A simple chicken coop in the country with your hands. We build a chicken coop in the country with our own hands for the summer period on our own. Features of wooden buildings

21.04.2020

Reading time ≈ 7 minutes

Location determination

A place for a chicken coop should be chosen deliberately. It is best to use an elevated place for location. This will protect your farm from water and flooding during the heavy rainy season. It is also important to correctly calculate the area that is necessary for the construction of the building. If in the future you want to increase the number of chickens, then take care of a sufficient size right away.

Location relative to lighting is also an important point. Place windows on south side. As a result, the duration of light exposure will increase, which favorably affects egg production. But it is better to place the door on the west or east side. Thanks to this, you will save more heat, and the cold wind from the north will not get inside.

Chickens in the coop

It is worth avoiding nearby sources of noise, as most breeds of birds (especially laying hens) are quite restless. If there are a lot of extraneous sounds nearby, then their performance will decrease. by the most the best option there will be a hedge that will save the chickens from constant stress.

Selection of materials and equipment

The main materials for building a chicken coop on summer period are wooden planks and bars. They serve as the basis for future construction of the walls, roof and floor.

But to create a foundation, you can not do without brick and cement mortar. It is necessary to initially decide whether a foundation is needed at all. Indeed, for a small poultry house, it is not necessary. It is also required to deepen metal plates along the perimeter in order to protect the economy from various predators.

Video: building a chicken coop

You need to purchase insulation materials that will help create a warm version of the chicken coop. These include:, wood sawdust and others.

To build an aviary where the chickens will be walking, you will need a sufficient amount of metal mesh.

And, of course, no construction is complete without a basic set of tools that any owner can find:

a hammer;
saw;
shovel;
ruler or tape measure;
building level;
nails and screws.

After making sure that everything is in stock, you need to select the necessary drawing, according to which the chicken coop will be built with your own hands.

Chicken coop drawing

The following is a step-by-step instruction for a chicken coop of your own construction. Making a cozy house for chickens is not difficult. Before the process itself, it does not hurt to look at the photos of the construction in order to delve deeper into the matter.

Do-it-yourself chicken coop with an aviary

You need to start with the construction of the foundation. It is required if the building itself is solid. The best option is the foundation of the columns. It's not hard to build it. The advantage is that it does not need to buy expensive materials.

If you follow the rules of construction, then the foundation will not only become a support for the chicken coop, but also provide ventilation for the entire floor. Yes, and predators will not be able to get inside.

And now step by step on how to make a chicken coop.

Following the drawing, you need to hammer metal rods in the corners of the future chicken coop.
Using a rope, you need to connect all the rods, looping the structure. At this stage, you need to use the building level to prevent distortions.
Next, you should remove the top ball of the earth to a depth of about 20 cm. This soil can be transferred to the garden, in case of good fertility.
Along the perimeter it is necessary to build special cabinets. They will become the basis and support for the chicken coop. When constructing, keep in mind that they must be at least one meter apart from each other. Before installing each pedestal, a hole is dug 60 cm deep. Above ground level, they should be 20 - 30 cm higher. Again, use a level for control measurements. The foundation is ready.

Finished chicken coop foundation

Leave construction for a while. This is necessary for tamping the foundation. On average, it takes about five days.
If you are planning to keep poultry both in summer and winter, then you should pay more attention to the construction of the floor. It must be not only durable, but also retain heat inside. Ideal is the option of building a double floor. In this case, a draft floor is mounted on the foundation. It can be built from improvised means.
Beams are installed on the draft floor, and an insulating ball spreads.
On top of this, the flooring of the main floor is created. It is better to make it from flat boards that do not have damage and cracks.
Next, the frame and walls should be erected. They should keep warm well. Therefore, it is better to create a frame from wooden blocks.
When building walls, be sure to make openings for windows. They will not only allow light to enter inside, but also provide proper ventilation.
The frame is sheathed on top with boards on both sides. Thermal insulation material (e.g. mineral wool, sawdust) should be placed in the voids. The height of the walls should be at least 1.8 m. A lower height will limit the birds.
The installation of windows should involve a removable structure or the ability to open when there is a hot period.
You can create a special roof structure (gable), where you can hide all the necessary equipment and food for the household. Also, thanks to the sloping sides, snow and rain will not accumulate on the roof. As a result, dampness will not destroy the roof.
The first step is to do the flooring. Then fasten at an angle to the ceiling beams. The flooring requires good insulation. Expanded clay or slag is perfect.
Attach roofing material to the beams. Slate or any other roofing material is laid on top.
If you want to create an aviary for walking chickens, then keep in mind that its size should be increased by 1.5 - 2 times compared to the chicken coop itself. It must be placed on green grass terrain. This will allow the chickens to freely eat healthy food while walking. It is quite enough to make sections from the beams, which are then covered with a mesh.
Install hinges on one section so that you can build a gate.
Final stage. You can paint the walls to protect the tree from damage. Plus, it looks pretty nice.

Ready chicken coop

Do not forget about interior. You need to think carefully about the placement of sheds and nests to provide the layers with maximum peace and comfort.

Do-it-yourself perches in the chicken coop

You need to mount the perches at a height of about 70 - 80 cm. But you should not install them with a ladder one above the other. To make cleaning easy, place special trays under the perches. For nests, you can use wooden boxes in which you need to put sawdust or straw.

Now you know how to build a chicken coop in the country with your own hands for the summer to support your household. For more information about the arrangement of the chicken coop in the country, see the video.

Video: do-it-yourself chicken coop

Using a small chicken coop may not always meet the requirements of the poultry farmer. These designs come ready-made, but an experienced poultry farmer knows what results he wants to achieve from his layers. Therefore, he builds a chicken coop according to his preferences.

Design options for country chicken coops

one-story portable chicken coop;
mobile arched chicken coop;
chicken coop in the form of a wheelbarrow;
mobile chicken coop trailer;
mini chicken coop on rollers.

Such structures can be moved around the site at any time, they weigh little. But they fit a small number of heads.

An ideal option for a family is a barn with a paddock for 5-20 chickens. With the content of 5 chickens, 3 square meters is enough. m. The larger the livestock, the larger the housing requires. 10 individuals require a minimum of 5 square meters. m, 20 chickens - 10 sq. m. If the laying hen is getting fat, then it starts to rush worse, so more space is allocated for them. If the poultry farmer grows broilers, then the chicken coop can be made smaller so that the bird moves little and gains weight.

Before you start building a chicken coop with your own hands, you need to think about the dimensions that are suitable for it. And also, think about seasonality and location. With the right arrangement, it can become a decorative part of the garden.

Beginning poultry professionals it is advised to build a barn for chickens next to the house and observe the conditions:

What is better to build a chicken coop in the country?

Build a chicken coop with your own hands can be from improvised means. Common materials for the construction of a country chicken coop:

wooden beam;
wooden lining for wall cladding;
galvanized sheet for the manufacture of a sliding tray under the perch;
chain-link for walking area;
ruberoid.

Creating a green roof (plants on top) protects the chickens from overheating and adds beauty to the building.

When it is not possible to purchase materials for construction, you can use those that are at hand. e.g. pipes, pallets, polycarbonate.

Wooden structural elements are coated with a solution that protects the wood from moisture and pests.

How to build a comfortable chicken coop

Creating convenience for chickens is not difficult, it is important to follow the sequence of actions. When building a chicken coop in the country, you will need to collect a sufficient number of bars and boards, which will become the basis of the structure. For the foundation, cement and brick are used. It is worth thinking about warming, for this they prepare mineral wool, sawdust and roofing material. To fence the walking area, you will need several meters of chain-link. The list of tools includes:

self-tapping screws, nails;
level, ruler;
saw;
shovel;
a hammer.

This set is considered basic, additional tools may be required during assembly.

Foundation

In some cases, the construction of a foundation is not required: when building a small chicken coop. In this case, care must be taken to ensure that predators do not attack chickens. Install around the perimeter of the chicken coop metal plates.

When the poultry house is large, building the foundation becomes an important step. And the best option is columnar. In this case, floor ventilation will be good. It can be made from inexpensive materials, and it is easy to build:

They study a drawing prepared in advance, and metal rods are driven in around the perimeter, they are connected with a rope.
The top layer of soil 20 cm deep is removed.
Support pedestals are placed around the perimeter at a distance of at least 1 m (a hole of 60 cm is prepared for each column).
The columns are placed at a level with an elevation above the soil surface at a distance of 30 cm.

The construction of the columnar foundation ends here. They give him time to tamp. To do this, leave for 5 days.

If you want to build a chicken coop not only for summer use, but also for winter, you need to take care of preparing a strong floor that will retain heat well. For this purpose, a double floor is made: the first layer is the "rough floor", which is made from any boards; the second is the "main floor" of high-quality boards without gaps. Beams and a layer of insulation are laid between the layers.

Frame and walls

Not only the floor must retain heat, but also the walls. Therefore, it is recommended to build a chicken coop from high-quality timber, leaving openings for windows for ventilation. The bars are fixed and upholstered with boards from the outside and inside, and a layer of heat insulator (sawdust, mineral wool) is placed between them.

Walls must be at least 1.8m high. Otherwise, the chickens will become crowded and egg production will decrease. For improvement appearance the chicken coop is painted or decorated with finishing materials based on budgetary funds. The windows are made removable so that the chickens are comfortable during the hot period.

Roof

Under the roof it is convenient to place all the necessary devices for chickens. Therefore, it is made double-sided. Snow does not accumulate on it, which helps to avoid dampness indoors.

Roof manufacturing procedure:

lay flooring-insulation (slag, expanded clay);
fasten ceiling beams at an angle;
fix roofing material;
covered with slate or other roofing.

As you can see, it is not difficult to build a gable roof..

Inner space

Particular attention is paid to interior decoration. Nests and perches are placed in such a way that laying hens rush well. The calculation of perches is simple:

one chicken needs at least 30 cm;
you need a bar 40x60 mm, it is rounded;
placed at a height of 80 cm from the floor;
trays are placed under the perches for collecting chicken manure.

Perches cannot be placed on top of each other.

Nest arrangement:

take boxes filled with sawdust (wicker baskets);
they are placed in the corners of the house (height above the floor 40 cm);

Dry material or straw is laid on the floor for the convenience of chickens, so they will be more comfortable. Litter will accumulate on it, which will facilitate cleaning.

Aviary

In spring, chickens are divided into 10-12 individuals and provide them with a separate place for walking. If the chickens are crowded, this leads to the development of infectious diseases.

For a chicken coop with a paddock, an aviary is additionally equipped, the dimensions of which should be 2 times larger than the poultry house. They build it on a flat green area, so that later, when walking, the chickens have enough useful substances that they will find in the grass and soil.

For the construction of an aviary prepare:

bars;
metal mesh.

The chicken pen is a construction of several sections. One of them is hung with hinges and used as a gate.

Construction of a summer chicken coop for broilers

For breeding broilers with your own hands, you can build a chicken coop-hut of a small area. A dozen chickens will be enough for 5 square meters. m.

Making a chicken coop:

Using self-tapping screws and boards, 2 side frames are assembled. The upper part is fixed with self-tapping screws. In the lower part, a board is fixed at a distance of 35 cm from the bottom. Spacers are fixed in the middle part and a rectangular plywood sheet is laid, it will act as a ceiling and floor at the same time and give rigidity to the structure.
A chain-link mesh is attached with staples or nails and a door is made.
The role of the roof is performed by two sheets of plywood attached to the sides. The ridge is formed by two horizontal boards.
The feeder and drinker are attached to the door. Equip a perch and a nest of straw.

If there are no screws, use nails. They are not driven in completely and bent so that the bird does not get hurt. For the convenience of the birds, a ramp is prepared from a piece of plywood with transverse slats.

Chicken coop lighting: windows and electricity

In order for the light to penetrate as much as possible into the chicken coop, window openings are made on the south side. If there is not enough lighting for chickens, they become lethargic and less likely to rush.

The total area of window openings must be at least 1/12 of the floor area.

For admission fresh air windows should open. They are protected by netting from predators. Windows open in summer.

In order to organize an artificial lighting, lamps are installed at the rate of 1m2, the required power is 5 watts. With the help of a relay, you can adjust the length of daylight hours, in winter it should be 17 hours. Shade places with nests, and drinkers and feeders, on the contrary, require good lighting.

Capital chicken coop for all seasons

If you plan to breed chickens in the country all year round, then the chicken coop needs to be insulated. An additional heating system is carried out to ensure high egg production in the winter. Windows need to be glazed and gaps should be smeared if the frames are old.

Foundation all-season chicken coop must be durable. For the purpose of its construction, a pit is prepared with a depth of 0.5 m. Formwork is installed along the perimeter and poured with concrete. Wait a few days for complete solidification.

The thickness of the walls should be more than 20 cm. Mineral wool is used for thermal insulation. Windows and doors should be tightly closed to prevent drafts. The floor is insulated with polystyrene foam and a metal mesh is placed to protect against rodents. Boards are laid on top of the grid. They make the floor warm.

Perches for laying hens in the country

After construction is completed, special attention must be paid to the organization of perches and nests where it will be convenient for chickens to lay eggs. A dozen chickens need 3 nests. For the summer period, perches are installed in the walking area, the distance between which should be from half a meter above the floor. Nests are filled with straw and changed regularly. Visors are made over the perches.

Hay is not used because it rots and becomes a breeding ground for small pests and infections.

Bright lighting for chickens - the reason for the decline in egg production. Therefore, nests should be less illuminated than the rest of the chicken coop.

For a chicken coop with year-round residence of chickens, additional ventilation is made from a corrugated pipe. They make a hole in the ceiling and bring the pipe up. This ensures good ventilation and does not create a draft.

With proper arrangement of the chicken coop: creating natural exhaust ventilation, proper lighting and a warm room; the birds will lay all year round.

A solid poultry house is a guarantee of excellent health and high productivity of feathered wards. Once in cramped, damp, cold and dark, poultry will by no means be able to provide even the needs of the breeder's family with meat and egg products, let alone bring him a stable income. that's why comfort in a chicken coop is important. How to independently build and equip a chicken coop in the country, what you need to consider during construction and how to insulate the structure for the winter - we will talk about all this later in the article.

How to choose a place for the construction of a chicken coop in the country

The search for a good place for construction will help the gardener-poultry farmer to get rid of negative factors that affect the decrease in egg production of birds, defects in their development and illness in the future.

Important! To protect poultry from helminthiasis, every month for 3 days, feed the livestock with a fresh decoction of chamomile flowers or garden sorrel foliage.

When choosing the right zone, it is important to focus on the following recommendations:

Give preference to elevated and well-lit areas. This arrangement of the chicken coop ensures an acceptable level of humidity inside the room, and also provides the necessary light for laying eggs. Moreover, water will never accumulate on elevations during thaw and precipitation.
Avoid swampy areas, lowlands and places with high dampness, because cold air masses and excessive moisture always accumulate in them. And these are not the best helpers when breeding chickens.
For a poultry house, look for a remote cozy corner in your backyard, where pets will not be frightened by the sounds of a busy road or other residents of the household yard. It is desirable that people and animals in this place appear extremely rarely.
Try to ensure that the area chosen for the chicken coop corresponds to a rectangular shape, oriented from east to west. At the same time, windows in this design should be planned from the south, and the northern wall should be protected by tall shrubs or spreading trees. Plants will provide the bird with shade in the sun and protect it from the piercing cold wind in winter.
Besides, near the bird house it is recommended to provide an area for walking. It is fenced with a chain-link mesh or a hedge, not allowing living creatures to cross the permitted borders.

Layout and dimensions

For summer cottage breeding of chickens, it is not advisable to build a room that is too large. After all, in winter it will need to be heated and illuminated, and this will entail additional costs. In order for the future design to be practical and thoughtful, experienced poultry farmers are advised to initially engage in drawing work, having designed all the details and nuances.

In order to determine the size of the house, you need to understand how many birds it is designed for. If we are talking about one dozen birds, then 4 square meters will be enough, if 2-3 - you need to expand to 10-12 square meters.
When calculating the required area, you should pay attention to the type of chicken breed you like. For example, meat clods require more space than egg clods, so experts advise when designing a poultry house area based on the fact that there should be no more than 3 adult meat hens or 4 laying hens per square meter.

With a possible expansion of the livestock, a small margin of space can be foreseen in advance, but it is important to take into account the costs of maintaining the premises. But in order to save money, it is not worth reducing the bird territory, since this is fraught with undesirable consequences.

Did you know? The behavior of chickens largely depends on the color of the lighting. For example, blue lamps have a calming effect, orange stimulates the urge to reproduce, green stimulates the production of growth hormone, and red dampens the impulses of layers to cannibalism and pecking eggs.

Be sure to consider a walking area near the chicken house, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich is calculated based on the fact that each mature bird needs at least 2 square meters of space.
Therefore, for 30 birds it is necessary to design a territory from 20 to 50 square meters. m.

When you have decided on the dimensions of the future chicken coop and aviary, you can proceed to their internal layout. Experts advise to provide a lot of windows in the room on the south side, which will save on lighting. It is desirable that they have vents for ventilation.

But these openings must be placed in such a way as to exclude the possibility of drafts during ventilation.

In addition, inside the house you need to design a zone for rest and for feeding. In the first place nests and perches are placed, and in the second - sawdust, feeders and hang lamps for lighting. It is also important to provide a corner for keeping hens and young animals.

The drawings should be taken very seriously, after having thought through all the details of the future construction. The work done will allow you to prepare the necessary materials, as well as avoid mistakes.

How to build a chicken coop in the country

Before taking on construction tools, you need to consider the requirements for the future chicken coop. According to experienced chicken breeders, these include stable dryness, warmth and good lighting, regardless of the time of year.
Therefore, it is necessary to think ahead internal system heating and the method of external wall insulation (for example, using mineral wool, polystyrene foam or polystyrene), as well as provide for the possibility of shading window frames in hot weather. Only then can construction begin.

Important! To minimize the risk of breaking window panes, experienced poultry farmers advise protecting them with bars or plywood shutters.

Selection and construction of the foundation

In order for the future structure to be durable, it must be erected on a concrete foundation. In addition, such a solution will protect the feathered house from the penetration of rats, mice and shrews. But such a neighborhood is highly undesirable, since these small rodents are carriers of infections and helminths.

In practice, several options for creating a foundation are used, depending on the type of content. poultry:

Floor masonry

Any foundation requires a solid underfloor heating. Concrete, clay and soil are categorically not suitable for its construction. In such an environment, favorable conditions for dampness and cold will arise, which will harm the health of birds, so it is better to give preference to wooden boards.

Did you know? The owners of the longest chicken tails are Chinese Fen Huang roosters. Their tail feathers flutter to a record length of ten meters. At home, such chickens are considered the personification of life wisdom, truth and good luck..

For laying a plank floor, initially dig a 20-centimeter recess. After that, half fill it with rubble, glass and brick fragments, and only then fill it with concrete mortar.

Some summer residents share their experience in protecting the poultry house from the penetration of unwanted guests from the ground with the help of a galvanized mesh with small cells (no more than 12 mm) laid on the bottom of the pit. Both methods require an additional layer of boards.

As a heater, you can put roofing felt or thick rubber on top. This variation will facilitate the cleaning of the premises and withstand high-quality disinfection with the participation of detergents.

Wall construction

The material from which the walls of the chicken coop will be built is determined taking into account the time of its operation. That is, 25-mm boards are quite suitable for summer summer cottages. But for winter premises, you should choose a brick, cinder block, shell rock or thick bars. Plan the height of the structure within 190 cm.
The construction of the walls of the chicken coop will be possible even for masters with little experience in economic construction.

For this you need:

Cover the foundation with a sheet of roofing material, which will prevent dampness.
Lay out the first row of bars so that their ends meet in half.
Lay bars with a section of 10 x 15 cm on top. In the future, as the height increases, every 50 cm it will be necessary to design the logs with the ribs down. At the same time, a space is expected to form between the butt building materials, which then will need to be sealed with insulation. It will not be superfluous between each new beam.
Lay out subsequent crowns of bars, attaching them to each other according to the "thorn - groove" principle.
Make fasteners from dowels (wooden rods). They are hammered into holes made in the bars by drilling holes. It is important that the rod completely pierces the material and enters the next beam.
It is advisable to insulate the erected walls with glass wool on both sides, and additionally sheathe the outside with plastic or foam.

Important! If you plan to heat the chicken coop with a wood-burning stove or potbelly stove, be sure to provide a concrete floor under it, as well as in a circle with a radius of 1 meter.

Roof device

Shelter on the chicken coop can be made of varying complexity, depending on the existing building experience. If it is not there, it is better to prefer the most elementary single-sided option. But under a gable roof, chickens will be more protected from the scorching sun in summer and from the cold in winter.
And this will already affect the economic factor of maintaining the premises during the heated period. In addition, many summer residents specifically make gable roofs in order to store working equipment and other gardening utensils in the resulting space.

To build such a roof, you need:

Prepare the rafters and install them at an angle of 35 degrees (if you want the room higher, you can adjust the location of the parts at 45 degrees), and then attach to the erected walls.
From the boards lay the ceiling, attaching it to the walls.
Cover the chicken coop with any roofing material, attaching it to the rafters (slate, tiles, metal profiles).

Making the ceiling

If you want to rush all year round, be sure to insulate the ceiling. After all, according to the laws of physics, the heat generated inside the structure will constantly rise up. To avoid leakage, it is important to eliminate all cracks and holes in the plank ceiling.

To do this, it is necessary to make a double-sided flooring of glass wool or mineral wool (at least 10 cm), and then sew up both surfaces with sheets of plywood, chipboard or clapboard.
Some craftsmen recommend additionally covering the insulation with a vapor barrier film on both sides. This is done so that the material does not weather and does not damp. In this case, the protection will need to be attached to the beams using a construction stapler. At the same time, make sure that its smooth side is turned inward.

Important! With stove heating, it is desirable to design an L-shaped chimney. This option will protect the bird's abode from high moisture..

Doors and windows

The number of windows in the house depends on its size. It is desirable to make them in the upper zone on the south side, which will provide better illumination of the room during the daytime.

The shapes of window frames can be chosen to your taste, but, according to building canons, their dimensions cannot be less than ¼ of the floor area. The main thing is that the windows do not let the cold through. Therefore, they also need to be insulated. And so that the birds do not break the glass, immediately put protective bars on them.

The doors to the chicken coop are made not only for the free access of birds, but also taking into account the needs of the maintenance of the premises. Don't forget that you will need to clean and disinfect it regularly. Therefore, you should not have any difficulties with penetration into the structure.

A tree is ideal for such purposes. If desired, the doors can be equipped automated system to close at a specific time.

Microclimate

So that laying eggs are not interrupted in laying hens, it is important to provide pets with dryness, warmth and 17-hour daylight hours, regardless of the time of year and day. And for this, the builder needs to pay attention to the thermal insulation of the walls, the heating system in the room, and also to exclude all factors affecting dampness. But about all this in order.

Ventilation

If good ventilation is not provided in the poultry house, dampness will threaten the chickens, which is a favorable environment for the reproduction of pathogenic microflora. Regular airing of the room will help to solve the problem.

Professional builders draw the attention of beginners to several ways of ventilation in poultry houses:

Did you know? The largest chickens in the world are representatives of the rarest Vietnamese breed Ga Dong Tao. There are about 300 of these fighting birds left. They are distinguished by an excessively hypertrophied crest, massive physique and very thick legs. Each limb of an adult is equal to the girth of a child's arm.

Lighting

For high egg production, chickens need 14-17-hour daylight hours. That is why, in addition to windows, additional lamps (LED, fluorescent, energy-saving or incandescent) must be provided in the house. This decision will allow to increase the egg productivity of laying hens by 30%.

It should be noted that in the warm season, when daylight hours last about 16 hours, there is no need for backlighting. It will be relevant only in the period from November to March.

At the same time, you should not pursue the goal of achieving a record egg laying in the hens by lighting the chicken coop around the clock. Constant light will only harm the birds, because, regardless of the species, they need periodic darkness.

According to experts, it plays an important role in the formation of bone tissue and the absorption of calcium, which affects the strength of the eggshell. The same applies to lamp power.
Experienced gardeners-chicken breeders on an area of 8-10 square meters are advised to limit themselves to 1 lamp per 60 watts. If you prefer fluorescent, stop at 40 watts, energy-saving - 15 watts.

Temperature regime

For feathered pets, for a full life, it is important to maintain a stable temperature regime at the level of +12...+20 °С. To this end, the summer resident needs to close up all the cracks in the room in advance and take care of its insulation, as well as eliminate the possibility of drafts.

However, do not forget that in the heat the bird may completely stop laying eggs. That is why ventilation must work in a warmed room in the summer.

It is unacceptable that during the warm season the temperature in the poultry house exceeds + 24 ° C, because this will not be the best way to affect the quantity and quality of meat and egg products.

In regions with frosty harsh winters, glass wool and foam plastic alone are indispensable to maintain the desired temperature. It makes sense to install additional heating devices or stoves. They should also be put into operation in order to maintain humidity at the level of 50-60%.

Higher rates can provoke the loss of livestock.

Arrangement of the poultry house inside

For the full life of chickens in a chicken coop, it is important to provide perches, nests, feeders and drinkers. In this case, an excess of items will only interfere with pets. The main task of the breeder is to create comfort for residents with the help of a minimum number of attributes.

Did you know? The carcasses of the French Bress-Gali breed of chickens, which since 1957 has been the only owner of the AOC quality mark, have the best taste qualities. For the sake of this bird, the French annually arrange a magnificent chicken show, where each producer is encouraged cash prize in the amount of 10 thousand euros.

Ideally, these are long poles with a diameter of 5-6 cm with a smooth, well-sanded surface. They are located in the shaded area of \u200b\u200bthe chicken coop opposite the front door. With a multi-tiered installation, indents should be made from the top row so that the clumps sitting on top do not stain the neighbors below with droppings.

Experienced poultry farmers recommend taking into account the characteristics of the breed of pets during construction. For example, too high perches will not be available for large meat chickens, so it is advisable to place them at a level of 70 cm from the floor, and for all other varieties a height of 1.2 m will be acceptable.

When making poles, it is important to provide for a distance of about half a meter for each chicken. If it is necessary to install parallel perches, it is recommended to leave at least 40–50 cm between them.

nests

Their number depends on the number of livestock. It is advisable to build a nest for every 5 layers. Moreover, you need to set these attributes not on the floor, but at a height of one and a half meters. A load-bearing wall is ideal for this.

As nests, you can use ready-made boxes or make them yourself. The main thing is that the design should correspond to a height of 35 cm and a depth of 40–45 cm.

In a small chicken coop, it is advisable to combine the nests in a row, dividing them with plywood partitions. It is important that the inlet is not wide and has a small threshold, which will prevent the eggs from rolling out.

In order to save space, you can make multi-tiered structures. In this case, the upper nests must be equipped with a sloping roof. This is done to prevent bird nesting.

Did you know? Little chicks display a set of skills and reflexes available to a three-year-old child.

Inside the nests are covered with hay or dry straw, and a dummy egg is laid to bait laying hens.

Feeders and drinkers

The range of farm products for poultry equipment today surprises even the most demanding customers with its richness. But it is much cheaper to build a drinking bowl and a feeder on your own. However, the origin of these containers does not matter at all for birds. The main thing is their practicality and convenience.

Experts advise choosing wooden feeders for dry food, and metal or glass vessels for wet food. Lattice structures are ideal for fresh or dry greens.

In addition, when choosing such utensils, the shape of the containers should be taken into account. For example, rectangular flat trays with low sides are designed for feeding and watering chickens, as adults will climb inside and scatter the contents.

And trough-shaped structures with restrictive removable gratings and special compartments for different types food should be placed outside the enclosures, providing for pets to access them. There are also variations of bunker feeders, which greatly facilitate the process of their maintenance (you can fill it with a daily portion once).

For large poultry farms, the best drinker option is the nipple system. By the way, it can also be built at home by drilling holes in a plastic bucket and equipping them with nipples.

In the chicken coop, feeders and drinkers are placed under the lamps in a place remote from the recreation area. Depending on the mounting methods, they can be placed on the floor or suspended from a vertical support using brackets.
The main thing in choosing these containers is to comply with the following requirements:

vessels for feeding and drinking chickens should be made in such a way as to exclude the possibility of birds to climb inside, scatter the contents and pollute it with their paws;
drinkers and feeders should be as easy to maintain as possible (after all, several times a day you will have to free them from food residues, wash them and change the water as needed);
these containers are considered ideal if they are not cramped for pets (dimensions are calculated leaving each adult a distance of about 15 cm), light, their shape and dimensions do not interfere with regular washing and cleaning.

Did you know? Chickens, despite the prevailing stereotype about the limited capabilities of their brain, can remember about a hundred people, recognize their owner and navigate well in time.

bath tray

What it will be, for chickens does not matter. The main thing is its presence, therefore, in this case, the breeder can use any volumetric container, taking into account the size of the birds. Ideally, a plastic tray with a height of 25-30 cm is suitable. It must be filled with a mixture of sand, ash and fine granite screenings.

Winter insulation of the room

High-quality external insulation of the structure, including window frames and attic, will help save on heating birds. In this case, the need for internal heating devices will be relevant only on severe frosty days.
To heat such premises, many summer residents prefer the following options:

Natural- involves the use of foam (50 mm thick), mineral wool or glass wool. They are recommended to sheathe insulated surfaces on both sides. Also suitable for these purposes are fiberboard, chipboard, plastic, lining, boards, plywood. The gaps in the windows and between the butt parts are treated with building foam, and the plank elements are impregnated with a special liquid to protect them from damage and aging. Also, many breeders try to warm their feathered animals with a thick layer of bedding (straw from awnless cereals, sawdust, coniferous needles). On winter days, a layer of about 7-10 cm is recommended. In the future, the soiled layer is not thrown away, but sprinkled with a new one. In the process of physical and chemical reactions, the decomposition of chicken manure is accompanied by the generation of heat, which helps to maintain the desired level of optimal temperature and disinfect the room. In addition, hay or straw is stored in the attic in order to save heat.
Electric- carried out with the participation of infrared heaters, oily radiators or thermal fans. Each of the units in one way or another maintains the temperature regime of the room and fights against excessive dampness. The only drawback of such heating is its cost. The most profitable of the listed methods of electric heating of the chicken coop, many owners consider thermal infrared lamps, because in the process of heating, the room is also illuminated. In addition, such devices justify themselves with a high coefficient useful action(98%). They do not heat the air masses, but the objects under them. But for proper operation, it is important to place them at a distance of at least 0.5–1 m from the heated object. Also, do not forget about fire safety.
Gas- provide for the presence of gas installations. Profitable only in large farms. To heat several dozen chickens in the country, it is not advisable to buy an expensive boiler. Yes, and the system requires constant monitoring,
Drovyanoy- carried out with the help of an ordinary clay stove, potbelly stove or "buleryan". Each of the devices justifies itself with good heat dissipation and ease of operation. However, the installation of such structures requires special attention to comply with fire safety regulations.
Water- provides for the installation of steam heating, but is relevant only in cases where the chicken coop is adjacent to residential building. Inside the room it is required to equip with additional pipes. However, even experienced builders will not be able to deal with the upcoming work on their own, so it makes sense to seek help from specialists.

Did you know? Hindus have long been afraid of chicken, because domesticated chickens were considered sacred animals. At the same time, every inhabitant of India hunted wild relatives.

Yard for walking

Each variety of poultry requires space for walking to fully develop. To protect the wards from other birds that are carriers of infections, this area should be protected with a net from the sides and top.
And so that the birds do not dig, contriving to penetrate under the fence, it is recommended to deepen the grid by 10–20 cm.

The size of the enclosure is calculated based on the number of feathered wards. The main thing is that the walking area does not hamper their physical activity.

It is advisable to pre-sow the allotted area with any grass suitable for grazing chickens (alfalfa, clover, sainfoin, goat's rue, amaranth, lawn mixture, knotweed, barley, mustard).

It is also important to leave an ash zone inside where the clowns will bathe. In addition, an important detail of the walking yard is a canopy where the wards can hide from the sun or from the rain. Also drinkers will not interfere.

Some breeders plant tall shrubs in this area on the north side, which will provide shade for the chickens and protect them from the wind.

A homemade chicken coop will be possible even for masters with little experience in outbuildings. The main thing in this business is to think over all the details, collect the necessary material and get to work.

A dacha is not only a plot with a cozy house and several beds.

If you can spend most of your time in the country, sooner or later you may get the idea to get a personal chicken coop.

It was in this case that we decided to consider the question of how to make chicken coops in a summer cottage with our own hands.

The main functions of the chicken coop

in the village is not just for breeding chickens. It is a home for them, on the coziness and comfort of which the success of laying eggs and the growth of young animals will depend. From this it follows that the chicken coop simultaneously carries a number of functions:

For this reason, the chicken coop should not be too cramped, otherwise its inhabitants will not feel comfortable, which means they will lose weight and will not please with eggs. But an overly spacious room for chickens will not work either, because in winter it will be too cold for them.

On average, 1 m² of chicken coop space is due for 2-3 individuals, so if you bought 10 chickens, they need to build a 5 m² chicken coop.

In addition to the chicken coop, birds should also immediately build an aviary in which they can walk. Very often summer residents do without enclosures, however, in this case, chickens can not only rake well-groomed beds, but also accidentally wander to the booth of an angry neighbor's dog.

So, to ensure the necessary movement for the birds and their safety, the construction of an aviary should be planned simultaneously with the chicken coop.

Important! It is important to have a walking area in a green area so that the hens can replenish their diet with enough green food.

Where to place the chicken coop: choosing a place on the site

It is important to place a house for chickens on a hill and provide in advance a place where not only a chicken coop, but also an aviary could fit. It is very important that the place where the hens live is not flooded even during heavy rains, therefore, in some cases it is recommended to make an artificial embankment on which to lay the foundation of the future chicken coop.

Regarding the location of the chicken coop, such a fact as the proximity of the road or other sources of extraneous noise is also important. It should be understood that with the constant presence of extraneous sounds, laying hens will not lay eggs and will gain weight very slowly. Therefore, it is better to place the chicken coop in the back of the yard, so that it is lined with trees or bushes around.

Important!Particular attention should be paid to the location of windows and doors. Windows should only face south, but doors can be located either on the west or east side. If the door is to the south, it will be very difficult to keep warm in the house in winter.

What you need for the house: the choice of materials and tools

Before starting construction, it is important to figure out what is needed for the chicken coop: what materials and tools are important to prepare for the direct execution of work.

It is best to build a chicken coop from natural wood, so stock up on a sufficient number of boards and beams for work, from which you can create a room of the intended dimensions.

For the foundation, you will also need several bags of cement and cubic meters of bricks (you can also use broken bricks). As insulation materials, you can use sawdust, mineral wool or roofing material in the chicken coop.

It is quite possible to build an aviary from the usual metal mesh, however, the fence should not only be high, but it should also cover the top of the aviary so that the birds do not fly out.

It is also necessary to build a canopy in the aviary, under which the hens can find shade in hot weather, or hide from the rain.

In order to build a real chicken coop from these materials with your own hands, you must also prepare the tools:

How to make a chicken coop: drawings and construction scheme

To make a chicken coop with your own hands, it is important to correctly calculate its dimensions, that is, even before the start of construction, complete all the drawings and diagrams, and also transfer them to the area.

Foundation and floor construction

The first stage of building a chicken coop scheme is the drawings of its floor, which will be followed by pouring the foundation of the future structure and laying the floor from the boards. However, pouring the foundation is not always necessary, especially if the structure is small and light.

Important! If the foundation is not poured during the construction of the chicken coop, then it is important to dig in sufficiently wide metal plates around its entire perimeter. They will become a barrier to predators who can dig into the poultry house and harm the hens.

But if there is still a need for a foundation, it is better to create it in the form of pillars that will raise the house above the ground. This type of foundation for a chicken coop has several advantages at once:

In order for the foundation to come out even, the rods are connected to each other and reconciliation is carried out according to the ruler and level. After that, about 20 cm of soil is removed under the foundation, and ordinary bricks are poured into the pits formed and cement is poured.

In order for the foundation to rise high above the ground, wooden pedestals are also installed above the pits, which are also poured with cement, but will be removed later.

The distance between such pedestals in the pillar foundation is about a meter, while the height of each pedestal should not exceed 30 cm. The level should show that all pedestals have the same height, regardless of the terrain.

After pouring the foundation, laying the floor can be started no earlier than 5 days later, since this is the amount of time required for the cement to dry completely.

If birds will be placed in the chicken coop in winter, the floor in such a room should be warm. For this purpose, a double floor is constructed, in which any materials can be the basis, on top of which beams and insulation are laid out - sawdust or cotton wool.

A finishing floor is laid on top, for the construction of which it is important to use even boards and lay them without gaps.

How to build warm walls for chickens?

So that the poultry house with your own hands is not just a shelter for the birds from the rain, but also warms them in the cold season, it is important to take care of good insulation of the walls of the building.

A mesh chicken coop is only suitable for the summer, and for the winter it is important to either build good walls right away, or insulate the mesh with an additional wall and a good layer of glass wool or other material that retains heat well.

But ideally, the walls of the chicken coop should be made of beams. The walls should also have openings for windows, which will not only provide light, but will also be an excellent solution in terms of ventilation.

After the walls are erected from the beams, the structure is upholstered on both sides with boards, and a heater is placed inside. In this design, the chicken coop will be very warm even when the temperature drops to -20 ° C.

Did you know? Many breeds of chickens are very demanding on space, so inside the chicken coop, each layer must be assigned at least 30 cm per perch. In addition, do not forget about organizing a place inside the chicken coop where the hens could safely lay eggs and incubate them.

The height of the walls in the chicken coop should be about 1.8 meters. Thanks to this, you will not only provide the hens with enough space, but also significantly save the area of \u200b\u200byour backyard, as you mark your birds on vertical shelves one above the other.

At the end of the construction of the walls, windows are inserted that should open in warm weather, and the walls themselves are covered with paint. Many consider this to be superfluous for the construction of an outbuilding, but do not forget that the paint is able to maintain the integrity of the tree, so that it will not be necessary to repair the chicken coop for many years.

Making a roof for a chicken coop

A typical chicken coop project involves the use of ordinary boards and a gable structure as a roof, when a ceiling is created in the room itself, and a roof still rises above it. This will achieve two goals at once:

Due to the gable roof, water will drain very quickly from it, and moisture will never collect in the house.
Under the roof itself, you will have a lot of space that can be used to store bird food and the necessary country equipment.

For this purpose, first of all, a flooring of beams is laid out on the walls, after which the roof beams are attached at an angle. After that, it remains to insulate the flooring with good heat-insulating material, as well as cover the beams with roofing material, which is additionally covered with boards or slate on top (you can use any roofing material, even pieces of metal, as long as they do not leak).

Did you know? In order to simplify cleaning in the chicken coop in the future, it is recommended to line the floor in it with dry sawdust. Firstly, chickens will be happy to rummage in them, and secondly, sawdust is able to retain heat well and absorb moisture. In addition, choosing them from the chicken coop, you will get an excellent fertilizer for beds with your favorite vegetables.

How to make a walk for chickens?

The arrangement of a chicken coop on a personal plot is best done immediately together with a comfortable and spacious range, that is, a special fenced enclosure for chickens. In terms of area, the enclosure should significantly exceed the area of \u200b\u200bthe poultry house, and if the latter has an area of \u200b\u200b6 m², then the enclosure should be all 12 m².

Walking walls are made of a regular mesh, which is stretched over bars previously dug around the perimeter. Do not forget to also make a gate between them so that you can enter the aviary and leave food for the birds, pick up their eggs.

How to prepare a building for chickens?

Homemade chicken coops should not differ in quality from buildings that specialists can build.

In addition to building walls and a roof, it is important to properly prepare such a room for the “living” of bird offspring.

poultry house disinfection

A good chicken coop should not be a source of disease for chickens, so it should be well disinfected before placing the birds in a new room.

The resulting solution will need to thoroughly wash the entire interior of the chicken coop, including walls, floors, ceilings and feeders with drinking bowls.

After that, leave the house open so that it dries thoroughly after wet cleaning and the unpleasant smell of building materials and paint disappears. Before settling the hens, also do not forget to cover the floor with clean and dry sawdust, lay straw for laying hens and fill feeders and drinkers.

Room ventilation

Many inexperienced poultry farmers do not pay due attention to the ventilation of the poultry house, but the room with the hens needs it both in summer and in winter.

Partially, windows, which must be in the house, take on this role, but if you have bred a lot of birds, there will not be enough windows in the summer.

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.

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.
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.
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:

Doors are recommended to be installed so that they can be opened inside the room.
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 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 instruction presented 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.

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.
If you plan to create a permanent poultry house that will be used in the winter, brick walls will be a better option. But they will need to be additionally sheathed with wood to better retain heat inside the house.
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:

Quite a dry place, because high humidity has negative impact on the health of the chickens.
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.
The location of the chicken coop should be well lit.
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 required 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.