How to build a do-it-yourself chicken coop in the country, device and necessary materials
To keep poultry, owners often resort to building a chicken coop in the country on their own. This is possible when the number of birds is in the tens. You can build a house in small areas. Before construction, the dimensions of the poultry house are calculated, the structure of materials is selected, the necessary tools are prepared.
Which version of the poultry room to prefer
To make a choice of the type of chicken coop in the country, you should focus on the following criteria:
- number of birds, average age;
- the season when the chicken coop will be used;
- taking into account the possibility of cleaning and disinfecting the premises.
Simple poultry houses are built for use in summer and spring, autonomous ones are erected when the birds are planned to be kept all year round.
Layout, dimensions, drawings
The layout of the chicken coop depends on how many birds will live indoors. The 5-head project is designed for 2.5 square meters of usable area, adding about 30 percent of the area to house three nests. To build a five-seat poultry house, 3.2 square meters will be required, taking into account a ceiling height of at least 1.8 meters.
When calculating the area for 10 chickens, the dimensions are doubled. For a building for 15 heads - three times. Almost a five-seater house on a summer cottage of 6 acres can be located on an area of about 2.8 square meters. Poultry houses for the summer period are built taking into account the area for walking, because in the summer the chickens will spend a lot of time outdoors.
The drawing for the construction of a standard chicken coop for 15 heads includes the calculation of building materials based on the size of the area:
- size - 180 by 200 centimeters or 3.6 square meters, with a ceiling height of 200 centimeters;
- the minimum norm for building a walk is about 10 square meters for 20 heads;
- when planning breeding, take into account the need for an extension for sick chickens in order to be able to create quarantine conditions
Information! Sanitary and epidemiological standards provide for the placement of 3-4 chickens per 1 square meter of area.
Choosing a place to build
Before starting construction, choose a location. It must meet several requirements so that there are no problems with keeping birds in the future:
- The soil surface for construction must be dry.Poultry houses do not build in lowlands, where rain puddles can accumulate. Slopes, depressions are excluded.
- Swampy or clayey soil is specially dried before the construction of buildings. For this purpose, trenches and artificial drains are specially created.
- The chicken coop can be located on a small hill, excluding the possibility of constant through winds. Winds are excluded due to the location next to additional summer cottages on one side.
- The place for walking is planned taking into account the fact that it will be possible to create shaded areas there. If it is too hot on the site, then the chickens will rush into the room.
Materials and tools for work
For construction, materials are needed, which can be divided into several groups.
| For the foundation | For roof | For walls | Materials for processing and fastening |
| Cement, sand | Slate | Armature | Metallized tape |
| Gravel | Insulating membrane | Edged board | Antiseptic for wood |
| Expanded clay | Roofing material | Wooden beams |
To build a chicken coop with your own hands, use the tools:
- bayonet shovel for digging a site;
- hand drill;
- hacksaw for wood;
- construction stapler;
- screwdriver;
- concrete mixer.
In addition, it is necessary to prepare improvised means: a tape measure, a level, a marking pencil, pegs, a rope.
Construction process
To build a chicken coop with your own hands, you must follow certain rules. The buildings are being erected according to the established phased plan.
Foundation
The first stage of construction is pouring the foundation. Most often, a columnar type of foundation is used for a poultry house. It has several advantages:
- the risk of flooding is excluded;
- good ventilation;
- protection against small rodents;
- minimum cash costs.
After marking, holes are dug, then sand is poured, bricks are installed, and they are poured with cement. The pillars are built from pairs of bricks or foam blocks. Their height is adjusted as necessary.
Floor
To make the floor, the foundation is expected to settle, and then a wooden strapping is made from a bar. Before knocking the box together, the wooden beam is treated with an antiseptic to prevent decay processes. After installing the box, the floor is covered with a rough board. Before each stage of construction, the tree is treated with antiseptic agents.
Walling
The walls are erected in a frame way. An edged board is mounted in the corners, fixing it with corners and self-tapping screws. The racks are fixed with upper straps from a board with the same section indicators.
The intermediate support of the battens is installed in accordance with the dimensions of the thermal insulation material for the walls.
Roof
The roof is mounted after the construction of the frame. The rafters are treated with an antiseptic. They begin to fix them after complete drying. The rafters are placed on the edge and attached to the upper crate of the frame. The distance between the rafters is calculated according to the width of the insulation. A plastic wrap is laid on top of the rafters, then the crate and roofing material.
Wall cladding
A vapor barrier membrane is placed between the main frame racks, and it is fastened with a construction stapler. Then the mineral wool is laid so that it fits snugly against the supports.
For thermal insulation of the roof, the material is laid between the rafters. The floor is covered with pitch or cotton wool, they are carefully covered up with cracks.
What to put inside
When building a chicken coop, ventilation must be taken into account. Drafts and high humidity are equally contraindicated for chickens.
Ventilation device
To ventilate a room built on a frame type, arrange 2 holes of the same size. They are placed opposite each other. One of the holes is cut 40 centimeters lower than the other to avoid a draft.
Lighting
For lighting choose:
- 1 or 2 fluorescent lamps;
- LED strip from 20 to 30 centimeters long.
The wiring is carried out inside a plastic corrugation using a copper cable of the selected section.
Perches and nests
The construction of perches and the installation of nests requires compliance with some rules:
- For perches, areas of the room are chosen near the windows, they are fixed at a height of 40 to 70 centimeters from the floor; are made of wooden profiles or bars.
- A distance of about 25-30 centimeters is left between adjacent perches.
- The nests are installed on low legs made of boxes 20 centimeters wide and 20 centimeters long - these are open nests.
- Closed nests should be larger, their approximate size is 30 by 40 centimeters, they are made of plywood, in such nests the hens feel safe. They are necessary when birds hatch offspring; they cannot be done without them in winter chicken coops.
Litter
To ensure a comfortable stay, as well as to keep the chickens warm, the bottom of the nests is lined with sawdust or straw. This material is used for flooring.
Advice! The sawdust is changed twice a month. The straw is changed as needed.
Feeders
Feeders are arranged for chickens at a low height above the floor. If you leave the container with feed on the floor, the hens will start raking it, trampling it, most of it will become unusable.
Feeders are made of plastic. Bottles and cans work. They are screwed to the walls, making them removable so that it is possible to constantly wash or wipe them.
Drinking bowls are installed away from feeders so that water does not mix with food. For drinking bowls, cut plastic pipes with cut holes are used. Drinkers and feeders should be wide enough to accommodate as many chickens as possible and to prevent fights.
What to take care of in winter
In winter, chickens need extra warmth. Heating the chicken coop is done in one of two ways:
- Installation of a fan heater. Programmable models save significant energy.
- Infrared lamps canopy. They are placed above the perch and above the floor. The peculiarity of the method lies in the fact that the room temperature will not rise significantly, but the chickens, which are under infrared light, will be warm enough.
Warning! Lamps are placed so that they do not interfere with the free movement of birds.
Aviary for walking birds
Bird walking is an important part of grooming. It is required to solve several problems:
- marking the territory for the location of poultry;
- elimination of losses;
- protection from other pets.
Walking is arranged according to one of the types:
- Mobile aviary. It is necessary when the chicken coops are arranged for the summer. This option has several advantages. As the greenery is destroyed, the aviaries are moved to a new site, providing the chickens with food.
- Stationary aviary. It is attached to autonomous chicken coops. It can be built with any type of foundation. A mesh is pulled along the perimeter, the height of which should not be less than 60-70 centimeters.
- Mobile aviary. This is a type of portable walking aid. It is designed on wheels, which makes it easier to move around the suburban area. As a rule, such structures are completely covered with a greenhouse-type mesh and equipped with a door.
Aviary structures are equipped with feeders and drinkers, because chickens are on the walk all day in summer. Stationary buildings, which are installed on the foundation, are covered with straw or sawdust. The bird can be on the walk for several hours during the cold season.
