How to make a broiler cage with your own hands with drawings at home
Broiler cages are purchased from livestock stores or made on their own. Construction does not require special skills and a lot of time. The main thing is to acquire the necessary material.
Features of keeping broilers in cages
Keeping broilers in cages has advantages. These include:
- Reducing the risk of morbidity in chickens.
- Convenient waste disposal option.
- Convenience of placing chickens in the room.
- It is possible to place it outdoors in warm weather.
- Places for drinkers and feeders are provided.
- It allows you to monitor the health of chicks and adults, to reject sick people in time.
- Perhaps daily maintenance.
Design specifics
Broiler cages are purchased from livestock stores or made on their own. Young chickens are kept in cages, such a structure must be equipped with everything necessary for the growth and development of the bird. Design features include:
- there is a feeder for chicks;
- a safe pallet is provided for waste disposal;
- contact of the chicken with other animals and birds is limited, prevents infection with diseases;
- takes up little space;
- a drinking bowl with water is provided separately.
Drawings of good options
For chickens, homemade aviaries are made in the form of a battery or an ordinary common cage. To make a battery cell, follow these instructions:
- For the frame, 6 pieces of material, 170 cm long, are cut out. Metal or wood is used.
- Three parts are placed opposite each other, fastened with perpendicular slats using self-tapping screws or nails.
- Next, the resulting frame is upholstered with a metal grill or plywood. You can sew 2 sides with plywood, and 2 with mesh.
- The side walls are made with a mesh to establish good aeration. Also, feeders and drinkers are installed in this place.
- In the front, a door is made in the grid through which new individuals are planted.
- A fine metal mesh is installed for the floor. It should be so small that the chickens' legs do not fall through.
- Fastening is done with screws or nails.
- A plastic pallet is attached to the bottom of each floor so that it can be removed. It is designed for waste disposal.
- Feeders and drinkers are attached to the outer wall.
- The roof is plywood or metal. In hot weather, the metal heats up, so it is recommended to use plywood.
Important! The holes in the outer wall should be large so that the head and neck of the chicken can easily reach food and water.
Materials and tools
Making an aviary requires the use of certain materials and tools. The following are used:
- welded metal mesh;
- plywood;
- metal profile of medium thickness;
- fasteners;
- drinkers;
- feeders;
- bars.
From tools you need a hammer, screwdriver, saw.
The use of materials is as follows:
- A metal frame is made of metal beams, and the sides are fixed by welding.
- From wooden blocks, support beams are installed between metal sticks, 4 pieces are consumed per tier.
- The walls are mounted from a metal or plastic grating.
- The roof is made folding to make it easier to plant new individuals and remove old ones.
- Drinkers and feeders are installed inside the cage.
Requirements for aviaries
The requirement for aviaries provides for the choice of a room for keeping chickens, lighting, air temperature, humidity, dimensions of the structure.
Cell room
Placing of aviaries is possible indoors or outdoors. For this, temperature standards are observed. Indoors, 25-26 ° C is considered optimal. For placement outdoors, in addition to the structure, wheels are screwed in order to take the chickens to fresh air. They monitor the temperature outside and weather conditions.
Lighting, temperature and humidity
In the warm season, the broiler room does not need heating. However, when raising chickens in winter, it requires the creation of optimal conditions for keeping chicks. Chicken will not survive frosts and even small frosts. The following equipment is used to maintain the required temperature:
- infrared lamps;
- electric lamps;
- stove heating.
Infrared lamps are placed above the aviary itself, they cannot be placed inside, birds will die from this. Lighting is provided around the clock.
Electric heating will require a lot of finance. The equipment itself costs a lot, as does the electricity itself. Also, power plants periodically experience malfunctions, during which it is necessary to take measures to insulate the shed.
Stove heating is suitable for those who can constantly control the heat level in the barn. Bourgeois stoves are installed in them, which are constantly supplied with firewood.
The humidity in the room should be high so that the chickens do not feel thirsty, the optimal value is 80-90%.
Broiler cage sizes
The standard size of a chicken cage is 2 meters long and 1.25 meters wide. An interval of 75 to 100 cm is observed between the tiers. The number of individuals housed depends on their age. The younger the chicks, the more they fit. One standard aviary can hold 20 chickens.
Making cells with your own hands
A chicken cage can be made at home. It does not require a lot of time and special skills. It is necessary to prepare the required material and tools. Manufacturing is carried out in several stages:
- Preparation of the metal frame.
- Driving in wooden beams to secure the pallet.
- Screwing metal or plastic mesh to the walls.
- Manufacturing of a wooden folding roof.
- Attaching the mesh structure to the floor.
- Screwing on the plastic tray with a sliding mechanism under the floor.
- Installation of a feeder and drinker.
What are they equipped with?
Batteries for growing are equipped with bedding and protection from rodents, a drinking bowl and a feeder are installed.
Litter and rodent protection
Leaving a metal floor with a fine mesh is not very suitable for chickens. Therefore, it is recommended that you create a soft bedding for them below, for example, cover it with straw.To protect against rodents, a plastic pallet is screwed under the floor.
Installing drinkers and feeders
Drinking bowls and feeders are installed both inside and outside. If installed outside, holes must be provided for the broiler's neck and head. This allows you to monitor the food and water consumed by the birds. For such a diet, it is necessary that the owner is always nearby or often visits the aviary.
Installation of structures inside the cage provides for an automatic supply of water and feed. This option is great for people who cannot visit the barn too often.
Zootechnical norms
For the successful rearing of broilers, it is necessary to comply with zootechnical standards for their maintenance. These include:
- The optimum air temperature is 25-26 ° C.
- Room humidity - 80-90%.
- Illumination - at least 8-10 hours of artificial or natural light per day.
- The water is changed every day.
- For feeding, specialized formulations for broilers are used.
Frequent mistakes
When making an aviary, they make several mistakes:
- Protection from rodents is required. The first tier is set 20 cm from the ground and a plastic pallet is screwed on. If this is not done, then some of the chickens will die from the attack of pests.
Use of unsuitable material for enclosure walls. The walls and pallets must be moisture resistant, if you use PVC or chipboard, then over time they will swell and fall apart.
