Compact chicken coop. How to equip a chicken coop with your own hands: instructions. Lighting and ventilation system

If you are the owner of a summer cottage or a country house, you should think about poultry breeding. Chickens are the best for this role.

They are undemanding to the conditions of detention and are quite capable of providing your family with eggs and meat. Besides, small chicken coop able to organically complement your personal plot.

For a small family, it is enough to start 10 layers. If you plan to breed birds for financial profit, then a mini-chicken coop is indispensable here, you will need a more spacious room. How to build a simple chicken coop for 10 chickens, you will learn from this article.

Chicken coop features

The main function of the chicken coop is bird protection from impacts environment and predatory animals, such as foxes or ferrets.

Therefore, the room must be reliable and warm. The air temperature inside the building should vary from -2 to +30 degrees.

In addition, the egg production of birds directly depends on the length of daylight hours, so you should take care of lighting. In the chicken coop, windows must be made and electric lamps installed.

Room dimensions are selected based on the available chickens. For broilers, the recommended stocking density should not exceed 3 individuals per square meter.

Egg breeds feel comfortable when their population does not exceed 4 birds per square meter area. For chickens - 14 goals one m. It is worth considering the fact that in winter chickens can be compacted up to 6-7 individuals one m. Thus, the birds will better endure the winter cold.

Location selection

Before starting construction, it is necessary to determine the location of the future chicken coop. To do this, you can choose any flat place with a slight slope on your backyard.

The slope is needed so that during rain the water does not accumulate around the house, but goes to the side. It is worth taking care that the chicken coop is not in the shade of trees or nearby buildings.

Materials and tools

To build a small chicken coop, you can use any improvised materials, which are probably available in every household. In particular:

• wood;
• pieces of sheet metal;
• old window frames;
• grid.

If you have planned more fundamental construction, that is, it makes sense to acquire:

• brick;
• foam blocks;
• polycarbonate;
• cement.

Depending on the scale of construction set of tools may be different. But the required minimum should look something like this:

• a hammer;
• axe;
• plane;
• Master OK;
• roulette.

How to build a chicken coop

Project

Any construction starts with . This allows you to better plan future construction and determine the amount of materials needed.

Need to draw on paper scheme future building. Designate the location of the door and windows, determine where the area for walking chickens will be located.

For 10 laying hens, it is enough to fence the site 2x2 m. It should be located on the side of the door to the chicken coop.

In order for the birds to freely go for a walk, a small hole is made in the door (a hole with a diameter of about 50 cm). It is worth noting that there are options for chicken coops on 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50, 100 and 200 birds.

Accordingly, the more layers you want to have, the larger your construction will be. Although for personal use chicken coop for 10 birds will be more than enough.

Base

Having decided on the size of the future structure, you can start pouring.

If you are planning to build a compact building for keeping birds in summer period, then the foundation can be neglected, it is quite simple level the site with a shovel (read about various techniques and methods for leveling areas), and fill it with rubble.

To fill the foundation, a hole is dug to a depth of about 30 cm. The edges of the pit are laid out with boards. This will be the outer part of the future formwork. The inner part is set at a distance 20 cm from the outside.

Note! Before mounting the formwork, it is recommended to lay out the edges of the pit with a metal mesh. This will protect the layers from predators and mice. Very often, uninvited guests enter the chicken coop with the help of a tunnel.

The formwork is poured with cement-sand mortar or concrete. After pouring, it is necessary to postpone further work for 2-3 days. The solution should gain strength.

floor construction

For floor arrangement there are two possible options:

1. Make the floor earthen;
2. Lay planks over the foundation.

The second option is considered the most optimal. A wooden floor will retain heat better in the winter season. If you decide to lay a plank floor, then first you need to lay on the foundation waterproofing layer.

For these purposes, you can use ruberoid. A litter is poured on top of the waterproofing, which will play the role of a heater. This is usually a mixture sand, sawdust and hay about three cm thick. Only after that you can start installing the boards.

How to make walls

You can build walls brick. This option will give the chicken coop a solid and beautiful appearance. Of course, one brick for building walls is not enough, the chicken coop will turn out cold.

So the right thing to do is take care of additional insulation. To do this, the inner surface of the walls is upholstered with a frame of wooden slats or bars.

A heater is laid between the bars, you can use styrofoam or mineral wool. Sheets of plywood or fiberboard (fibreboard) are stuffed on top of the frame.

When building walls, do not forget to provide window openings. Otherwise, you will have to pay electricity bills all year round.

The fact is that chickens do not lay eggs in the dark. Therefore, in order for the egg production of birds to be at the proper level, care should be taken not only about, but also about natural. It is best to arrange windows on the sunny side, this will provide layers with sunlight in winter.

Ceiling and roof

For the construction of the roof, you can use any improvised material. For example, pieces of sheet iron, roofing felt or slate. Usually roofs in chicken coops are gable and.

It is best to use the first option. This will not only increase the internal volume of the building, but also provide more efficient rain protection. The main thing is to warm it up.

You can do this in the same way as the walls. For the manufacture of the roof are installed rafters on which the frame is nailed. A heater is laid on the frame. The roof on the inside must be upholstered with plywood, and on the outside with roofing material.

Ventilation device

Having carried away construction, do not forget about extractor hood. To do this, a pipe with a diameter of about 20 cm is installed in the roof as far as possible from the perches.

The pipe should be lowered into the chicken coop by 50-70 cm, the rest remains above the roof. The total length of the ventilation pipe should be about two meters.

Such ventilation can easily cope with the renewal of air in a room up to 10 sq m.

Important! In winter, the hood is best clogged. Otherwise, instead of ventilation, drafts will occur, which negatively affects the health of chickens. In winter, the chicken coop must be regularly ventilated, for this they simply open the door.

Chicken pen

In order for the chickens not to walk around the garden, pecking out your crop, you need to make a small aviary where they can walk and breathe fresh air.

As we said earlier, the optimal area for 10 chickens is 2x2 m. To create it, next to the chicken coop, poles are dug into the ground, the space between which is covered with a net.

AT summer time Chickens spend most of their time outdoors and easily find food for themselves.

The interior of the chicken coop

Having finished with the construction, it is worth thinking about internal equipment. After all, birds need to create the most comfortable conditions for their life.

Need to install feeders and drinkers. It is best to place them on the opposite side of the chicken coop from the perches. The number of feeders depends on the number of birds.

The main thing is that each chicken can come up for food without any problems. Each bird must have at least 15 cm feeder length.

To rest the birds need to mount perches. They are made of a wooden bar, the sharp corners of which must be smoothed out with a planer. This precaution is necessary so that the birds do not injure their paws.

The length of the perch depends on the number of chickens. For example, for 10 layers, a bar with a length of 3m. The perch is set at a height 50 cm from the floor and at a distance 35 cm from the wall.

You need to install electric lamps. The length of daylight hours for chickens should be about 15 hours. For this, lamps with shades are better suited.

When installing lighting, remember that for every square meter of area there should be at least 5 watts of electricity. It is better to place the lamps in such a way that the light does not fall on the perches, but on the feeders.

Do not forget about nests for laying hens. Ten chickens will need 2-3 nests. You can make them from ordinary wooden boxes.

Dimensions should be as follows: drawer height 40 centimeters, width and depth approx. 30 cm. You can place them in any shaded place in the chicken coop. As a bedding, the bottom of the box is laid out with straw.

Where to buy a ready-made chicken coop

If you do not have the opportunity to build a chicken coop yourself, you can purchase already finished structure. To do this, you can turn to the help of the Internet.

There are companies that specialize in houses for poultry. You can order not only a chicken coop, but also cages for breeding quails, rooms for keeping geese or turkeys.

You can buy both ready-made models and order a chicken coop for an individual project. A typical building for keeping chickens will cost you about 10000-15000 rubles.

The cost will depend on the size and material of manufacture. Chicken coops to order will cost much more expensive.

Therefore, many novice farmers prefer to build chicken coops. do it yourself. Firstly, it is inexpensive, and secondly, you can make a room for chickens of any design and size. Everything will depend on your imagination.

A good example of a do-it-yourself chicken coop and its dimensions, you can see in this video.

Breeding chickens for many becomes not only a good opportunity to regularly receive fresh domestic poultry meat, but also an opportunity to earn money if laying hens bring a sufficient number of eggs. In order for chickens to grow up healthy, they need their own chicken coop, which can be successfully made with your own hands. Especially if at the time of construction the total number of individuals is no more than 10 pieces.

Understanding what goals and needs you need to build a chicken coop to meet is the key to creating the most comfortable home for birds. The main purpose of the building is a place for the chicken to spend the night and a secluded place where you can lay eggs. Therefore, the chicken coop must be built in such a way as to protect chickens from:

• adverse weather conditions;
• rodents;
• predatory animals.

Many owners of poultry houses are familiar with the picture of a devastated chicken coop: severed heads, sucked blood and chewed off paws. Ways to eliminate an unwanted guest are presented in the article.

In addition to the main space where the birds will be given access to food and water, they will need a perch and space for future nests.

Reference! Since cleaning the mini-house for chickens will also be necessary, this will need to be taken into account when calculating the height of the building. You should be comfortable cleaning the interior as needed.

Additionally, you will need to take care of the microclimate necessary to maintain the health of chickens. As a result, regular ventilation of the house and a sufficient amount of sunlight are very important.

Preparation for construction

Before organizing a poultry house for 10 chickens with his own hands, the farmer needs to do some preparation.

1. First of all, a place is chosen where the poultry house will be located. Then a plan is made internal organization building as it will look from the outside.
2. The next step is to select suitable materials for construction. You need to carefully consider what to make walls, a roof from, how good insulation the chickens will need.
3. The construction of a chicken coop, in which the birds will be comfortable and safe enough, should be designed according to drawings that take into account the landscape features on the site, as well as the growth of the breeder.

Attention! If you use ready-made drawings, you need to check how suitable such a building will be for both the site and the farmer. Again, special attention is paid to the height of the chicken coop.

Technical features of poultry house design

It is not so difficult to draw up a drawing of a chicken coop on your own. To do this, you need to know a few basic principles of construction:

1. Doors are recommended to be installed so that they can be opened inside the room.
2. At the floor inside the chicken coop, you need to make a slight slope so that cleaning is faster and easier.

The size of the object is calculated depending on how many chickens are planned to fit in the house. If you do not plan to increase the number of chickens, it makes no sense to make a large building. Otherwise, it will take up space that could otherwise be used on the farm.

Consider the features of several types of chicken coops, and give examples of drawings that can be used to build a mini-house.

summer chicken coop

Quite simple in execution and low-cost construction. To bring it to life, you will need a minimum amount of materials, and initial building skills. Another distinguishing feature is the lack of a foundation. Such poultry houses are made on the basis of additional protection of chickens from rodents and predatory animals.

In addition to the poultry house itself, an aviary with a canopy is necessarily installed. The latter is necessary for cases of sunny hot days, so that the birds do not overheat during walks and do not get sick.

winter construction

This type of poultry house for 10 hens must be supplied with a foundation. In order to keep warm inside the room during the cold season, it is best to attach a special vestibule in front of the main entrance to the chicken coop.

The interior of the chicken coop should include sufficient lighting, ventilation, plus a place that will be equipped specifically for walking chickens. The maximum number of heads per 1 m 2 should not exceed 3 pieces. Therefore, if it is planned to increase the number of birds in the future, it is better to build freer poultry houses.

In order to eat fresh eggs and poultry meat all year round, it is necessary to properly insulate the house for layers, providing them with a comfortable winter. Step by step instructions are provided in the article.

Video - Winter chicken coop

Required building materials and their choice

The reliability of the building and its convenience for birds significantly depends on the materials used in construction and their quality. What is usually required to create a compact birdhouse is shown in the table below.

Poultry house design element	materials
Foundation	Shovel. Sand and gravel. Boards for the construction of formwork. Reinforcement for creating a carrier mesh. Concrete.
main building	Wooden beams with a section of 5x5 cm. Lumber for fencing and the top of the house. Lumber for finishing. bricks if needed. Window frame, if required by the drawing. Tools - a screwdriver, a hammer, a construction stapler for attaching the mesh, etc. Consumables - nails, screws, etc.
Lighting system	Electrical cable. Light bulb of any type.

Since the construction market is quite wide, and the farmer may have a number of questions about what would be best to use for the construction of the chicken coop, here are some basic tips for selecting the required material.

1. Light summer poultry houses are best built from wood. This is a natural material that does not require large financial costs for insulation, since it will act as a heat insulator to a sufficient extent.
2. If you plan to create a permanent poultry house that will be used in the winter, more the best option the walls will be made of bricks. But they will need to be additionally sheathed with wood to better retain heat inside the house.
3. Even though birds need adequate light, high wattage bulbs should not be chosen. For an incandescent lamp, a range of 40-60 W is sufficient, for a fluorescent lamp - 40 W, for an energy-saving lamp - 15 W. If the light bulb is at a height of about 2 meters, its light is enough to cover 6 square meters of floor space.

Prices for various types of timber

Choosing a place to build a chicken coop for 10 laying hens

Once the dimensions of the future building are determined, as well as suitable materials and tools are selected, the optimal site for the placement of the poultry house is selected. Convenient placement of the chicken house is necessary because for chickens it will be a permanent place of residence, and often a place not only for sleeping, but also for laying eggs and walking. Therefore, nothing should cause discomfort to chickens.

What rules will you need to follow when choosing a location:

1. Quite a dry place, because high humidity has negative impact on the health of the chickens.
2. It is advisable to choose a place with a slope. This is necessary in case of rainfall. So the water can leave quickly enough from the chicken coop, and not spoil the soil next to it.
3. The location of the chicken coop should be well lit.
4. The most successful would be the location of the chicken coop so that the adjacent aviary is located on the south side. Thanks to this, the aviary will be heated all year round.

We build a chicken coop in the country with our own hands for 10 chickens

First of all, consider the principles of creating a foundation, if the design of the chicken coop provides for its presence. When the organization of a summer house is required, the columnar type of foundation is optimal.

What will need to be done:

Step	Description
1	Mark the borders of the chicken coop using pegs and string.
2	Remove the soil layer 20 cm high.
3	At each corner, dig a hole 70 cm deep and 50 cm wide. If, according to the design, the house is elongated, it will be necessary to install additional pegs along the long wall at a distance of 80-100 cm from each other.
4	Using a rope, measure the required level of supports above the ground. Focus on 20-25 cm.
5	Pour 10 cm of gravel into each hole.
6	Go to laying bricks. Strengthen the first 2 bricks with cement, then place the next 2 perpendicularly. Continue laying to the desired height.
7	Leave the solution to dry for at least a week.
8	After the solution has completely solidified, it will be necessary to treat the columns with mastic or bitumen. In place of the removed soil, pour a layer of gravel as drainage.

If you plan to provide the chicken coop with a stronger foundation, it is better to use the following algorithm:

Step	Description
1	Dig a hole in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe house with a depth of 35 cm.
2	Pour a drainage layer of gravel and sand with a total height of 10 cm.
3	Using the boards, establish a frame shape.
4	Tie the reinforcing mesh.
5	Fill the rest of the hole with concrete.
6	Allow the concrete pad to dry for 3 weeks.

Floor and walls of the house

If the chicken coop is planned to be made without a foundation, you can get by with a simple earthen floor. Otherwise, it will be necessary to lay a plank surface, on which to later place a litter of soft materials. The thickness of the litter should be at least 3 cm. Straw or a layer of sawdust often acts as a heater.

As the basis of the floor, a bar crate is necessarily installed, on which the boards are hemmed. Moreover, to insulate the floor in the room, it is desirable to make sheathing not only from the top, but also from the bottom.

As the main material for the construction of walls, both beams and bricks can be used. The second method is more expensive in terms of the amount of materials required, since it requires additional insulation bird house. To build walls from a bar that retains heat quite well, you must use the following algorithm:

Since unwanted “guests” such as a ferret, rat or fox can try to enter the house, in no case should there be gaps in the walls of the building. To reduce the likelihood of an attack on chickens, it is recommended to protect the house with metal sheets or slate, digging them into the ground so that about 30 cm remain above the ground in height.

Roof

The roof is one of the important elements of the building, as it has a direct impact on the thermal insulation and microclimate inside the poultry house. As a consequence, the roof should not contain any gaps that cause drafts. As for the type of roof, it is better to opt for a shed or gable roof. This will protect the chicken coop from the threat of flooding during rain.

The organization of the roof takes place in several main stages:

The interior of the chicken coop

Nest prices for laying hens

Nest for laying hens

As soon as the main room of the chicken coop is ready, it is necessary to provide the birds with suitable living conditions. Here are a few basic requirements for the internal arrangement of a mini-house for 10 hens:

Prices for a chain-link mesh for fencing an aviary

Rabitz

Many farm stores offer ready-made chicken coops for a different number of chickens. Including 10 or less. For some, this may be a viable option for breeding the most popular poultry. And those who want to be completely sure that they have foreseen all the subtleties of building a poultry house and equipped the interior of the chicken coop so that the chickens are comfortable will prefer to develop drawings on their own and subsequently take up the tools.

If you are reading this article, then most likely you have decided to start breeding and keeping chickens. This idea has many positive sides. For example, you will always eat fresh eggs and be able to cook nutritious meals from them. In addition, domestic chickens are also fresh meat. And if you keep a lot of chickens, then the eggs can be sold, i.e. sell, which will serve as an additional source of income for your family budget. However, first you need to make a reliable and durable chicken coop, thanks to which ideal conditions for the life of poultry will be created.

The construction process consists of several important steps. Do not assume that everything is simple, especially if you want to keep chickens in the winter season. After all, you need to worry about high-quality ventilation, reliable roofing, walls, heating and other important components. This article will provide complete material about all the construction and equipment processes. Interesting video materials, selections of photographs and diagrams will make the process of studying information exciting. A step-by-step instruction will allow you to figure out how to build a chicken coop.

What should be a house for chickens

A bird, like a person, needs a comfortable habitat, so before starting construction, it is worth highlighting a few important factors, which will allow you to make a warm and cozy chicken coop. This space has a number of requirements:

• Temperature regime. If you plan to keep the bird during the winter season, then it is important to take care of the proper temperature. So, in winter, the temperature should not be lower than 12 ° C. There should be no drafts inside the room, they pose a threat to the health of the bird. In summer, the temperature in the room should not exceed 25°C. If these temperature conditions If you don't, the chicken will stop laying eggs.
• No moisture. To prevent chickens from getting sick, there should not be high humidity inside. Ventilation can solve this problem. There are several ways to arrange it, it can be forced or natural.
• Lighting. Light is life. As a result, the egg production of chickens also depends on the presence of light. There should be light bulbs inside the chicken coop that diffuse a warm yellow light. To ensure the lighting mode, some home craftsmen use automatic timers and relays that turn on / off the light at a given time. When conducting an electrician, everything must be done so that all cables are inaccessible to chickens.

• calmness. For a normal and calm life of chickens, there should not be much noise around. Therefore, the chosen place must be isolated from a busy country house.
• Safety. This is another important criterion that ensures the calmness of the bird. The chicken coop must be protected from the penetration of rodents and other predatory animals into it. Given this, many decide to build on a columnar foundation.

Video: features of keeping chickens in a chicken coop

Where is the best place for a chicken coop?

The location of the poultry house is an important step preparatory work. You need to think not only about yourself, so that an unpleasant smell does not penetrate into a residential building, but also about the comfort of chickens. For example, some breeds do not like frequent intrusion into their territory. Because of this, they begin to rush worse.

A suitable place would be a remote corner on the territory of your summer cottage. If you have a barnyard, then it is important to remember that extraneous noise also negatively affects their egg production. Often, many decide to attach a chicken coop to an existing barn. But here, consider which pet will be the neighbors of the chickens - calm or mostly noisy.

When choosing a place, it is important to take care of the place for their walking. Often you can see a picture when chickens walk throughout the yard. This does not add beauty, in addition, on the threshold of your house, you may stumble upon the “gift” left by them. Place for walking chickens should be limited. As a rule, up to 2 m 2 is allocated per head. So, when keeping 20 chickens, the site should have dimensions of 4 × 10 m. And this is only for their walking.

If you cannot afford such an area, keep in mind that some summer residents resort to an original solution, making walking tunnels around the perimeter of the territory from a metal mesh.

The chosen place should be at the same time with shaded and sunlit areas. The shade will protect the birds from overheating on hot days, but at the same time they will be able to bask in the sun on cool weather.

Video: the best place for a chicken coop in a barnyard

For the construction of a chicken coop, it is recommended to choose an elevated place. This will eliminate the flooding of the territory during the rainy season or when the snow melts. If this is not possible, then dig a drainage ditch to remove excess moisture. Although the elevation can also be made artificially by pouring rubble, gravel or earth.

The windows of the chicken coop are preferably located on the south side for better and longer sunlight entering the room. Also, on the south side, it is recommended to install a manhole, a door and build an aviary. South side most protected from cold winds.

What should be the size of the house

Having decided on the construction site, it is necessary to decide what dimensions the poultry house will have. This setting is influenced by several factors. It is necessary to refrain from maximum number chickens and accurately calculate the usable area:

1. If you plan to keep meat breeds, 3 heads should account for 1 m 2;
2. For content egg breeds for 4 heads - from 1 m 2;
3. For breeding and keeping chickens for 15 pieces - from 1 m 2.

Separately, it should be said about the chickens. They must have individual quarters separated from adults. This will allow them to have free access to food. However, you should not allocate too much space for them. As a rule, a small box is enough for an overnight stay. On the other hand, one should not create conditions for their crush.

So, a poultry house intended for keeping 10 chickens can have dimensions of 2 × 5 m. As for the height, it should be convenient for you when you have to go there. Too low a ceiling will create discomfort while cleaning and cleaning the chicken coop. The optimal height is 2.2 m.

Given this, it will be practical to equip a gable roof, raising the ridge to 2.2 m, and leaving the walls at a height of 1.5 m. Such a chicken coop will be convenient for both chickens and its maintenance. On the other hand, it is much easier to implement a pitched roof. Nests can be installed in the low darkened part.

We have prepared several suitable schemes and drawings. Based on them, you can individual project or build a ready-made poultry house. We suggest you look at some interesting options in the next section.

Drawings and diagrams: ready-made projects for the construction of a poultry house

So, to summarize everything, for the construction of a chicken coop for 10 chickens, the drawings should be calculated based on the following parameters:

• The area is more than 4 m 2.
• Up to 4 nests.
• Feeders should be along the wall and opposite the perch.
• There must be access to the cleaning and feeding system from the outside.
• From the floor level, the drinker and feeder should rise at least 50–100 mm.
• The floor should be smooth but not slippery.
• Perch at a height of about 600 mm.
• The area of ​​all windows should not exceed 10% of the floor area.
• The presence of an aviary for walking is recommended.
• Be sure to have a ladder in the chicken coop.

Plus, the area and layout of the future poultry house will depend on what you want to place inside it. To save and optimize the interior space, a perch rail is installed. An ordinary snag usually copes with this role. Chickens can sleep on it.

When organizing a perch, it is important to consider that one bird will lay one egg in 1-2 days. Therefore, one place will be enough for 4 hens. Perches should be high as this will prevent damage to the egg. Moreover, they should be located in a clean, dry place and away from the place of lodging for the night. Otherwise, chicken droppings may end up on the eggs.

As for the norms, there is SNIP 30-02-97, which indicates the following parameters of the room:

1. On the suburban area you can keep and grow no more than 40 chickens.
2. From the chicken coop to the border of your territory should be at least 4 m.
3. If there is an adjoining residential building, then from the front door to the house should be at least 7 meters.
4. Carrying out an extension to the house, it is recommended to coordinate the project with the architectural commission.

If chickens are kept for personal needs outside the city, there are no norms and restrictions.

Types of chicken coops based on needs

There are several types that can be built:

Build a new or reconstruct a finished building

If you have an unneeded shed or garage, then it might be worth considering renovating it. You can save a lot on the purchase of building materials. You will only need to equip the room inside for the normal living of chickens.

On the other hand, such a room is not always suitable. For example, an inconvenient location, a small area, and the like. Today, there are many ready-made schemes that will help you quickly develop finished project. In this matter, you should not think only about saving money. As mentioned above, the egg production of birds and their health depend on how comfortable the conditions inside the chicken coop are.

If you still prefer the old room, then make sure that there are no lumber inside it covered with lead paint or previously used to store various chemicals. All of these can have a detrimental effect on the health of chickens.

Stages of building a poultry house

Having familiarized ourselves with all the requirements and provisions for the construction of a chicken coop, we highlight the main stages of construction:

Stage 1- design.

Stage 2- making the foundation.

Stage 3- construction of walls and partitions.

Stage 4- erection of a roof.

Stage 5- production of flooring.

stage 6- furniture.

Stage 7- warming.

Stage 8- production of heating.

These are perhaps the main construction processes that you should tune in to. We will go through all these processes, and also give some step-by-step instructions.

The foundation is the foundation of any building.

Installing a chicken coop directly on the ground is a bad option, so a foundation must be built. For a poultry house, the base can be made using different technologies:

• columnar;
• slab;
• tape.

In the manufacture of a slab foundation, the technology of work is as follows:

Stages	Description of the work process
Step 1 - Markup	To begin with, using a cord and pegs, the perimeter of the future structure is indicated.
Step 2 - dig	At this stage, the top fertile soil layer up to 350 mm deep should be removed.
Step 3 - filling the pillow	Now the bottom of the base is covered with sand and fine gravel. Everything is carefully rammed.
Step 4 - formwork	Before pouring concrete around the perimeter of the foundation, a formwork of boards is installed.
Step 5 - concrete work	In conclusion, a layer of concrete should be poured onto the manufactured pillow. Preliminarily, a woven reinforcing mesh with cells up to 100 × 100 mm is laid on the bottom. For concrete, M200 cement is used.

As you can see, the process of making the foundation is not so complicated. Although it takes a lot of effort. This kind of foundation is ideal for a chicken coop built from blocks or bricks.

It is much easier to build a chicken coop on a columnar base. We have prepared for you step-by-step instructions for building a poultry house on a columnar foundation, so you can find out all the details of this process in the next subsection. The only thing worth saying is that they can be used as pillars steel pipes, bricks, blocks and similar material.

Video: foundation breakdown features

Wall construction technology

The walls must be windproof and warm. The choice of material for the construction of walls depends on the foundation made. If a tape or slab was made, then you can use cinder block, foam block and even brick. However, these materials have a high level of thermal conductivity, so they must be insulated from the outside and from the inside.

If the foundation is chosen columnar, then it is better to give preference to a light frame structure made of wooden blocks. A wooden frame is laid on top of the supporting pillars, on which the entire frame of the future chicken coop is fixed. For the construction of the walls of the walking part, it is recommended to use a metal mesh. It can be attached to a metal corner.

Another option for building walls is polycarbonate. This building material is practical. For example, it is easy to wash, it is beautiful, strong and reliable. However, such a chicken coop will be problematic to use in the winter season. Some summer residents use logs for construction.

Often used adobe. You can make your own adobe bricks using clay and chopped straw. Such walls will provide a sufficient degree of heat retention and comfort. The only problem when working with this material will be the leveling of the surface.

As you can see, there are many building technologies and materials that can be used to make a reliable and beautiful poultry house. In any case, regardless of the material chosen, it is important to make sure that the walls are decontaminated in order to avoid the appearance of fungus, bacteria and the like.

Video: OSB wall construction

Wall insulation - winter version

So, if you decide to insulate the walls with mineral wool, then on the walls you should make a frame of 50 × 50 mm bars. The beam is fixed strictly vertically. The step of laying the timber is adjusted based on the width of the insulation. So, if the width of the mineral wool is 600 mm, then the step of the timber should be 590 mm. This will allow the mineral wool to be tightly packed without leaving any possible gaps.

The bars are fixed to the wall with self-tapping screws (if the frame is made of wood) or dowels. It is also recommended to make a vapor barrier layer. To do this, a plastic film is fixed to the wall in front of the mineral wool flooring. Its installation must be carried out with an overlap of up to 150 mm.

The thickness of the heat-insulating layer must be at least 50 mm. If, after installing the insulation, you find gaps, then they can be filled with mounting foam.

As for the external wall insulation, it is better to use polystyrene or polystyrene foam. For fastening, a special plastic dowel with a cap is used. This fastening method is used when the walls are built of bricks, blocks and the like. Be sure to cover the heat-insulating layer with protective plaster using a facade mesh.

In some cases, external insulation should not be performed, especially if you live in a warm region. Outside, the chicken coop can simply be sheathed with plywood and painted with moisture-resistant paint.

Roof - reliable protection from rain

The best option is the gable roof of the house. Due to this, the height of the ceiling inside the room increases. If the roof is well insulated, then ceiling stuffing is not even required. For covering, the best option would be a metal tile or slate.

The manufacturing technology of a gable roof is as follows:

• Rafters are installed on top of the wall frame.
• A waterproofing sheet is laid on the rafters and nailed. It is necessary in order to prevent wetting of the heat-insulating layer. The film thickness can be 200 µm. Each waterproofing strip should be overlapped up to 200 mm. It is advisable to glue them together with adhesive tape. Due to this, the coating will be completely sealed.
• After that, for the roofing, it is necessary to fill the crate. It is stuffed over waterproofing. The step of the crate will depend on the type of flooring chosen.
• When the crate is ready, you can proceed with the installation of the roofing.

Video: making a poultry house roof

Ceiling insulation - additional protection from the cold

The procedure for warming the ceiling of the house is necessary if you live in a cold region. In this case, floor beams are additionally fixed to the rafter system. On top of the beams, that is, from the attic side, you can fix plywood, which is fastened with ordinary self-tapping screws.

Thermal insulation material, such as mineral wool, is placed in the space between the beams. Additionally, you can fix the vapor barrier film. It is attached with a stapler. The ceiling is hemmed with the same plywood, or you can use wooden lining, drywall and the like.

Floors in the chicken coop

Finishing the floor is one of the main events in the interior arrangement of the chicken coop. The finishing method depends on your goals. If you want to breed and keep broilers for meat, then it will be enough to make a light, non-insulated floor. However, the floor must still have a double structure. It is not difficult to implement it, especially if you have a columnar foundation:

• Beams are fixed to the support frame, acting as a lag.
• From below it is necessary to hem with boards.
• A heater, such as mineral wool, is laid on top of the boards.
• Next, a finishing floor is laid from the boards.

In the case of the manufacture of a shallow strip foundation, the floors can be made of earthen or adobe. To do this, prepare a mixture of finely chopped straw and clay. The clay mixture is applied in layers. Each layer is carefully rammed. In this case, before laying the next layer, the previous one must dry out. The process is quite lengthy, but the foundation will turn out to be reliable.

If the foundation is made using slab technology, then it is enough to make a wooden flooring on top of the concrete. However, it is better to use a different insulation or lay waterproofing. Mineral wool absorbs moisture. Further, the process of manufacturing the floor is as follows:

1. The base must be protected from penetrating moisture, so it can be covered with roofing material from above. The canvases must be glued together with a special bituminous mastic. Due to this, reliable waterproofing of the wooden flooring will be created, which will be completely protected from the penetration of chicken waste.
2. On top of the flooring, an embankment of sand, straw, hay or sawdust is made. However, hay and straw absorb moisture and do not dry well. Because of this, the flooring will rot and provoke the appearance of fungi and bacteria.

To eliminate this possibility, a layer of straw or hay must be made thin, and it is recommended to change it regularly. Therefore, as practice shows, it is better to use sawdust for flooring, especially since they can be easily purchased at the carpentry shop, sometimes even for free.

Internal arrangement of the poultry house

One of the main places inside the chicken coop is the perch. Perch means a wooden pole. This is where the chicken spends most of its time. An important rule is not to place perches one above the other. For one chicken, you need to calculate about 30 cm. The distance between the poles should be about 50 cm.

As for the location of the feeders and drinkers, they should be higher. Considering that chickens often arrange “showdowns” on the territory, dust can rise inside the chicken coop. To protect the drinker from dust getting into it, a small visor should be made on top.

You should also build nests. These places should be dark and secluded. This will ensure good egg production. There should also be litter inside the nest. The nests themselves are made in the form of boxes, which are closed on top with a removable lid. As practice shows, nests should be equipped with a separate cover. This will allow you to remove the eggs and change the litter.

The location of the feeders should be done at the height of the back of the bird. Due to this, the chicken will not scatter food with its paws, but will get it out by slightly stretching its neck. The number of drinkers and feeders should be sufficient so that they are enough for all chickens.

Video: arrangement of the inside and outside of the house

Heating - comfort and coziness

The chicken is very cold tolerant. Especially cold and drafts negatively affect the legs of chickens, freezing due to the lack of feathers on them. As already mentioned in this article, the indoor temperature should not fall below 12°C. If you live in the northern regions, then in addition to insulating walls, floors and ceilings, it is recommended to install heating devices.

In the absence of heating, the bird eats more food, gets fat and becomes lethargic. These are additional costs. If you are breeding chicks in an incubator, the heat of the chicken itself may not be enough. For these and other reasons, chicken coop heating is essential.

Video: chicken coop - winter version

Two ways of heating: natural and artificial

Heating a chicken coop can be done in two ways. Natural heating means maintaining comfortable temperature without the use of heaters. The bottom line is to use the litter, which was mentioned above.

In October, the floor is sprinkled with slaked lime 1 kg / m 2. The thickness of bedding made of peat, sawdust, hay or straw reaches 7 cm of thickness. As the chickens live, the litter is trampled down and it needs to be poured. Previously, the flooring must be agitated with a pitchfork. By spring, the thickness of the litter can reach 25 cm.

The peculiarity of the bedding is that during the composting process it releases heat. Accordingly, the poultry house is kept at a stable temperature of about 12°C. The available heat slows down the decomposition of manure and disinfects pathogenic microbes. But with all this, it is necessary to organize high-quality ventilation. Otherwise, harmful ammonia will accumulate in the chicken coop. In addition, in winter, the ventilation pipe should be closed briefly with a lid so that warm air does not quickly escape.

However, if the outside temperature drops below -10°C, then all these methods are ineffective. Another method of heating should be used - artificial. We suggest you consider several options presented in the table:

Heating method	Feature of the organization of heating
electric heater	This is one of the available and inexpensive heating methods. You can use different heaters, for example, convectors, heaters, fan heaters, oil coolers, etc. It is necessary to select power based on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe chicken coop and the number of chickens. The presence of automation will allow you to set the off / on mode.
Gas heater	The use of gas to heat the poultry house is also equally effective, but only for large poultry houses. It is unprofitable to purchase an expensive gas boiler for a poultry house for 30 or 50 chickens. Moreover, gas equipment must be constantly monitored.
Furnace heating	This category includes the usual potbelly stove. However, its use involves a number of difficulties. The problem is that due to high humidity, the metal is susceptible to corrosion. In addition, it is always necessary to have a supply of coal / firewood. It is also necessary to constantly maintain combustion, build a separate chimney, insulate the heating elements of the furnace, and strictly observe fire safety. All this requires a lot of labor.
Diesel oven	This oven is safe to use. It does not smoke and has low power.
Buleryan	This is a special air-convection oven that works effectively on different types fuel.
Infrared heaters	As you know, an infrared heater does not heat the air, but objects. This method has its advantages, as the objects will retain heat longer than the heated air escaping through the ventilation ducts. Such heaters with a power of not more than 500 W can be fixed to the ceiling.
Water heating	If the chicken coop is attached to a residential building, then water heating can be brought into it. Given that the heat inside the house is maintained regularly, the proper temperature will always be maintained in the poultry house.

As you can see, there are many ways to create a poultry house heating. You should choose the one that you can organize and that will pull the family budget.

Video: features of the organization of heating

Insulation without energy costs - an innovative solution

We have considered with you the traditional solution regarding how to arrange heating inside the chicken coop. When installing artificial heating, a lot of money is spent, and if you use the technology described above for natural heating, you have to make a lot of effort to control the level of humidity, otherwise there is a risk of fungus and mold.

Considering all the pros and cons, some summer residents resort to an original solution, using the Netto-Plast mixture used for spacecraft. The net layer is bacteria that should settle on the floor in the poultry house, namely in the prepared litter. The composition is packaged in packages of 0.5 and 1 kg. According to some estimates, 1 kg of this mixture will be enough to heat 20 m 2. In this case, these bacteria will live for about three years.

To begin with, sawdust is poured into the chicken coop, you can also add oat husks and dry straw. All components are thoroughly mixed with each other. Next, Netto-layer bacteria should be evenly poured onto the resulting mixture and mixed again.

Heat in this case will appear in this way:

• The feces of the hen fall on the bedding.
• When they come into contact with these bacteria, heat begins to be released. At the same time, an unpleasant odor is completely eliminated.

In another way, it is called a fermentation litter. From time to time, it is enough to slightly loosen the bedding and, if necessary, add sawdust or straw. However, you do not have to clean the chicken coop.

At a temperature outside of -20°C inside the poultry house, it can be +15°C. If the frosts are stronger, then you can additionally connect temporary electric heating.

This solution has many positive aspects. For example, there are great cost savings due to the fact that electricity and fuel are not completely consumed. After a while, there is no need to clean the chicken coop, as the composition of the bacteria can lie with the litter for about 3 years. And after this time, you can get high-quality fertilizer for the garden.

Ventilation of the interior: several common ways

With the onset of winter, ventilation plays an important role in keeping birds, although in the summer it is not the least important. It’s just that everything is simplified in the summer, because you can open doors, windows and organize an inflow fresh air. Decaying chicken manure exudes harmful substance- ammonia. If good ventilation is not established, then there is a serious risk of illness for chickens and even for the person who will serve the chicken coop. Worst of all, due to the lack of ventilation, the walls and all the decoration interior will start to rot and become useless. For this reason, even at the stage of project development, it is important to consider the manufacture of ventilation.

When developing a ventilation project, it is worth considering some nuances. For example, in winter, the flow of fresh air must be strictly regulated. Otherwise, there is a chance that the temperature will drop quickly, and the chickens will be cold. You should also minimize the presence of drafts, which also negatively affects the health of the bird.

So, there are 3 most common ways to organize ventilation in a chicken coop:

• mechanical or forced;
• natural;
• supply and exhaust (a kind of natural).

Let's consider separately the features of each of them.

mechanical ventilation

Forced ventilation is beneficial if you have a lot of chickens and the chicken coop has large area. Under such circumstances, it is important to organize a stable change of air. It's easy to implement. We will present you quick guide by this process. Additionally, you can watch videos:

Stages of work	Manufacturing process
	To begin with, the place where the fan will be installed is determined. Some decide to install it in the wall, instead of a window or even in a pipe. In the latter case, the diameter of the fan must match the inner diameter of the pipe. How to make such ventilation, you can learn from the prepared video.
	Having decided on the place, for example, in our case it will be a window or a window, if any, the glass is removed. Plywood will be installed in its place, so the size of the plywood must match the size of the window opening.
	Using a screwdriver and self-tapping screws, plywood is fixed in the opening. First, a hole should be made in the plywood according to the diameter of the fan.
	Now you can install the fan, securing it also with self-tapping screws.
	After installing the fan, it is necessary to bring an electrical cable to it. Here you can use a wire with a cross section of 2 × 2.5. A switch is also installed to control the fan.
	Make sure that all cable clamps and connections are carefully insulated. In addition, it is better to place the wire in a protective corrugation.

Additionally, the system can be equipped with temperature sensors to control the operation of ventilation. You can also purchase equipment to automatically turn on / off the fan. How to do this, you can learn from the video.

Video: organization of forced ventilation

natural ventilation

This type of ventilation is the easiest to organize. There are 2 interesting solutions that we offer you to choose from. Let's compare them and note the pros and cons:

2 ways	Technology Features
Open vent/window	This is perhaps the most primitive way of organizing ventilation. But this method is relevant only for summer chicken coops. In winter, warm air will cool very quickly due to open window and vents. Plus, you have to constantly run to open / close the window in time. This method is used in exceptional cases.
Installation of a pipe for air inflow and outlet	In this case, the ventilation process is automated. We note right away that this method is also relevant if you keep 100 chickens or more, and the room has an area of ​​\u200b\u200bup to 20 m 2. So, you will need 2 pieces of pipe Ø200 mm. Accordingly, one pipe will be installed for inflow, and the other for air outlet. The installation of the pipe is carried out in different corners of the chicken coop, or rather, in the opposite. The exhaust pipe can be installed near the bird perch at a distance of up to 200 mm from the ceiling. The outlet of the exhaust pipe is recommended to be arranged at a height of 1.5 m from the roof level. To prevent cold air from blowing on chickens, the supply pipe should be led out in the opposite corner from the chickens' perch. The lower end of the pipe should be at a height of 200 mm from the floor, and up to 300 mm from the roof level. A special umbrella is put on the upper end of the pipe, which will prevent rain, snow, birds and other things from entering the ventilation duct. The ventilation pipe must be insulated to prevent condensation. For efficient operation of the system in winter, it is recommended to install dampers into the duct, which will prevent the rapid escape of warm air. Although in severe frosts there is a high probability of freezing of the pipe.

We offer you to watch a video that tells about the manufacturing technology of such a ventilation system.

Video: making natural ventilation in a poultry house

Building a frame chicken coop: step by step instructions

To consolidate all the material, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with step by step instructions construction at home. In addition, you can watch the videos:

Instructions with photos and explanations for construction a simple chicken coop from a wooden frame on a columnar foundation
Stage of work	Technological process
	First you need to make support pillars. Given the weight of the entire structure of the chicken coop, steel pipes Ø100–150 mm should be used at the base of the poles. You will also need a sheet of metal cut into squares. The thickness of the metal is not less than 4 mm. The cut out squares should be welded to the support posts. Immediately it is worth noting that the pillars should all have the same size.
	The next step is to choose a suitable building site. Using wooden pegs and a rope, the territory is marked. This is an important stage of work, because the final result largely depends on the quality of the preparatory work.
	After marking, it is necessary to remove the fertile soil layer on one shovel bayonet up to 250 mm. At the corners of the dug hole, support poles are installed for the future poultry house. At the same time, it is important to give Special attention installing them. They must be installed strictly vertically. Moreover, the upper sole of all 4 supports must be strictly at the same level with each other. The soil under the sole of the post must be compacted. If the soil in your area is unstable, then a sand cushion is sure to be made. A layer of sand and gravel is poured to the bottom. The pillow is rammed, after which the support poles are mounted. Even if there is a small horizontal difference, it can be leveled by attaching the lower harness.
	Installed support poles must be treated with an anti-corrosion compound, and also painted over with water-repellent paint. This will serve additional protection. After that, the installation of the upper strapping from the board is carried out. For this purpose, you can use a board 150 × 50 mm. First, a bar is attached to the metal sole from two short sides. For this purpose, a hole is drilled in the metal, as well as in a bar. Fastened with steel bolts. After that, two boards are laid on top from the long sides and fastened in the same way. The fastening must be strong and reliable, because the quality of the future construction will depend on it.
	When the base is ready, we proceed to the manufacture of a wooden frame. However, before this, the dug hole is covered with soil (it can also be crushed stone), which is rammed. Support poles are installed at the corners, which can be fixed with metal corners and self-tapping screws to the previously laid wooden trim. An opening is immediately formed to enter the chicken coop. For greater strength, stiffeners are created in the middle of the height of the building. The beam can be 600 × 500 mm.
	Now it's time to arrange the roof, in this case the roof has 2 slopes. The rafters are installed and attached to the upper trim of the frame.
	The rafters are additionally fixed with spacers to give the roof the necessary rigidity. The formed attic can be used to store hay, sawdust and other things.
	When the frame is completely ready, you should proceed to its sheathing. Outside, such a chicken coop can be sheathed with plywood. The walls of the frame must be insulated with mineral wool. Inside the walls can also be sewn up with plywood, as well as other sheet material. As for the roof, metal tiles are used for it. The roof must be insulated. Inside, the ceiling is hemmed with plywood or similar material. Some use drywall.
	Here you can see that an additional place for walking birds is organized. A bar and a metal mesh were used as a frame. In addition, the perimeter of the foundation is sheathed with a mesh. This will exclude the penetration of predatory animals to the bird. Doors must be installed in the aviary so that cleaning can be done inside. A ladder is also made for the exit of chickens from the house to the street. The ladder is constructed from boards, the transverse boards at the same time give rigidity to the structure and serve as steps.

Household or cottage economy is a great help. Even a dozen hens will be provided with eggs and meat. The first thing to do is to build a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens. Construction can be quite inexpensive.

Optimal dimensions

If we approach the issue of determining the size of the chicken coop scrupulously, then for each breed of bird there is a certain norm of "living space". But in the country or in a private house they rarely keep a thoroughbred bird. Therefore, they start from the average.

We estimate the area and dimensions of the building

When building a chicken coop, they usually proceed from the planned number of birds. It is believed that 2-4 chickens can live on 1 square meter of area. If we are talking about broilers, you can take 3-4 pieces per square meter. They are inactive and this area is enough for them. If we talk about laying hens or meat and egg breeds, it is believed that optimal amount- 2-3 birds per square area. So, a chicken coop for 10 broiler hens can have an area of ​​​​-2-3 squares, a poultry house for 10 hens - with laying hens or meat and egg breeds - requires 4-5 squares. If you decide to build a chicken coop for 20 chickens, for broilers the area will be 5-7 squares, for egg and meat - 8-10 squares.

But knowing the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe chicken coop for 20 chickens or 10 is not all. Still need to decide on the size. Most often they try to make a rectangular building: 3 * 1.5 m; 4* etc. In this case, you can clean the house without going inside - a rake, a scraper, a broom will reach even the far corners. Square ones are not so convenient in this regard, although a small chicken coop for 10-20 chickens will still not be large. So a square is fine.

What is the height of the chicken coop

When building a chicken coop, you also need to decide on the height of the building. For birds, a height of about 140-150 cm is enough. But we must remember that you will have to clean up in the house, collect eggs, and change the bedding. So when choosing the height of the house, they proceed from their own convenience. For this reason, the roof is made above the level of the head - so that you can walk upright.

Without overlap

When building a roof, there are two options. First: if the house is without overlap (ceiling), you can drive out the walls by about 140-150 cm, make the roof gable and raise the ridge by 180-200 cm (or a little higher, as you wish). In this case, it will be possible to move around the center of the room without problems, but we still rarely walk around the edges. There is usually a perch and nests, there may be a bedding. You will have to work carefully in this area, protecting your head.

The advantage of this option is that with such a device we save on the material of the walls. The downside is that it takes more to insulate the roof: it must be insulated over the entire area, which is much more than what is required when insulating the ceiling. But, in general, this option turns out to be less expensive, but also less convenient (you have to take care of your head).

with loft

The second option on how to mono build a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is to make a mini-copy of an ordinary house. In this case, the walls are driven to a height that is necessary for free movement inside. This is the height of a person, plus 10-20 cm. But keep in mind that part of the height will go to the ceiling, there will be another floor, a bedding on it. Each requires about 15 cm in height. So, if the height of the chicken coop owner is 180 cm, you will have to make walls with a minimum height of 220-230 cm.

As you can see, this option will require more materials for the walls, but only the ceiling (ceiling) can be insulated, and the attic can be left cold. The attic can also be used to store straw, bedding, etc. But do not forget about the rodents, who love such storage and can be a problem.

On poles

Another option: make a chicken coop for 10 chickens on poles. In this case, 4 beams are dug into the ground at the corners of the building, the floor is covered at a height of 50-80 cm from the ground level. The roof is made at a height of 180-200 cm. In general, this is a convenient version of a mini-chicken coop for a summer residence. Option, rather summer, but can be insulated. In order for the bird to enter and exit, they make an inclined ladder from boards with thin perches nailed about 10 cm apart - to make it easier for the bird to move.

In general, you choose the height and general construction plan at your own discretion.

Material for building a chicken coop

For the walls of the chicken coop, the material is chosen depending on the intended mode of use. For summer chicken coop suitable boards, plywood, OSB. Such buildings are made according to the principle of frame housing construction: they assemble a frame from a bar, sheathe it with boards or sheet material. The task of such buildings is to protect from the sun, wind, rain, and they cope with it perfectly.

For a winter chicken coop, you can use the same materials as for a summer one, but the walls will have to be insulated. You can also use logs, timber, gas or foam concrete, adobe, cinder block, shell rock, sandstone, etc. In principle, any building materials. If there is material left from the construction of a house, a bathhouse, a barn, it can be put into action. Only part of the material in the construction of a winter chicken coop requires mandatory insulation, the other can do without (depending on the thickness of the wall, winter temperatures).

Boards, OSB, lining, plywood - these are the most popular materials for building a chicken coop.

A chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is usually covered with inexpensive material. Most often it is roofing or slate, but any other material can be used. Only if you are planning a metal roof (from metal tiles, corrugated board), keep in mind that chickens do not like noise. During rain or hail, they may be frightened, which will affect the number of eggs or weight gain.

Insulation - mineral wool or polystyrene. Mineral wool is vapor-permeable, therefore normal humidity can be automatically maintained in the chicken coop (if the walls are also vapor-permeable). Styrofoam does not let moisture through, but it costs less and is used to build a budget poultry house. It is only worth remembering that mice love to settle in such a heater (polystyrene and mineral wool). And this is a disaster. To block their access to the inside of the wall, it is tightened on both sides with a fine metal mesh (cell size - the smaller the better).

There is also extruded polystyrene foam. It is much more expensive than the options listed above, but the plus is that fungi do not start in it, bacteria do not multiply, and insects and rodents do not like it. And yet - it has excellent thermal insulation characteristics and, for warming the chicken coop, a thickness of 2-3 cm is enough (foam plastic needs more than 5 cm), so in fact, the cost of insulation will not increase very much.

Drawings and projects

A summer chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is a small building, usually made of wood. A mini-house with a paddock, which will contain less than a dozen birds, has dimensions of 3 * 1.5 m. Moreover, this is with a paddock - a fenced area. The very same room where the chickens will spend the night and rush has a depth of 80-100 cm, a width of 140-160 cm, and its height is about 1 meter.

Summer chicken coop for 5-9 chickens with walking - a very small building

For maintenance - changing bedding, cleaning - there is a door in the back wall. For light to come in small window closed with shutters. In general, an ideal option for giving for the seasonal maintenance of a small number of chickens.

A chicken coop for 10-15 chickens is already a more serious building. Dimensions are doubled: 1 * 2. The height can still be low - all service can pass through a door in the back wall. There is no need to go inside. Except as a last resort.

For even more birds, you need to make an even larger shed for chickens. This is really - a barn or change house. It is already possible to enter such a room.

If the winters are snowy, you will have to make high slopes, and the roof - a tent

Please note that even the smallest poultry house should have windows. No one will install metal-plastic, but glass must be mandatory. In a seasonal chicken coop, one glass is enough, in a winter one it is better to put two. Moreover, the second can be set only for cold weather. And one more thing: it is desirable to have shutters on the window. This will give you the ability to change the length of daylight hours.

There are projects of chicken coops of an unusual shape - in the form of a triangle or a wigwam. This type of building is optimal. When spending a minimum of funds for construction, we get a solid area.

This chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is built using frame technology. There are no walls as such, they are covered with soft roofing material. A very rational building. It is also suitable for snowy regions: with such a slope, little will linger.

Chicken coop for 10-20 chickens: choose and make a foundation

The type of foundation depends on the selected type of material. If this is a frame building or timber, logs will be used, the most optimal is a columnar foundation. The costs in terms of time and money are minimal, reliability is sufficient, and possible distortions of the columns are compensated by the strapping and elasticity of the material.

If the walls are built from blocks of any type, brick, shell rock and any similar material, a strip foundation is needed. It costs more, but it won't work any other way. More the best option- a foundation in the form of a slab, but the costs for it are even higher. But you can use the slab as a subfloor, and with such a foundation, any frosty heaving is not scary.

Site preparation for the foundation

To build a chicken coop for 10 chickens with your own hands, first clear the area. It is necessary to remove the entire fertile layer. Its thickness can be 20 cm or more, and maybe only 5. In any case, we remove everything, including stones, roots, etc. We level the site, we ram. For tamping, you can use a piece of large-diameter log with a handle bar nailed on top.

It is necessary to remove the soil because the animals and plant remains in it under the building begin to rot. So it is imperative to remove the fertile soil layer. We carry out further construction work on the cleared and leveled site.

Column Foundation

Poles for the foundation under the house can be made of bricks, but the easiest way is to use concrete blocks 20 * 20 * 40 cm. They fit perfectly. If you are building a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens, it is unlikely that your building is larger. The longest side that can be is 4 meters. If the winter is snowy, three supports can be placed on this side: two at the edges and one in the middle. If the length of the chicken coop wall does not exceed 3 meters, we put only supports in the corners.

In the selected places we dig holes, which are slightly larger in size than future pillars. The depth of the holes is 25-30 cm. We pour crushed stone of the middle fraction on the bottom, we ram it well. The thickness of the layer in the compacted form is 15 cm. We pour sand onto the compacted gravel and also ram it well. Blocks can be placed on this base. They need to be put on the horizon. To do this, you can use pegs with a rope stretched along the level, or you can put even planks on the blocks, lay the building level on them and navigate along it.

After the blocks are aligned, you can start laying the strapping. This is either a bar (for frame or bar construction), or a log. The beam / log of the strapping must be treated with impregnation. Under them, on the columns, it is desirable to lay a piece of roofing material or hydroisol folded in two layers (a modern and improved analogue of roofing material). Actually everything, you can build a chicken coop further.

Strip foundation for a chicken coop

A strip foundation is usually made for a chicken coop for 20 chickens, which will be built from any building blocks, adobe, shell rock, brick, etc. To make a tape of concrete, you will have to dig a trench along the perimeter of the future building with a depth of at least 50 cm and a width of at least 35 cm. Try to make the walls of the trench even, and if the soil is loose, with a slight slope.

The bottom of the trench is cleared of stones, roots, leveled, rammed. Crushed stone of the middle fraction is poured at the bottom, leveled and rammed. Layer thickness - 15 cm (packed). Building sand is poured on top and rammed. The layer thickness is about 10 cm. Further, formwork is assembled from the boards in a trench for pouring concrete. Formwork panels should rise above the ground by at least 10-15 cm. In this case, the floor of the chicken coop will be slightly raised.

Tape base - for serious buildings or very difficult soils

To increase resistance to soil movement during frost heaving, reinforcement is placed inside the strip foundation. In this case, two bars with a diameter of 10-12 mm (ribbed, not smooth) are sufficient, which are located at a distance of about 15 cm from each other. The distance from the bars to the formwork shield is at least 5 cm. The distance from the bottom should be the same or greater .

The last step in arranging a strip foundation for a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is pouring concrete. Concrete brand - M150, you should not do less. The proportions are standard: for 1 part of M400 cement we take three parts of crushed stone of the middle fraction and four parts of dry sand. Water - 0.7-0.8 parts. We mix everything and pour it into the formwork. Having aligned the upper edge, we close the foundation with a film and wait 1-3 weeks. If it is warm (+20°C and above), we wait a week, if from +17°C to +20°C - two, if less than +17°C - three. After that, you can remove the formwork and continue construction.

Remember that the concrete foundation, even for a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens, must be waterproofed. It can be covered twice with bituminous mastic, or you can lay two layers of rolled waterproofing. If the humidity in the area is high, it is better to use both.

Warming and vapor barrier

The walls in the chicken coop are built according to the chosen technology. There are no nuances here. In insulation, in fact, too, but it’s worth talking about insulation, since after all this building has its own characteristics.

Lay thermal insulation between two layers of sheathing - here's a winter chicken coop for you

Mineral (basalt or glass) wool

Warming with mineral wool is most often done if a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is built according to the principle of frame housing construction. The assembled frame is sheathed from the outside, laying a layer of waterproofing under the material (plywood, OSB, boards). At the same time, please note that a ventilation gap of 2-3 cm should remain between the insulation and the outer skin. It can be provided by strips stuffed between the uprights or stretched twine (fixed with staples from a stapler). The second option is less reliable, but faster and cheaper.

To insulate the chicken coop with mineral wool, it is best to take hard or semi-rigid mats. They are cut into pieces of the desired length and inserted into the spacer between the racks from the side of the room. It turns out that from the outside they rest against the planks or stretched twine. The thickness of the insulation is 5-10 cm (depending on the region) and the material of the outer skin, but in any case, when assembled, it should not protrude beyond the racks. If the width of the racks is not enough, and the insulation is needed thick, planks / boards are stuffed over the racks.

During construction, place racks with such a pitch that between them there is a distance of 3-5 cm less than the width of the insulation. Due to its greater width, the insulation will hold on (the elastic force works). Just be careful: measure the actual width of the roll, and do not use the number that is on the roll. There may be a difference of a couple of centimeters, the edges may bend, so as a result it will be difficult to install a heater, as it will fall out. When warming, try to keep the pieces adjacent to each other without gaps. If they do exist, fill in thin strips. The installed insulation can be fixed with ordinary twine and staples from.

A vapor barrier membrane is fixed over the mounted insulation. In the simplest version, this is a film with a density of 200 microns. But it is still better to take a membrane for vapor barrier. It is attached to the racks with wooden planks, using small nails or staples from a stapler. At the joints, one canvas should go in and the other by at least 15 cm. Double-sided tape is used to glue the canvases. It turns out a double seam, which provides a normal degree of protection against the penetration of steam. On top of the vapor barrier film, you can attach the material of the inner lining (plywood, OSB, GVL, GKL, boards).

What is not an option. Also insulation ... It remains only to come up with something with the floor

So, when the chicken coop is insulated with mineral wool, the wall cake looks like this (from inside to outside):

• inner lining;
• vapor barrier;
• insulation;
• ventilation gap;
• waterproofing;
• outer cladding.

The sequence of layers does not allow moisture to penetrate into the insulation from the inside. This task cannot be 100% completed - vapors still penetrate. Therefore, it is necessary to have a ventilation gap between the insulation and waterproofing. Due to this, the steam that has entered the heater comes out. It is this construction that guarantees that the insulation will work.

Styrofoam and expanded polystyrene

When insulating with polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam, everything is a little simpler. It is itself vapor-tight, so it is not necessary to protect it from the penetration of steam. If a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is built according to the frame principle, you can lay foam between the racks. It is cut with a saw with a fine tooth (for metal), fixed with low expansion foam. In order for the insulation to “not walk”, planks are stuffed along the racks on both sides. Styrofoam and polystyrene foam can be laid both from the street and from the side of the room. Sheathing can be done in any order. The only thing: from the side of the street under the sheathing, it is better, after all, to fix the waterproofing. Especially for polystyrene - it is from moisture ingress into in large numbers"blooms".

If a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is made of a vapor-permeable material (foam and gas concrete, timber, logs), it must be insulated with foam from the outside. There should be a ventilation gap between the wall and the insulation, which will allow moisture to evaporate from the wall. To do this, a crate is stuffed onto the wall with a bar 20-30 mm thick. Then the counter-batten is stuffed in the opposite direction. The thickness of the bars is not less than the thickness of the insulation. Styrofoam / extruded polystyrene foam is fixed to the mounting foam between the planks of the counter-batten. Then, on top, you can mount the outer skin.

Ventilation

Chickens do well in normal humidity. With a decrease or increase, they begin to hurt (high humidity is more dangerous), so ventilation in the chicken coop should creep in even during the planning period. A hole is made in one of the walls for air flow. To do this, you can insert a piece of plastic pipe into the wall and pick up a cover for it.

The outflow of air from the chicken coop (hood) is a pipe drawn through the roof or the top of the wall. On the street, the pipe rises for some distance above the roof and ends with a fungus or a visor - to protect against precipitation and foliage. The inflow and exhaust are located in opposite corners so that the air passes the greatest distance. This type of ventilation is called natural, but it does not always work stably.

For stable operation, a fan with a cover is embedded in the upper part of the wall. Better if it has multiple speeds. The operation of this type of ventilation does not depend on the weather, but depends on the availability of electricity and requires human intervention. In principle, you can do both ways and use as needed.

If you dream of raising chickens in the country, but the lack of a specialized room stops you, do not despair, building a comfortable and functional chicken coop with your own hands is not at all difficult.

First of all, it is necessary to determine the number of chickens that will live in the future building.

Given this information, you can plan the size of the chicken coop, and allocate space for the building.

You can make a simple chicken coop from any materials at hand, of course, having at least the most minimal building skills.

Building requirements

Any specialized building must meet the requirements for its functionality. At the design stage, some points should be taken into account:

• Ensuring the safety of the building from the penetration of predators. Otherwise, you can not count the number of birds or the number of eggs.
• Provide ventilation or permanent ventilation of the house.
• The absence of drafts is an important requirement that will prevent all kinds of bird diseases and help maintain a comfortable temperature.
• Thermal insulation is also necessary, especially if chickens are planned to be kept all year round.
• For good egg production of chickens, lighting is needed indoors, which must be turned on at some time of the day.

chicken coop project

Choose a place for a chicken coop on a hill, in the lowland the house will be constantly wet, not having time to dry out from morning fogs and precipitation.

When calculating the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe building, do not forget about walking the birds, the more laying hens walk, the better they rush. When accurately calculating the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe chicken coop, take into account the fact that 4 sq.m. is enough for a comfortable existence of five hens, and about 7 sq.m. for walking.

A clearing for walking chickens will be correctly located to the south. Enclose with a chain-link mesh and be sure to make a roof. It will protect not only from rain, but also from the sun.

If your site is flat, then before construction, make an artificial elevation of sand and gravel. To protect the chicken coop from small rodents, mix clay and broken glass and place on top of the mound.

Natural lighting of the house can be provided by making a door with glass. To provide space, the ceiling is raised to 2 m. If the bird nests are attached outside the poultry house, you do not have to go inside to pick up the egg. You can see a drawing of this version of the chicken coop in the photo.

Foundation

If you are building a summer frame chicken coop, you don’t need a concrete base under it, a slight elevation is enough.

When building a capital structure of brick, a foundation is required. A monolithic or tape base is suitable here. In such a room it is ideal to place a winter chicken coop.

Poultry floor

Earthen and clay floors can be made with a low strip foundation. If desired, the floors can be assembled from boards or concreted.

When using the premises in winter, the floor must be insulated with mineral wool, which is laid between the joists, and then covered with plywood. Such floors are covered with sheets of roofing material for reliable coverage and protection of the floor from the waste products of birds.

Sand is also good for sprinkling the floor.

Note!

Wall construction

Most often, the walls of the chicken coop are built of wood, as a rule, this is a frame building sheathed with clapboard. They are insulated with mineral wool or foam, from the outside, before sheathing, the structure is covered with a vapor barrier material.

A brick structure requires good heating in the winter, which will lead to costs, and the construction of such a chicken coop will be more difficult and expensive.

Walls made of any materials must be disinfected before use, this can be done with ordinary lime.

Chicken coop roof

When building a chicken coop in the country, it is better to make a gable roof. This technique will help allocate space for roof insulation.

If the chicken coop is modest in size, you can do without an attic and lay the insulation directly under the roofing material. Chicken coops are covered with slate, metal tiles, professional flooring.

Room ventilation

Good ventilation is important for bird health, especially during the summer. The ventilation system in the chicken coop can be several holes on opposite walls with valves.

Note!

Valves will help control and regulate the flow of cold air, which is especially important in winter.

The interior of the chicken coop

The most important and basic interior item of the chicken coop are the perches, they are wooden rounded poles, the length from the wall to the wall of the chicken coop. It is on perches that chickens spend most of their lives.

You need to fix them at a distance of 50 cm from the floor and 25 cm from the wall and 35 cm between each other. Each resident of the poultry house is entitled to 25 cm of poles. So we expect in a chicken coop for 10 chickens, we will have to place perches at 2.5 m.

If laying hens live in a chicken coop, then nests will be the second important piece of furniture. You need to build at the rate of 5 layers per nest. Having built a chicken coop for 20 chickens, you will have to place about 4 nests.

It is best to place them in the dark corners of the chicken coop, after warming them well with sawdust.

The dimensions of the hen box are 30cmx30cm wide and 40cm high. The nest is raised 50 cm from the floor.

Note!

Lighting

An important condition for the normal life of a chicken is lighting. In dark rooms, the bird becomes inactive, its egg production decreases.

The chicken coop must have an opening window, which will provide not only sunlight, but also additional ventilation.

Laying hens must be provided with light up to 18 hours a day. In winter, artificial lighting is indispensable.

Chicken coop heating

In winter, the chicken coop needs to be warmed up to a temperature of at least 10 degrees during the day and 15 at night. It is important to control the level of humidity in winter, high humidity will lead to illness and further death of birds.

In our selection of photos of chicken coops, you can choose the best option for yourself.

DIY chicken coop photo