Many homeowners are not averse to acquiring a miniature poultry farm. In order not to take up much space on your private territory, but to provide the whole family with an egg, it is enough to build a poultry house for 10 individuals. Any farmer is able to carry out all the work on the construction of the building himself without calling professionals. This will significantly save money and improve the building skills of the owner.
Drafting
The initial stage in the construction of a homemade mini chicken coop is the creation of its sketch and drawing. The clearer and more accurate the scheme is, the easier it will be to build a chicken coop for 10 chickens. On the drawing, it is necessary to draw each “room” of the future poultry house: a closed house, a vestibule, an area for open walking, as well as places for nests and perches. The exact dimensions of all parts of the chicken coop must be transferred to paper.
The most comfortable living area for 1 productive chicken is 3 square meters. meters, but when saving space, it is permissible to reduce the living space at the rate of 1 sq. meter for 2 chickens. That's why the area of the poultry house for 10 chickens will be 5 square meters. meters. The walking area will be more voluminous - 1 sq. meter per person. The drawing also needs to indicate where the feeders will be located for different types feed, containers for mineral additives, drinkers, ventilation pipe and corridor.
Frame installation
The best place for a future poultry house for 10 chickens is a well-lit area, which is located as far as possible from residential buildings and major roads. Groundwater must run deep from the surface of the earth. It is very important to lay a good, high-quality foundation, which will become a strong barrier for rodents. The most economical and popular type of foundation is the column foundation, which is made from old brick pipes, gravel, and a trowel. On this foundation, the frame of the poultry house should be installed.
The wooden frame should be located on a hill from the ground- it is raised with a cinder block (or stone). For this, the selected material is laid on the corners of the future poultry house for 10 hens. The lifting height should not exceed 18-20 cm. Next, a rectangular frame is erected from wooden bars (with a section of 1x1 cm). Be sure to use the building level so that the future chicken coop does not turn out to be skewed. All cavities that appear between the frame building and the cinder block (stone) must be covered with coarse gravel.
Then we take bars with a section of 5x5 cm and make vertical guides from them that are installed on the frame. They are connected to the horizontal rails of the frame with nails.
wall cladding
The walls of a homemade chicken coop, as a rule, are sheathed with wood - this is a strong and environmentally friendly material that, with proper care, can serve for a long time and faithfully. Wooden boards are sewn onto the entire "skeleton" of the house using self-tapping screws.
Chicken coop walls need to be insulated. But the chosen material for thermal insulation must have good vapor-tight properties, otherwise there is a high risk that the chicken coop will be damp and unsafe for chickens. Styrofoam is not suitable for this purpose, it is better to choose mineral wool. From above, everything is sewn up with thin wood or plywood in several layers. This is enough to provide the house with the necessary heat and not worry about purchasing other heat sources.
On the south side in the house you need to place a window of 0.5x0.5 meters. The door should be located on the east side. The floor is constructed according to the same principle as the walls: two floorings, between which the material for insulation is placed. The roof is also insulated and provided with waterproofing. The roof can be either single or gable. Last option it is preferable, as it allows you to equip an attic for tools and feed inside the roof.
Video "For 10 hens"
Chicken coop interior design
Properly designing a bird house from the inside is no less important for the normal life and productivity of laying hens.
First of all, a ventilation system is designed. Domestic chicken needs complete dryness. The better the air exchange, the more productive the birds. Any dampness is detrimental to laying hens, the bird begins to get sick and lay fewer eggs.
Any pipes and technological openings will fit for ventilation. They, like the ventilation window, exit through the roof. One of the pipes is located above the perches and acts as an exhaust hood. The second provides an influx of fresh air and is located further away, at a half-meter level.
Wiring must be hidden in special boxes and placed only outside. This standard requirement applies to any wooden structure.
Perches should be comfortable for chickens, without knots and splinters. Reiki must be well sanded and placed at a height of at least 75 cm from the day of the chicken coop. In a house for 10 chickens, one perch will not be enough, they need to be installed at least three pieces. All of them should be located at an identical level, and so that the chickens do not interfere with each other, do not place the perches close. The distance should be at least half a meter.
For 10 chickens, 3-4 nests are enough with a width and height of at least 35 cm and a depth of up to half a meter. Bedding (straw, peat, sawdust) serve as an additional source of heat, they are placed not only in nests, but also on the floor of the poultry house. They will need to be changed in a timely manner so that optimal cleanliness is maintained in the chicken coop. Along with normal humidity, this will be the key to the comfort and productivity of your layers.
Video "Do-it-yourself chicken coop"
Video "Insulated chicken coop for ten hens"
The owner of the cottage, who constantly lives on it, will not hurt to acquire a small chicken coop. The benefits of this solution are obvious: fresh domestic eggs are a complete food product, and bird care does not require much effort and large expenses.
By calculating the cost of feed, and comparing them with the cost of the eggs received, you will be convinced of the profitability of your mini-farm. If we add to this a full-fledged organic fertilizer, which laying hens will provide your garden for free, then economical effect will be even higher.
How many birds should be kept in order to provide the family with an excellent dietary product and at the same time not burden oneself too much with care? How to build a chicken coop for 10 chickens efficiently, inexpensively and quickly? We will try to give comprehensive answers to these questions that concern beginners of home poultry farming.
Features of the construction of a small chicken coop
To provide a small family of 2-3 people, 10 laying hens are enough. 20 birds are able to feed a larger family with a delicious omelette. Keep more chickens suburban area it should not be that there are no problems with neighbors and the sale of finished products.
Building a mini chicken coop with your own hands is relatively easy if you make a drawing in advance and think through all its important elements. A superficial approach is unacceptable here, since the productivity and health of the bird directly depend on the conditions of detention. Therefore, immediately tune in to quality work, rejecting the prevailing opinion that a poultry house can be built at random from any materials at hand.
Choosing a place for a chicken coop
The place for building a chicken coop should be dry and well lit. Low areas and shaded areas under trees are not suitable for him. It is very good if the terrain has a slight slope. This will allow rainwater to drain quickly without soaking the soil. Walking for chickens and the entrance to the house should be located along the south side. The sun's rays in this case will warm up the room and the ground well even in winter.
The dimensions of the walking area are calculated by experienced poultry farmers, so you do not have to do your own research. There should be at least 1m2 per 1 laying hen. Therefore, a chicken coop for 20 hens should have a walking area of 20 m2.
The geometric proportions of the enclosure are best tied to the size of the house. Therefore, if you have a dwelling for 10 layers 2 meters wide, then you need to make a paddock for them 2x5 or 2x7 meters in size.
The size of the poultry house is also chosen on the basis of veterinary standards: 3-4 laying hens can be placed per 1m2. Therefore, for 10 chickens, led by a rooster, there will be enough "living space" of 2x2 meters.
Building instructions
Having determined the dimensions of the house and aviary, you can begin construction. We do not recommend placing a chicken coop directly on the ground. The bird in such a house will be damp and cold, and insects and rodents will be able to freely enter it. Therefore, build such an object according to all the rules, starting from a reliable foundation.
There are two options for this solution:
- Slab concrete foundation;
- Column foundation with a floor raised above the ground.
We make a concrete foundation-slab for a poultry house in the following sequence:
- We mark the dimensions of the future building with the help of pegs and a cord;
- We remove the top layer of soil under the area of \u200b\u200bthe house to a depth of 30-35 cm;
- We pour out a pillow of sand and small gravel 10-15 cm thick and compact it with a rammer;
- We make formwork from boards;
- We lay a steel masonry mesh (cell 5-10 cm) on a sand-gravel cushion and fill it with strong concrete (M200);
- Having withstood the concrete for 2 weeks, you can start laying the walls.
The foundation of a columnar structure for a small chicken coop is easier to manufacture. To do this, you need to drill holes with a depth of 0.8-1.0 meters and a diameter of 15 cm along the contour of the poultry house. After that, they need to install formwork from several layers of roofing material twisted into a pipe.
Before concreting, reinforcing bars with a diameter of 12-14 mm are placed in the formwork, 2-3 pieces for each column. The pitch of the posts for a 2x2 meter house is 1 meter. One of the reinforcing bars must have a threaded end for a nut. We will need it to fix the supporting wooden beam on which the floor will be laid.
If you plan to use the space under the house for walking, then the height of the foundation column above the ground should be at least 50 cm.
Walls
A small one should have warm and windproof walls. On a monolithic foundation slab, they can be built from light blocks (foam or aerated concrete, porous ceramics or sawdust concrete).
Another good option is to build a panel formwork and fill it in layers with a clay-straw mixture (adobe). The final choice depends on your preferences and finances. The main thing is that the wall material is warm and easy to install.
Before laying, the foundation must be waterproofed using bituminous coating or by laying 2 layers of roofing material.
For the option with a columnar foundation, the frame structure of the walls is optimal. It is built quickly and at minimal cost.
A timber support frame is the best basis for frame walls and floors. All you need for this job is a sufficient number of bars for racks, horizontal bars and struts that increase the rigidity of the structure.
A long support beam can serve not only as the basis for the walls of the house, but also as the lower part of the paddock fence. The frame of the walking platform and the door is easiest to make from a metal corner. After that, it remains to fix the chain-link mesh on it and cover the paddock with polycarbonate or slate.
The walls of the house are insulated after the assembly of the frame is completed (in the process of sheathing it with a board). For thermal insulation, ecowool or mineral wool is best suited. Styrofoam is better not to use. This material practically does not pass water vapor. Therefore, the house will always be wet and damp, which is highly undesirable.
Another good option is walls made of logs or timber. They are warm, durable, easy to assemble and look great. The house-log house looks especially good on the estate with residential building from the same material.
For lovers of original solutions, we can offer a variant of a mini chicken coop in the form of a gazebo.
The poultry house and the paddock are located here under a common roof, saving the area of \u200b\u200bthe site and pleasing the eye with unusual shapes.
Floor
If a small chicken coop for a summer residence is intended for winter operation, then in addition to insulating the walls, the floor must be reliably protected from the cold. For a columnar version of the base, its design must be double. The assembly technology is simple: lag bars are attached to the support frame and they are hemmed from below with a board. Then, a heater (mineral wool or ecowool) is laid in the space between the lags and a finishing floor is laid from an antiseptic grooved board.
For the slab base of the poultry house, it is enough to lay wooden logs and insulate the space under the finishing floor with ecowool. Minvata is worse in this respect. It accumulates moisture and gives it poorly, so waterproofing must be laid under a layer of such insulation.
If you decide not to insulate the floor in the chicken coop, then in the winter, do not spare dry bedding from chopped straw or sawdust. Its thickness in frosty months should be at least 20 cm.
Roof
The best type of roof for a poultry house is a gable roof. It increases the useful height of the room, eliminating the need to build high walls. Under the condition of good insulation, this design does not require laying the ceiling.
Roofing material for a small chicken coop can be anything: slate, reeds, roofing material or metal tiles. The lower part of the rafters should be sheathed with boards or chipboard, and the gaps between them should be insulated.
Interior arrangement
It consists in the installation of natural ventilation, lighting, perches for birds and nests. Part of the ventilation and lighting functions will be taken over by windows. You can make several or just one. The main thing is that the total area of windows (according to the norms) should not be less than 1/12 of the area of \u200b\u200bthe floor of the house.
Keeping the window constantly open for ventilation is not an option, especially during the cold season. Chickens do not tolerate drafts, so supply and exhaust ventilation should also be installed in the house. To do this, an exhaust pipe is placed above the perch, extending beyond the roof. The second (supply) pipe is placed in the far corner of the chicken coop at a height of 0.4-0.5 meters from the floor.
Laz for chickens is desirable to do on south side poultry house. Its width should be at least 30 cm, and the height should be from 30 to 40 cm. The manhole can be combined with the front door by cutting it through the bottom of the canvas.
For the manufacture of perches, planed wooden slats of square section 4x4 cm should be taken. They are fixed at the same level in increments of about 50 cm. The height of the perch from the floor is from 60 to 80 cm.
Convenient nests for laying hens are a guarantee of productive masonry. Therefore, do not go the easy way, adapting empty can boxes for them, but make a capital structure.
There are many options here. Someone makes nests according to the “house in a house” principle, and someone approaches from a scientific point of view, calculating the angle of eggs rolling out and doing auto-cleaning.
Whichever option you choose, remember that the main principles of such a design are correct dimensions(height 35 cm, depth 40 cm and width 35 cm) and easy to clean. According to the norms, 1 nest should be allocated for 3-4 chickens.
Bird nests can be placed directly in the chicken coop, but it is better to partially take them out, providing them with a lifting lid or doors.
It is this option that is most popular among gardeners today. In this case, it will be easier for you to collect eggs, change bedding and inspect birds.
$0.44Rodents are a constant threat to chickens. They are also hunted by domestic and wild animals. Try to foresee all walkers to prevent them from attacking the farm.
Build a chicken coop in the country with your own hands: where to start
To start construction, we need drawings and building materials.
Many farmers do not adhere to special rules for the choice of materials. Some take brick, others - cement, and still others use timber under the frame. Adobe and wood are the most durable, so they are taken to build a warm chicken coop.
So, for the foundation we buy brick and cement, for the walls, which is suitable for your purposes. Wood will provide the cladding. Do not forget about the insulation that is laid between the two boards. Slate, shingles and roofing material usually go to the roof.
It does not matter how to build a chicken coop for 10 chickens or more, provide in advance a place where feeders and drinkers, nests will be located. As soon as all this is placed inside, you will see how the space has been reduced. Before construction, think over these nuances. It is easy to build a small chicken coop in the country if you understand that for a couple of hens laying eggs, an area of \u200b\u200bone square meter is enough. meat breeds require more space. In total, there should be a distance of forty centimeters between the poles, and a height of fifty.
The total height of the chicken coop should not be lower than 180 cm. This is required for the comfort of the owner, so that he can move freely inside.
How to build a chicken coop in the country yourself, drawings can be found on the Internet at in large numbers. Different masters share their secrets to help their comrades grow a healthy and strong economy. You can independently think over the design, if you have more in-depth knowledge in engineering and construction.
Some poultry farmers who raise chickens for personal use do not adhere to any rules. They have a bird walking around the yard, live in any room or aviary. Here only the convenience of the owner is important. Those who think about how to build summer chicken coop in the country in large-scale plans, must adhere to the rules. Set up an aviary with a large mesh that will be adjacent to the chicken coop so that the bird can move freely. Install the room on a hill, provide for gutters and drain pipes. These precautions will keep the inside dry, allowing the wood to last longer.
How to build a rectangular winter chicken coop
If there is no elevation, arrange it yourself. Pour gravel or rubble, creating a slide. The chicken coop should be built from west to east, where the windows face south. On the same side, doors and an aviary are equipped. Determine where the side is not windy and put walls there. Check that there are no cracks and gaps that can let air flow through and create a draft. Try to decide on the number of chickens. Let this be an approximate figure, but not by a wide margin. In a spacious building, a small number will be quite cold in winter, and in a building that is too small, many birds will suffocate. The perch is also important. It is chosen wooden, well made, with rounded edges. It is recommended to make them removable for cleaning. Try not to set perches at different heights, because the birds will dump droppings from the upper floors to the lower ones.
Many summer residents and people living in private homes are engaged in keeping chickens. Like other living creatures, chickens need special place where they will walk and spend most of their time. If in summer you can equip an old barn and an aviary next to it for this, then in winter you will need to build a full-fledged chicken coop to keep the bird.
Do I need to build a warm chicken coop
Health and egg production poultry directly depend on their comfort, good nutrition and general physical activity. Not the last role is played by the temperature regime and the duration of daylight hours.
Old barn converted into a chicken coop with paddock
The period from November to March is the most difficult for both poultry and poultry farmers who keep laying hens all year round. If in spring and summer the bird leads an active lifestyle, freely walks around the aviary or alley, bathes in sand and specially designed water containers, then in winter, for obvious reasons, its activity is very limited.
If the temperature is too low and there is no light, the egg production of laying hens is greatly reduced, and in some cases completely stops. Based on this, for the period of cold weather for chickens, a chicken coop should be built that provides conditions such as:
- temperature above 10–12 o C and low air humidity;
- artificial lighting, which increases the length of daylight hours;
- natural or artificial ventilation for constant air exchange;
- a place for nests and a free perch at a low altitude;
- free space at the rate of 1 m 2 per chicken.
Compliance with the conditions described above ensures that laying hens not only remain completely healthy and endure the winter well, but also maintain egg production and overall body weight.
Types of insulated chicken coops
An ordinary chicken coop is a barn, near which there is a platform for walking birds on fresh air. The walking area is fenced with a fine-mesh net, which will reliably protect the bird's habitat from unwanted penetration of predators.
Winter chicken coop made of timber and boards for 30–35 chickens
In fact, this option can be taken as the basis for the construction of a warm chicken coop. Especially if you need a room for keeping no more than 10-15 chickens. If desired, you can consider a more comfortable chicken coop with both external and internal walking areas. But in this case, its size will be noticeably larger, which is not suitable for suburban areas of a small area.
Depending on the number of birds, the following types of chicken coops can be used:
In many ways, all three types of chicken coops are similar and differ only in size, but with enough materials and free space on the site, an insulated chicken coop can have a completely different look.
For example, you can build a completely enclosed structure, which will already have a place for walking. This will avoid hypothermia of chickens during walks, and will also enable the bird to walk freely, even when it is -15–20 ° C outside.
The choice of material for DIY construction
A variety of building materials can be used to build a chicken coop - from edged boards to masonry bricks. Any material has both positive and negative qualities, which should also be considered when choosing.
base material
The construction of a chicken coop, like any structure, begins with the laying of a supporting foundation. The foundation is necessary for reliable protection of load-bearing walls and roofs. In the absence of a base, the walls of the chicken coop will be under the constant influence of moisture, which will come from damp earth. As a result, this will lead to decay and damage to the structurally important components of the structure.
For the manufacture of foundation supports, concrete, brick or foam blocks are used.
For the construction of an insulated chicken coop, you can use such types of foundations as:
- columnar - suitable for building chicken coops using frame technology, when the walls are made of thick boards and OSB. For the manufacture of the foundation, foam blocks or concrete mix are \u200b\u200bused. Supports are erected along the perimeter of the future structure;
- pile - used for the construction of buildings on heaving and moving types of soil. The base in the form of metal piles sunk into the ground along the perimeter of the building is suitable for building wooden chicken coops. If a pile-grillage foundation acts as a foundation, then its bearing capacity is sufficient to build a chicken coop from foam blocks;
- tape - the most reliable type of foundation. It can be used to build a chicken coop of any size and design. For the manufacture of the strip foundation, a concrete mix of the M500 brand is used, steel reinforcementØ18 mm and edged board.
For the manufacture of the grillage, you can use both a wooden beam 20 × 20 cm, and a concrete mix of the M500 brand. The first option is cheaper and easier to implement. The use of a concrete mixture requires the ability to set up formwork and knit a reinforcing cage, but in general, the use of these materials allows you to build a more reliable and durable foundation.
The choice of materials for making the floor in the chicken coop depends on what type of foundation is used. For pile and column foundations, it is more rational to use a wooden beam, edged board and DSP sheets. In the case of a strip foundation - concrete and reinforcing materials.
Wall materials
The choice of material for the construction of the walls of the chicken coop depends on the size of the structure and the technology by which it will be built. The simplest and most quickly implemented option is a chicken coop made of wooden beams and OSB. A beam or a thick board (from 22 mm) is used to build a frame, which is later sheathed with OSB sheets inside and out.
The foam block is perfect for building the main walls of a winter chicken coop.
For the construction of the main walls of the chicken coop, you can use the following materials:
- shell rock - natural material with low thermal conductivity. Perfect for building chicken coops for 25-30 chickens. The shell rock is a rectangular block 180x180x380 mm. The technology of work is in many ways reminiscent of the process of laying foam or cinder blocks;
- foam concrete is a popular environmentally friendly building material. Suitable for building chicken coops of any size. For the construction of walls, it is better to use foam blocks of the D400 brand with a size of 200x300x600 mm. The thickness of the erected walls depends on temperature regime in the region;
- brick - a traditional material for the construction of load-bearing walls. It has low thermal conductivity and long service life. It is best used for the construction of capital chicken coops for 50 or more chickens. For the construction of chicken coops, both solid and hollow bricks are suitable.
When choosing the material for the walls, you should also consider how long the structure will be built. If you are just trying yourself as a poultry farmer, then wooden beams and OSB will be the best choice for wall material. In the future, such a chicken coop can be disassembled or expanded due to a small extension.
If you already breed chickens in large numbers and plan to build a permanent chicken coop, then it is better to build a capital structure from foam blocks or bricks. Such a chicken coop will cost more, but its service life is much longer.
material for insulation
To insulate the floor, walls and ceilings of the chicken coop, you can use various heat-insulating materials. The cheapest option is the use of sawdust, expanded clay and dry hay. Expanded clay is used to insulate the floor or ceiling, and sawdust and hay are used to insulate walls.
Styrofoam has a low coefficient of thermal conductivity, which makes it one of the best materials for wall insulation.
The only disadvantage of this method compared to modern heat insulators is that the materials have a high thermal conductivity. In turn, this requires the arrangement of a large layer of insulation, which is not always possible when building a chicken coop.
Modern insulation materials that can be used to insulate walls and floors in a chicken coop include:
When choosing a heat-insulating material, one should take into account its cost and the surface area that is planned to be insulated. For small chicken coops, Stizol and other polyethylene foam materials can be used. Steizol has a low coefficient of thermal conductivity (0.3 W / m * K) - this ensures that the material reliably retains heat indoors.
For coops with 50 hens or more, a combined approach is recommended. For example, insulate the floor with expanded clay, and the walls with extruded polystyrene foam. If you want to save money, then it is better to use polystyrene or mineral wool in conjunction with stizol.
Preparatory work
In order to build a chicken coop quickly and without problems, you should carefully prepare for the implementation construction works. To do this, you need to decide on the location of the chicken coop, draw up a drawing of the future structure, calculate the material and prepare a construction tool.
The diagram should show the location of nests, perches and feeding places.
When choosing a site on the site, it is advisable to adhere to the following:
- it is not recommended to build a chicken coop in a lowland or on a slope. It is optimal if it is a free platform located on a hill;
- chickens and other poultry are afraid of noise. Therefore, it is better to build a chicken coop away from the road and other sources of noise;
- The health of chickens is directly dependent on the amount of sunlight. To ensure the free flow of light, the structure should be located on the south side.
If the soil on the site is represented by clay, loamy, swampy and other soil that does not absorb moisture well, then it is recommended to drain the site before building a chicken coop. If this is not done, then the supporting base of the structure will quickly become unusable, and this will reduce the life of the chicken coop as a whole.
After you managed to find a suitable place for the construction of a chicken coop, you can proceed to drawing up a drawing. This can be done using plain paper and pencil, or using special computer programs for design.
In front of everyone structural element you need to indicate the size - this will help to avoid mistakes during construction
The drawing should depict the structure on a reduced scale. This takes into account that the size of the structure depends on the number of chickens that are planned to be kept.
In front of each structural element, its size should be applied. This will help you quickly navigate the project without wasting time on miscalculating one or another part of the structure. Additionally, you should depict the chicken coop in the projection from above. On this part of the scheme, you need to place the entrance to the room, perches, nests, a feeding place, etc.
As an example, consider the two diagrams above. Both options are designed to keep 10-12 chickens. The first diagram shows a chicken coop on a columnar foundation 200 × 400 cm with a pitched roof. For the manufacture of the chicken coop, a cut board with a thickness of 10 to 20 mm is used. If desired, this scheme can be taken as a model, on the basis of which the chicken coop you need will be built.
The second diagram shows a chicken coop with an aviary for walking. The dimensions of the structure, taking into account the vestibule, are 425 × 525 cm. For the construction of a chicken coop, as in the previous version, it is used wooden plank and bruce.
Materials for building a chicken coop
The materials for building an insulated chicken coop are selected based on personal preferences and the funds that you are willing to spend on building the structure. For example, to build the chicken coop from the first example above, you need the following material:
As fasteners, it is desirable to use galvanized wood screws or galvanized nails. To ensure the reinforcement of the frame, you can use a steel corner of a suitable size.
Work Tool
To build a chicken coop, you need the following tools:
Manufacturing technology of a chicken coop with perches
The technology for manufacturing chicken coops of various sizes is similar in many respects. The main thing is to follow the sequence of actions and adhere to the drawing that was drawn up earlier. The construction of an insulated chicken coop begins with marking, preparing the site and pouring the supporting base.
Making the foundation and floor
The size of the chicken coop directly affects total weight buildings, so when choosing the type of foundation, consider the size of the structure being built. For a chicken coop for 15–20 chickens, it is recommended to build a pile or column foundation. The second option is the most popular, since the supports can be poured on their own using a concrete mixture.
To fill the foundation and build the floor of the chicken coop, you will need to do the following:
- According to the drawing, it is necessary to mark the place where the chicken coop is planned to be built. To do this, you need to level a piece of land with a shovel. After that, wooden pegs are driven into the ground, between which a rope is pulled.
Marking the foundation with pegs and rope is the easiest and fastest option.
- At the corners of the marked area, it is necessary to dig wells for concrete supports 50–60 cm deep. For this, a hand drill and a shovel are used. Well sizes - 30 × 30 cm. Wells similar in size and depth are equipped along the perimeter of the future structure with a step of 2 m.
- For chicken coops longer than 6 m, the construction of a concrete grillage is desirable. To do this, you will need to dig a trench 20 cm deep around the perimeter of the marked area. At the bottom of the trench, it is necessary to fill up 10 cm of sand and 10 cm of gravel with a fraction of 20–40. Each layer is carefully leveled and compacted.
To assemble the formwork box for support, it is best to use plywood or flat slate.
- Formwork for supports and grillage is made and installed from edged boards. To do this, the boards are knocked together into shields up to 70 cm high. For installation, supports made of bars and bricks are used. For reinforcement, reinforcement is used, which is knitted into a frame consisting of two lower and two upper rods.
- For pouring the foundation, a concrete mix based on M500 cement and fine-grained sand, taken in a ratio of 1: 3, is used, respectively. For mixing, a concrete mixer or an electric drill with a mixer attachment is used. Pouring supports and grillage starts from any convenient angle.
- After pouring the foundation, you will need to wait for a set of minimum strength. To do this, the foundation is covered with plastic wrap and left to dry for 7-10 days.
The binding of the columnar foundation is made of a bar 20 × 20 cm
- After 10 days, the surface of the foundation is covered with roofing felt, on which a wooden strapping made of a 20 × 20 cm beam is laid. The strapping is a box of 4 blanks that are connected at the corners with self-tapping screws and a steel corner. Before laying, the strapping is treated with a wood preservative. The harness is attached directly to the grillage with anchor bolts.
- Logs from a board 20 × 200 mm are mounted to the laid strapping. To do this, you need to prepare several blanks from the board. The number of lags depends on the length of the chicken coop. The installation step is 1 m. After that, the board is placed on the edge and attached to the harness using self-tapping screws and a corner.
The logs are attached directly to the strapping of the timber in 1 m increments.
- The resulting floor structure is hemmed with a draft board, which is fixed to the logs and strapping. After sheathing, the entire floor structure is treated with a wood preservative.
Floor insulation is best done after the assembly of the load-bearing walls (see below). To do this, the floor is covered with a vapor barrier membrane, which is fixed with a construction stapler. Then the space between the lags is filled with expanded clay fraction 20–40. At the end, floorboards from edged boards are laid on the logs.
The construction of the walls of the chicken coop and the insulation of the structure
The walls of wooden chicken coops are best built using frame technology. This will allow laying the insulation in the space between the outer and inner skin, which will prevent its damage during the operation of the house.
The technology of insulation and wall construction consists of the following:
- An edged board is mounted at the corners of the strapping, which is fixed using a 50x50x35 mm mounting bracket and 50 mm self-tapping screws. The front pillars should be 30-50 cm higher than the rear ones. This will provide the necessary slope of the roof. After that, all corner posts are connected by means of an upper strapping from a board of the same section.
To fasten the racks to the harness, galvanized nails or self-tapping screws are used.
- Next, you need to specify the width of the insulation that will be used for thermal insulation of the walls. Taking into account its width, intermediate supports of the crate are installed. They are also attached to the harness using mounting brackets and self-tapping screws.
- To strengthen the structure in places where the front door, the window for the exit of the bird to the outside and the windows will be located, horizontal guides are mounted according to a similar principle. To frame the window opening, guides are installed at the top and bottom.
Intermediate racks of the frame are mounted in increments equal to the width of the insulation used
- Having finished with the installation of the frame, you can immediately proceed to the roof. To do this, you need to measure the distance from the front drain to the back. To the value obtained, add 25–30 cm, which will go to the roof overhang. After that, according to the calculated size, the rafters are prepared from the edged board.
- Prepared blanks are treated with a wood preservative. After drying, the rafters are placed on the edge and attached to the upper trim of the frame. The step between the rafters should be equal to the width of the insulation. After that, a polyethylene film 200 microns thick is laid on the rafters, a crate made of a 10X10 mm board with a gap and roofing material.
Sheathing the walls of the chicken coop with OSB sheets from the outside
- The frame of the chicken coop is treated with an antiseptic for 2 times. Further, 20 × 20 mm bars are mounted from the outside, onto which OSB sheets are attached using self-tapping screws 50 mm long. Step between screws - 20 cm.
- A vapor barrier membrane is laid in the space between the frame posts without tension. A stapler is used for fastening. After that, mineral wool is laid between the racks in slabs or a roll. It is important that the material lies tightly and does not fall off.
Insulation in slabs or rolls is laid in the space between the racks of the frame
- When insulating walls with polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam or styzol, it is not necessary to lay a vapor barrier. After laying the insulation, the walls are sheathed on the inside of the chicken coop. The place where the ventilation will be located is not sheathed.
The roofing process is similar. For this, heat-insulating material is laid in the space between the rafters. If desired, roof insulation can be performed in two layers of insulation. In the process of sheathing the frame, it should be remembered that there should be a small ventilation gap between the OSB sheets and the insulation.
When insulating the roof from the outside, insulation in the form of a polyethylene film should be laid. Roof sheathing is performed using a similar technology. When installing windows, the gaps between the frame and the window frame are filled with mounting foam.
Installation of ventilation and lighting
Ventilation in the chicken coop can be represented as a conventional exhaust vent with a damper, or a full-fledged ventilation duct, which will be located under the roof.
The best option for a chicken coop built using frame technology is two ventilation holes located on opposite walls of the building. In order to install ventilation, you will need to cut a square hole in the wall of the chicken coop. This can be done with an electric jigsaw by first drilling a small hole in the casing to insert the cutting blade.
The second hole is cut in a similar pattern 40 cm below the first. Supply ventilation fans of any convenient size are mounted in the openings. The average cost for such products without additional functions does not exceed 800-1000 rubles.
Lighting in the chicken coop can be done using LED strips of various brightness
As lighting, it is better to use 1-2 fluorescent lamps or an LED strip with a white luminous flux. For laying electrical wiring, a plastic corrugation and a copper cable of the appropriate section are used.
If you plan to install heating equipment, it is recommended to use fan heaters with automatic temperature control. They can be turned on when the temperature inside the coop at night falls below 12 ° C.
Making perches and nests
For the manufacture of perches, you can use a wooden block 20 × 20 cm or a round profile 28 × 2200 mm, which can be purchased at various hardware stores.
When making nests, remember that one chicken requires 30–35 cm of free space.
To install perches, you will need to do the following:
- Perches are installed at a height of 50-70 cm from the floor level. The installation location is selected based on the free area in the room. It is best to use a place near the window for this.
- To make perches, you will need to measure the width of the chicken coop. According to this value, it is necessary to prepare 4–6 blanks from a round wooden profile or bar.
- As supports, boards 50 cm long will be used, which are mounted on opposite walls. Preliminarily, 3 × 3 cm recesses are sawn in the boards for installing poles.
- For more reliable fixation, the pole is attached to the support using self-tapping screws or nails. The step between adjacent perches is 25–30 cm. The distance in height is at least 20 cm.
To make it more convenient for chickens to climb onto the perch, you will need to make a small ladder from the board. To do this, measure the distance from the floor to the lower perch. Next, the workpiece is sawn off, to which short bars of 20 × 20 mm are attached. After that, the ladder is attached to the lower perch with self-tapping screws.
As nests, it is better to use a semi-open box made of a wooden block and sheathed with OSB. Dimensions and manufacturing scheme can be seen in the photo above. First of all, a frame is assembled from a 20 × 20 mm bar. To fasten the workpieces, self-tapping screws 30 mm long and mounting angles are used. After that, the frame is sheathed with OSB or edged board. If it is required to install nests at a height, then legs are attached to the bottom of the box.
Features of chicken coops in the cellar
When converting the basement into a chicken coop, the foundation walls should be insulated with mineral wool or foam
- litter - a layer of dry sawdust 4–5 cm thick. The litter is changed as it gets dirty, but at least once a week. Sometimes you can use hay, but it will have to be changed more often;
- lighting - LED lamp power from 5 watts. With the help of artificial lighting, the length of daylight hours should be regulated. This will help increase the egg production of laying hens;
- insulation - mineral wool, stizol or other rolled heat insulator. To protect the insulation, it is better to use a vapor barrier membrane or dense polyethylene. The thickness of the insulation layer - from 5 cm;
- ventilation - vents in which you can install a supply and exhaust valve. Periodically, the cellar or basement should be well ventilated. For example, at the time of cleaning the litter.
Nests, as in the case of a full-fledged chicken coop, can be put together from edged boards on the basis that 30–40 cm of space is required per chicken. The perch is set at 50–70 cm from the floor level. If desired, the perch can be connected to the nests using planks.
Chicken coop care after winter
Disinfection of the chicken coop is carried out for preventive purposes at least once a year. This avoids the outbreak of infection and the spread of harmful microorganisms. It is best to disinfect in the spring or summer, when the chickens can safely walk in the fresh air, and you clean the chicken coop.
Complex of means for disinfection of chicken coops and other objects where animals and birds can be kept
To disinfect the chicken coop, you will need to do the following:
- cleaning - the floor, walls, ceiling, perches and nests must be completely cleaned of dirt and dust. To do this, use a convenient broom and brushes with a hard bristle. After that, the surfaces are washed with hot water with the addition of soda ash;
- processing - special means are used to disinfect the internal space in the chicken coop. For example, sodium hydroxide in the form of a 2% solution or a 4% xylonaft emulsion. The solution is prepared strictly according to the recipe without exceeding the norm. When processing, personal protective equipment is used: glasses, gown, respirator.
After processing, you should wait until the product has completely evaporated. The minimum exposure time is 2 hours, but it is advisable to wait at least 5–6 hours and only then release the birds. And they also disinfect feeders, drinkers and other accessories that were in the house.
Video: review of a winter chicken coop with a range
The construction of a chicken coop is not particularly difficult - you can do the work yourself, without resorting to the help of auxiliary workers and specialists. To do this, carefully study our instructions and read the advice of other chicken breeders, which can always be found on the Internet.
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 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 |
|
| main building |
|
| Lighting system |
|
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, 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.
- 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 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.
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