing a chicken coop directly on the ground. The bird in such a house will be damp and cold, and insects and rodents will be able to easily enter it. Therefore, build such an object according to all the rules, starting from a solid foundation.
There are two options for this solution:
- Slab concrete foundation;
- A columnar foundation with the floor raised above the ground.
We make a concrete foundation slab for a poultry house in the following sequence:
- We mark the dimensions of the future structure using pegs and a cord;
- We remove the top layer of soil under the house area to a depth of 30-35 cm;
- We pour a cushion of sand and small crushed stone 10-15 cm thick and compact it with a tamper;
- We make formwork from boards;
- We lay a steel masonry mesh (cell 5-10 cm) on a sand-crushed stone bed and fill it with strong concrete (M200);
- After curing the concrete for 2 weeks, you can begin laying the walls.
The foundation of a columnar structure for a small chicken coop is easier to manufacture. To do this, you need to drill holes along the contour of the poultry house with a depth of 0.8-1.0 meters and a diameter of 15 cm. After this, you need to install formwork in them from several layers of roofing material twisted into a pipe.
Before concreting, reinforcing bars with a diameter of 12-14 mm are placed in the formwork, 2-3 pieces for each column. The pitch of the posts for a poultry house measuring 2x2 meters is 1 meter. One of the reinforcing bars must have a threaded end for a nut. We will need it to attach the supporting wooden beam on which the floor will be laid.
If you plan to use the space under the house for walking, then the height of the foundation column above the ground should be at least 50 cm.
Walls
A small one should have warm and windproof walls. They can be erected on a monolithic foundation slab from light blocks (foam or aerated concrete, porous ceramics or sawdust concrete).
Another good option is to build a panel formwork and fill it in layers with a clay-straw mixture (adobe). The final choice depends on your preferences and finances. The main thing is that the wall material is warm and easy to install.
Before laying, the foundation must be waterproofed using bitumen coating or laying 2 layers of roofing material.
For the option with a columnar foundation, a frame wall construction is optimal. It is built quickly and at minimal cost.
A timber support frame is the best basis for framed walls and floors. All you need for this work is a sufficient number of bars for racks, horizontal crossbars and struts, which increase the rigidity of the structure.
A long support beam can serve not only as the basis for the walls of the poultry house, but also as the lower part of the fence for the run. The frame of the walking area and the door can most easily be made from a metal corner. After this, all that remains is to attach the mesh netting to it and cover the paddock with polycarbonate or slate.
The walls of the poultry house are insulated after the frame is assembled (during the process of covering it with boards). Ecowool or mineral wool are best suited for thermal insulation. It is better not to use polystyrene foam. This material practically does not allow water vapor to pass through. Therefore, the poultry house will always be humid and damp, which is extremely undesirable.
Another good option is walls made of logs or timber. They are warm, durable, easy to assemble and look great. A log house poultry house looks especially good on an estate with a residential building made of the same material.
For those who like original solutions, we can offer the option of a mini chicken coop in the form of a gazebo.
The poultry house and the run are under a common roof, saving area and pleasing the eye with its unusual shapes.
Floor
If a small chicken coop for a summer residence is intended for winter use, then in addition to insulating the walls, the floor must be reliably protected from the cold. For a columnar version of the base, its design must be double. The assembly technology is simple: logs are attached to the support frame and hemmed underneath with a board. Then insulation (mineral wool or ecowool) is placed in the space between the joists and the finished floor is laid from an antiseptic tongue-and-groove board.
For a slab base of a poultry house, it is enough to lay wooden logs and insulate the space under the finished floor with ecowool. Mineral wool is worse in this regard. It accumulates moisture and does not release it well, so it is necessary to lay waterproofing under a layer of such insulation.
If you decide not to insulate the floor in the chicken coop, then in winter do not skimp on dry bedding made of straw or sawdust. Its thickness in frosty months should be at least 20 cm.
Roof
The best type of roof for a poultry house is a gable roof. It increases the usable height of the room, eliminating the need to build high walls. Provided there is good insulation, this design does not require laying a ceiling.
The roofing material for a small chicken coop can be anything: slate, reeds, roofing felt or metal tiles. The lower part of the rafters should be sheathed with boards or chipboard, and the spaces between them should be insulated.
Interior arrangement
It consists of installing natural ventilation, lighting, bird perches and nests. Some of the functions of ventilation and lighting will be taken over by windows. You can make several of them or just one. The main thing is that the total area of the windows (according to the standards) should not be less than 1/12 of the floor area of the poultry house.
Keeping the window constantly open for ventilation is not an option, especially in the cold season. Chickens cannot tolerate drafts, so supply and exhaust ventilation should also be installed in the poultry house. To do this, an exhaust pipe is placed above the perch, extending beyond the roof. The second (supply) pipe is located in the far corner of the chicken coop at a height of 0.4-0.5 meters from the floor.
It is advisable to make a hole for chickens on the south side of the poultry house. Its width should be at least 30 cm and its height from 30 to 40 cm. The hole can be combined with the front door by cutting it at the bottom of the canvas.
To make perches, you should take planed wooden slats with a square section of 4x4 cm. They are fixed at the same level in increments of about 50 cm. The height of the perch from the floor is from 60 to 80 cm.
Comfortable nests for laying hens are a guarantee of productive laying. Therefore, do not take the simple route, adapting empty can boxes for them, but make a permanent structure.
There are many options here. Some people make nests according to the “house within a house” principle, while others approach it from a scientific point of view, calculating the angle of rolling out the eggs and doing auto-cleaning.
Whatever option you choose, remember that the main principles of this design are correct dimensions (height 35 cm, depth 40 cm and width 35 cm) and ease of cleaning. According to the norms, 1 nest should be allocated for 3-4 chickens.
Poultry nesting boxes can be placed directly in the chicken coop, but it is better to partially move them outside, providing them with a lifting lid or doors.
This option is the most popular among summer residents today. This will make it easier for you to collect eggs, change bedding, and inspect the birds.
If you're spending the summer outside the city and are thinking about raising at least a couple of chickens, these 20 chicken coop plans are worth taking note of. Of course, if you decide to build a chicken coop yourself, you will need a simple construction plan, not too expensive building materials, and the laying hens should end up with a reliable chicken coop in which they will be protected from wild animals and rodents. Less than 3,000 rubles were spent on materials for building some of the chicken coops that you will see in the photo. In addition, they look stylish and can decorate your suburban area.
1. Classic chicken coop in a house for gardening equipment
This chicken coop looks like a regular old-style gardening tool house. It's easy to build using materials from leftover projects. Even if you have to purchase new materials, you won’t have to shell out too much money.
2. DIY chicken coop with a raised front part
This chicken coop will provide space for the birds and you can arrange several nests for laying hens. It is easy to enter such a building to collect chicken eggs.
3. The simplest chicken coop from the materials used
A simple chicken coop can be built from old cabinets and wooden pallets.
4. DIY Chicken Palace
If you plan to give your chickens royal respect, build them a coop like this. There is enough space for 6 chickens, but this plan can be modified to make the house larger. The building looks aesthetically pleasing and can become a real decoration of the yard.
5. Easy to install two-story chicken coop
This coop is also built from reclaimed materials.
6. Country log house for chickens
A log house for a chicken coop is a great solution. It will keep the chickens warm in winter if you are thinking about year-round poultry breeding.
7. Swedish style chicken coop
The red and white colors of this chicken coop are reminiscent of the houses in northern Sweden and look fancy! Building such a “bird house” is also quite easy. Its cost will depend on the materials you choose for construction.
8. Chicken coop for $50
A small chicken coop that still has enough room for a few birds. It is raised above the ground, which provides chickens with safety from rodents and animals. Construction will be quite cheap.
9. DIY portable mini chicken coop
Building a portable mini chicken coop is not difficult. First, a small yurt house the size of a dog house is built, then it is supplemented with poles and a nest for 1-3 chickens.
10. Chicken coop mini-farm
This farmhouse style chicken coop looks very well built. It is quite simple to build, despite the seemingly complex plan. This chicken coop will look great in your yard! Collecting eggs in it will also not be difficult.
11. Another very simple chicken coop
Such a chicken coop can be built and installed anywhere. It has enough space for several chickens. Make sure that the floor of the chicken coop is sufficiently reinforced and inaccessible to rodents.
12. Spacious chicken coop
The construction plan is quite simple. The final stage is painting the chicken coop. This will give it the look of a cute little house. The birds will have room in it and will be reliably protected from animals.
13. Hangar-shaped chicken coop
The design of the chicken coop-hangar is unique, it is of good height, it is spacious and safe for the laying hens. Part of the building is made of wood, part of mesh. Collecting eggs in such a chicken coop will be easy.
14. Portable chicken coop made of PVC pipes
This is a plan for building a portable chicken coop using PVC pipes. Wheels are attached to the back wall for easier movement.
15. Quick and easy to build chicken coop
There is enough space for 4-5 birds. Purchasing materials will cost approximately 2,500 rubles. Paint this little chicken coop in bright colors and it will become a real decorative addition to your summer cottage!
16. Chicken coop made from wood scraps
If you already have wood scraps in your yard, this coop will cost you very little to build!
17. Chicken coop with shingles
The shingles for this chicken coop are made from used aluminum cans. It will take about 10 hours to build the chicken coop itself.
18. From an old pipe
Chicken coop made from old pipes and wooden pallets.
19. Chicken coop made from a trampoline
An old trampoline can be turned into a summer chicken coop. It is enough to add only a few details: a net and a nest for laying hens.
20. Chicken coop made from used pallets
If you already have several wooden pallets at your disposal, this idea may be quite suitable for you. It is enough to place the pallets one on top of the other, then all that remains is to frame them and add perches and nests.
cpykami.ru
Do-it-yourself chicken coop at the dacha, photo. The simplest house for chickens
A dacha is not just a place to relax for the weekend, but also an area where you can try yourself as a gardener or a real farmer. Try raising broilers in the summer, then you can get homemade eggs and butter. Before you buy chickens, find out how to make a chicken coop in your country house with your own hands. We offer photos of the simplest chicken coops that you can build without the involvement of specialists.
How to make a simple chicken coop in the country
Owners who decide to raise chickens naturally think about building a chicken coop. In the minds of some, a chicken coop is a dilapidated house built from nondescript and unnecessary material. But you can approach the issue creatively and turn the chicken coop into a decoration for your summer cottage. This could be a light “summer” building, or it could be a capital building designed for the permanent residence of chickens in the country.
Photo of the simplest chicken coop made from scrap materials Also read: Keeping laying hens at home for beginners
When planning the construction of a chicken coop, it is necessary to take into account several important rules relating to its correct placement on the site and proper internal arrangement.
Drawing of the simplest chicken coop - choose the right place, focusing on the cardinal directions;
- monitor the temperature;
- choose the appropriate size of the building to accommodate all the chickens.
Even the simplest chicken coop should be located on an elevated place - this will ensure that the ground quickly dries out after rains and snow melting. The location of the windows in the chicken coop should be such that there is as much light in the room as possible, so the windows should face south. In winter this will add warmth, but in summer the windows should be shaded to avoid overheating.
Photo of a simple chicken coop for a summer residence Laying hens do not like either excessive cold or heat, so it is worth thinking about devices that can be used to correct them. It is absolutely necessary to isolate a simple chicken coop: the chickens should feel protected and calm. And finally, the size of the poultry house according to the number: per sq.m. no more than two chickens are located.
Step-by-step instructions for building a chicken coop in the country
First you need to draw the proposed structure on paper, decide on the choice of building materials in order to imagine the approximate weight of the future structure for the chickens. For a chicken coop with a relatively small mass, the most successful option would be one with a columnar foundation. This choice is associated with its low cost and practical benefits - it is more difficult for any pests to penetrate into a room located on supports, and it also provides protection from wood rot due to the free passage of air.
Photo of a full-fledged chicken coop with a bird run Useful article: Nests for laying hens to prevent eggs from pecking
Step 1. Marking the foundation is done using thin twine and thin metal sticks.
Step 2. According to the design, sticks are driven into the ground around the perimeter and tied with twine. The accuracy of the markings can be checked with a tape measure by taking diagonal measurements.
Photo of a full-fledged chicken coop in the country Step 3. It is better to remove the layer of black soil from the surface of the foundation and use it in the garden.
Step 4. Next, pedestals are made at the corners of the building and along the perimeter: to do this, you need to dig recesses 60-70 cm long and 50 cm wide at a distance of about one meter from each other. The cabinets should rise 25-30 cm above the ground.
Photo of a small and simple chicken coop Step 5. The bottom of the recesses is filled in layers with sand and fine gravel 10 cm thick. Next, 2x2 bricks are laid out, changing direction and sandwiching them with cement mortar. This process ends with stopping work for a week - the cement mortar must harden properly.
Step 6. After this, the cabinets are covered with a moisture-proof coating. The soil is covered with crushed stone.
The walls of a chicken coop at the dacha are erected from wooden beams measuring 100x150 mm, guided by template technology. The height of the walls is at your discretion, but it should not be lower than 180 cm. The next stage is strengthening the ceiling beams and roof decking.
The roof in the poultry house can be single-pitched or gable. A gable roof is much more practical, since the attic can be used to store food stored for future use. The ceiling must be insulated using mineral wool or bulk insulation. The floor must be double so that it does not freeze in winter and does not leak. It is best made from a 25 mm thick board.
The interior decoration of a chicken coop at the dacha consists of the construction of a perch, nests for laying hens, containers for food and drink. The perch is designed at the rate of 30 cm per bird. Pull-out sheets or flat boxes can be installed under the perch to make cleaning easier.
Photo idea of a simple chicken coop You can easily make a chicken coop at your dacha with your own hands, based on the photo, if you follow the instructions. Experiment, because even improvised materials can help when building a house for chickens.
fermanews.ru
Do-it-yourself chicken coop: drawings and 75 photos
If you have the desire and minimal experience in keeping chickens and are thinking about how to build a chicken coop with your own hands, then we will tell you how to build a winter chicken coop for 10 chickens.
The small size and thermal insulation of the chicken coop will allow the birds to warm the room with the heat of their bodies. At the same time, building such a chicken coop is within the power of every householder! This project will not take too much time and will not require expensive tools.
DIY chicken coop for 10 chickens.
When designing and building a chicken coop, it is important to keep many components in mind. After all, a chicken coop is both a comfortable home for birds and an outbuilding designed to make it easier for people to care for animals and increase labor productivity. Therefore, before making a chicken coop with your own hands, let's figure out what design elements and features should be inherent in every good chicken coop.
1. We rise above the ground
Dampness and moisture are the main enemies of any chicken coop. In a damp room, birds begin to get sick, so the chicken coop is always raised above the ground. Some designs provide for a very high rise - up to a meter, and sometimes higher. If your area, like ours, does not have excessive humidity, then 25-40cm should be quite enough.
2. Placement of the chicken coop
Speaking of the area! Choosing the right place for the chicken coop is 50% of success. Here are some tips to help with this:
3. Inputs and outputs for chickens and people
Each chicken coop must have an entrance for birds, as well as access for cleaning the premises. In our chicken coop, the passage for the chickens is made behind the back wall, and two doors provide the possibility of cleaning the chicken coop.
4. Nests and roosts
Chickens will lay eggs in the nests, and you will take these eggs from the nests, so the nests should be comfortable for both you and the chickens. It is believed that the ideal nest size is 30x30cm in length and width, and 30-40cm. in height. In this case, it is recommended to make the entrance to the nests narrower.
There should be easy access to the nests from the outside.
The lid opens, so you don't have to climb inside the coop to collect eggs.
The lid must be inclined so that water flows freely from it and does not fall into the nests.
The total length of the perch is calculated based on 25 cm per chicken. Since we are planning our chicken coop for ten chickens, we have enough crossbar for the entire length of the chicken coop (almost 2.5 m).
5. Lighting and ventilation of the chicken coop
Chickens simply need light. Reduced daylight hours are one of the main reasons why chickens stop laying eggs in winter, and experienced owners know that this problem can be solved by turning on a light bulb. Therefore, there should be windows in the chicken coop!
It is better to make windows on at least three sides so that light penetrates into the chicken coop throughout the day. Also note the hinged ventilation window on the back wall. In wet weather it can be opened for additional ventilation. The windows above the slots on the front wall also open. Ventilation is very important, but remember: no matter what tricks you use to ventilate the winter chicken coop, be sure to provide the ability to adjust the air flow until it is completely blocked - this will come in handy in winter, when ventilation will suck out precious heat.
Chicken coop drawing.
Below we provide drawings of our chicken coop. For construction, we used softwood timber and boards, as well as 15mm thick plywood. It is quite possible to use OSB for the floor and roof underlay. When specifying the pitch between joists and rafters, the distances are indicated between the centers of the beams.
How to insulate a chicken coop with your own hands
So we built a chicken coop. Now we have to insulate it. Various materials can be used as insulation. Mineral wool is perfect for this.
As well as polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam.
At worst, you can line the walls with cardboard and old blankets.
The insulation is placed between the beams and then covered with plywood. Otherwise, birds may peck it off (they especially love polystyrene foam).
In winter, it is also worth covering the windows with insulation. It is important to provide artificial lighting.
In case of severe frosts, infrared lamps can be provided. At the same time, their operation can be controlled by a timer or even a thermal relay - this eliminates unnecessary hassle, eliminates the human factor (forgot to turn it on/off) and saves money.
DIY chicken coop. Summer paddock.
During the warmer months, chickens need more space and will happily spend most of their time outside. Therefore, when making a chicken coop with your own hands, you need to make an open summer pen for chickens. The paddock area is calculated using the formula 1 sq.m. for every chicken.
Pay attention to the mesh at the bottom of the coop - it protects against predators. It should be buried 20-30cm into the ground, since some predators are quite capable of making a tunnel. And if there are large birds of prey in your area, then the enclosure must also be protected from above.
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Keeping chickens at home is not only fashionable, but also profitable. Chicken eggs are a healthy and tasty dietary product, and the meat is much easier on the stomach than pork or beef. To ensure that chickens do not get sick, grow quickly and lay eggs well, it is necessary to build a chicken coop that will provide the birds with comfortable conditions. To build a chicken coop with your own hands for 10 chickens, you need not only diagrams and materials, but also an understanding of the needs of the bird and the optimal conditions for keeping it.
Homemade chicken coop
To figure out what a chicken coop should be like, you need to understand why it is needed. The bird spends the night in the chicken coop and lays eggs, so it must protect from rain, cold, dampness, rodents and predators. Chickens do not clean up after themselves, so the coop should be high enough so that you can clean it of droppings. In addition, it is necessary to provide places for nesting and resting.
No less important characteristics of the chicken coop are lighting and ventilation. Lack of lighting will lead to a decrease in fertility, and poor ventilation will weaken the health of the birds and they will begin to get sick.
Video: chicken coops for 10 chickens
Preparing to build a chicken coop
During preparation, you need to determine the location for installing the chicken coop, think about its internal architecture and appearance, and also decide on the material for the roof, walls and insulation. To build a good chicken coop for 10 chickens with your own hands, you need to develop drawings taking into account the characteristics of the site and your height.
Using ready-made drawings will simplify construction, but complicate bird care.
- It is not advisable to make the area of the chicken coop less than 4 square meters. m.;
- there should be 2–4 nests in the chicken coop;
- feeders must be placed along the wall opposite the perch;
- the feeding system must have a door for cleaning and loading from the outside;
- feeders and drinkers should rise 5–10 cm above the floor;
- the floor should be smooth but non-slip;
- the perch is installed at a height of 40–60 cm;
- the total area of windows should not be less than 10% of the floor area (optimally 20–30%);
- The chicken coop should be adjacent to a fenced area (aviary) for walking at the rate of 1–2 square meters. m. per bird;
- A ladder must be installed between the chicken coop and the walking area.
Choosing a location for the chicken coop
For When constructing a chicken coop, a small elevation, sheltered from the winds, is suitable, preferably on the south side of the house, in this case the birds will get more sunlight and there will be no drafts in the chicken coop. Never build a chicken coop in low areas. When it rains, the water will wash away the chicken droppings and spread them throughout your property. This can lead to various intestinal diseases in humans, as well as colds in birds. The distance from the chicken coop or aviary to (the border of your site) should not be less than 4 meters. If you take water from a well or well, then the distance from them to the chicken coop should be at least 40 meters.
Drawing up drawings
A do-it-yourself chicken coop for 10 chickens, drawings of which can be found on the Internet, does not take into account the characteristics of your site, so you can draw up your own drawing based on it. To draw up drawings, a few sheets of squared notebooks, a pencil and a ruler are enough. In the drawing you need:
- draw the outlines of the chicken coop and indicate its dimensions;
- draw the location of internal elements;
- indicate the height of the walls.
This will help you in determining the amount of building materials and preparing the foundation. When drawing up the drawing, think about what material you will build the walls from and how you will attach them to the foundation. Numerous forums for poultry farming enthusiasts and novice farmers will help you with this.
Material selection
The optimal materials for building a chicken coop are boards and. They are inexpensive and easy to work with.
If you have surplus, then you can build walls from it, or select some other material. The only material that is not suitable for building a chicken coop is sheet iron. The best quality is mineral wool, which will not block the escape of moisture to the outside if something happens to the ventilation. Mineral wool has only one drawback - it is afraid of water. You can use regular straw instead.
Having purchased the necessary building materials and decided on the shape, size and architecture, you can begin construction. To build a chicken coop with your own hands for 10 chickens, invite an assistant. Many jobs are much more convenient to do together.
Foundation
Any type of foundation is suitable for a chicken coop, but the easiest to make is a strip foundation. Dig a hole 30 cm deep, the length and width of which is 20–30 cm greater than the dimensions of the chicken coop. Compact the ground and pour a crushed stone cushion 10–15 cm thick. Install formwork on it around the perimeter of the chicken coop, laying down waterproofing - pieces of roofing felt. The width of the formwork is equal to the width of the wall, and the height should raise the floor above ground level by 15–30 cm. Two weeks after pouring the foundation, wooden walls can be erected. If you decide to build brick walls, then you need to wait 4 weeks.
Walls and roof
These jobs do not require any special qualifications. If you want your building to be no worse than do-it-yourself chicken coops for 10 chickens, photos of which are posted on the Internet, invite a professional carpenter or mason, however, the chickens still won’t appreciate it. If you make a roof from transparent polycarbonate, you will seriously improve it, which will have a positive effect on the egg production of birds and their general condition.
Interior architecture
To create a perch, use square bars or straight branches from trees 4-7 cm thick. Do not use round or polished bars for them - it is difficult for birds to stay on them, which is why they will not sleep well. This will negatively affect their general condition and egg production. To make nests, you can use any wooden boxes measuring 30x30x40 cm (width, height, depth).
Once construction is complete, lay clean straw on the floor of the coop. Ventilate using plastic pipes with a diameter of 50 mm. The pipe should rise above the ground at least two meters, then pass through the wall and go down to the floor of the chicken coop. On the opposite wall it is necessary to provide a small openable window for ventilation.
The video below will help you build and arrange a chicken coop with your own hands.
Video: DIY chicken coop
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Every self-respecting farmer keeps chickens if he wants. Nowadays, this is common not only among farmers, but also among novice poultry lovers. This type of cattle breeding is attractive because it is not labor-intensive work and you do not need to put in much effort. The farm is also an excellent source of income.
We want to buy chicken meat less and less in stores and markets. We often hear talk that chickens that were raised at the enterprise do not have a very good chemical composition. Increasingly, I want to eat meat raised on normal feeds of plant origin.
In villages, villages and small towns, raising poultry at home is gaining popularity. It is much more pleasant to fry a chicken in the oven and eat it with pleasure, knowing that there are no foreign impurities in it and that it is grown on grain and grass, and we will receive the necessary amount of protein, vitamins, micro and macroelements.
In order to keep chickens at home or in the country, you need to build a chicken coop with your own hands and create all the necessary conditions for their life. Immediately select a project for building a chicken coop.
If you are going to take a bird all year round, then it is most profitable make a warm chicken coop with the transition to a summer chicken coop. To build a chicken coop at your dacha with your own hands, you need to decide on the following:
- the place where the structure will be located;
- season;
- building design;
- temperature factor;
- square.
The ideal location for the poultry house would be building from east to west. The sun should penetrate into the room as long as possible. This affects the duration of egg production of chickens. This bird cannot tolerate heat and severe frosts. All this affects how the chicken will lay eggs.
During winter, the optimal temperature is considered approximately 10–12 degrees. You can find out what dimensions of the building you need at the rate of 1 chicken per 0.5 square meters. m. Since chickens do not like wet soil, the building must protect from heavy rains, winds and from predatory animals.
What materials are needed to build a chicken coop?
Initially, no matter where you decide to build a poultry house, you will need a standard builder’s kit, which includes the following:
Once you are sure that you have all of the above, you can think about the materials from which you are going to build the chicken coop. The materials usually used are boards, timber, bricks, cinder block and even plastic.
How to build a chicken coop with your own hands
In order for the structure to stand for many years and be inherited by your children and grandchildren, you need to make it strong. To do this, they first make a foundation that will hold the walls and prevent predators from getting to the birds.
The foundation is usually poured mortar of cement, sand, crushed stone. But you can also build a columnar foundation. The main thing is that the floor was covered with boards so that the chickens would not freeze in winter, which could lead to illness.
The next step in building a summer chicken coop is walling. The material for this can be either timber, foam concrete or ordinary bricks. The focus must be on ensuring that the walls can retain heat in winter. The best energy-saving material is timber.
There is a special beam laying technology which must be adhered to. At the end, when the beams are laid out, it is necessary to fasten them with boards on both sides for better fixation. An insulating layer is also immediately applied.
An example of insulation is cotton wool, sawdust or other material. We must not forget about the windows and doors in the poultry house. The more light that enters the chicken coop, the higher the productivity of the chickens. The roof on the chicken coop can be done in several ways:
- Single-pitch.
- Gable.
When building a gable roof there is an advantage, on such a roof convenient to store grain. The roof is dry and is considered a good place for storage.
The ceiling is constructed from beams and at the same time insulated. To prevent water from getting into the attic when it rains, it is covered with roofing felt, and slate or something similar is placed on top. It is worth remembering that the chicken coop must have ventilation.
Arrangement of a chicken coop at the dacha from the inside
This section deserves considerable attention. For a chicken, the roost is an important element. You can find out how much space is needed for a chicken by calculating that for 1 chicken there is 30–35 cm on the perch.
Based on the number of chickens you have, you can calculate how many roosts you need. Makes excellent perches made of timber 40x55 mm, which ultimately needs to be rounded. There should be a distance of at least 40 cm between the floor and the perch. The distance between the perches is approximately 40–50 cm.
If you place trays under the roost, this will make cleaning the chicken coop much easier. Initially, a chicken coop was built so that we could get meat and eggs during the production process. Therefore, due attention must be paid places where they will rush your chickens. Usually these are boxes of some sort with an internal filling of sawdust or hay for the chicken's comfort.
The most important aspect is food and drink for chickens. Water should be available in the house 24 hours a day. The drinking bowls must be clean and the water must be changed at least 2 times a day. If you want your birds to gain weight quickly, then the feeder should always be filled.
It depends on the type of chickens what you feed them. If you took broilers, then you will need special food with additives for their rapid growth. Moreover, we know that not everyone can be given grass. Basically, all chicken breeds eat grain:
- barley;
- wheat;
- corn;
- oats;
- They even add shit.
And also some farmers, worried about their animals, add elements of personal development, such as pieces of foam concrete or penza so that the chicken sharpens its beak.
Chicken coop floor should be warm. When building a chicken coop in a country house, it is often insulated with either straw or sawdust. And it will also help speed up the cleaning process.
How to build a summer chicken coop in the country
A farmer or just a novice hobbyist who wants to build a chicken coop must have skillful hands. A summer chicken coop is usually built to keep birds during the summer period turning into autumn. In the spring, chicks are taken in and kept under control and warm. In a few months they turn into young animals, which require space.
Summer chicken coop must have a canopy, for protection from rain and sun. Since everything is built by hand, it is necessary to accurately calculate how much materials are needed and what tool to use.
For a summer chicken coop, a frame is used, which is made either metal or wood. By frame metal woven cell is stretched approximately 3x3 cm in size. The height of the mesh should be at least 2 meters to prevent birds from flying over the fence.
The walls must be fine fixed at the very base. You can dig sheets of slate around the perimeter and this will definitely protect against digging and small predators. Since chickens love to row and can unwittingly dig, which will lead to a lot of problems later.
The area of the summer chicken coop should exceed the main one. To walk birds, it is necessary enough space. For a breed such as a broiler, which is designed for meat, not much space is needed; the less the bird moves, the faster it gains weight. But for laying hens, the smaller the territory, the worse they lay.
If necessary, nests are made in the far corners of the chicken coop, where the hen can hatch the egg calmly and with a sense of security.
The chicken coop for the summer should include bird feeders and drinkers. If you get a large number of birds, then there should be more than one drinking bowl and feeder. Summer is a hot season and regular drinking is necessary for animals. To avoid fights and infringement, they put at least two.
When night falls, the chickens go to sleep on their roosts. Perches must be made at a height from the ground of 70–100 cm. The area occupied by one chicken is approximately 50 cm. From this indicator you can calculate how many perches you will need.
It is advisable that the place be elevated to avoid stagnation of water during rain. You can make a summer chicken coop with your own hands different shapes, different sizes in size. Anything can be done, but whatever you build, the chicken coop must contain all the conditions for the birds:
- Feeding methods.
- Perch.
- Nests for laying hens.
- Protection from rain, sun and frost.
By observing all these conditions, your farm will bring you benefits in the form of high-quality meat and eggs.
