Chicken coop in the country: how to build your own hands for the summer, the device, the 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 several dozen. You can build a poultry house in small areas. Before construction, the dimensions of the house are calculated, the structure of materials is selected, and the necessary tools are prepared.

Which variant of the poultry house to prefer

To make a choice of the type of chicken coop in the country, you should focus on the following criteria:

• bird population, average age;
• season when the coop will be used;
• taking into account the possibility for cleaning and disinfection of the premises.

Simple poultry houses are built for use in summer and spring, autonomous ones are built when they plan to keep birds year-round.

Layout, dimensions, drawings

The layout of the chicken coop depends on how many birds will live indoors. The project for 5 animals is designed for 2.5 square meters of usable area, to which is added about 30 percent of the area for the maintenance of three nests. To build a five-seat poultry house, 3.2 square meters will be required, taking into account the ceiling height of at least 1.8 meters.

When calculating the area for 10 hens, the dimensions are doubled. For the construction of 15 goals - three times. Almost a five-bed house on a summer cottage of 6 acres can fit on an area of about 2.8 square meters. Poultry houses for the summer period are built with the obligatory consideration of the area for walking, because in the summer the chickens will spend a lot of time outdoors.

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 paddock 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:

1. Soil surface for construction must be dry. Poultry houses do not build in lowlands, where rain puddles can accumulate. Excluded slopes, depressions.
2. Marshy or clayey soil is specially dried before the construction of buildings. For this, trenches, artificial drains are specially created.
3. 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.
4. The place for walking is planned taking into account the fact that it will be possible to create shading zones there. If the site is too hot, then the chickens will tend to the premises.

Materials and tools for work

Building requires materials that can be divided into several groups.

For foundation	For roof	For walls	Materials for processing and fastening
Cement, sand	Slate	Rebar	Metalized tape
Gravel	Insulating membrane	Cutting board	Wood preservative
Expanded clay	Roofing material	Wooden beam

To build a chicken coop with your own hands, use tools:

• bayonet-type shovel for digging the site;
• hand drill;
• wood saw;
• construction stapler;
• screwdriver;
• concrete mixer.

In addition, you need to prepare improvised means: tape measure, level, marking pencil, pegs, rope.

Building process

To build a chicken coop with your own hands, you must follow certain rules. Buildings are being erected according to the established phased plan.

Foundation

The first stage of construction is the pouring of the foundation. Most often, a columnar type of foundation is used for a poultry house. It has several advantages:

• no risk of flooding;
• good ventilation;
• protection against small rodents;
• minimum cash outlay.

After marking, they dig holes, then pour sand, install bricks, pour cement. The pillars are built from pairs of bricks or foam blocks. Their height is adjusted as necessary.

Gender

To make the floor, wait for the foundation to settle, and then make a wooden strapping from the beam.The wooden beam is treated with an antiseptic before nailing the box to prevent rotting processes. After installing the box, the floor is covered with a draft board. Before each stage of construction, the tree is treated with antiseptic agents.

Building walls

The walls are erected in a frame way. Edged boards are mounted in the corners, fixing it with corners and self-tapping screws. Racks are fixed with top strapping from a board with the same cross-sectional indicators.

The intermediate support of the crate 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. Begin to fix them after complete drying. The rafters are placed on 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 film is laid on top of the rafters, then a crate and roofing material.

Wall paneling

Between the main frame racks, a vapor barrier membrane is laid, it is fastened with a construction stapler. Then 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 sealed with pitch or cotton wool, they carefully close up the 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

For ventilation of a room built according to the frame type, 2 holes of the same size are arranged. They are located opposite each other. One of the holes is cut 40 centimeters below the other to avoid drafts.

Lighting

For lighting choose:

• 1 or 2 fluorescent lights;
• LED strip 20 to 30 centimeters long.

Electrical wiring is carried out inside the plastic corrugation, using a copper cable of the selected section.

Perches and nests

Building perches and setting up nests requires following some rules:

1. For perches, select areas of the room near the windows, they are fixed at a height of 40 to 70 centimeters from the floor; are made of wooden profiles or bars.
2. A distance of about 25-30 centimeters is left between adjacent perches.
3. Nests are installed on low legs from boxes 20 centimeters wide and long - these are open nests.
4. 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 the birds hatch offspring, they are indispensable 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! Sawdust is changed twice a month. Straw is changed as needed.

Feeders

For chickens, feeders are arranged at a small height above the floor. If you leave a container of food on the floor, the chickens will begin to rake it, trample it, most of it will become unusable.

Feeders are made of plastic. Suitable for bottles and jars. They are screwed to the walls, making them removable in order to be able to constantly wash or wipe them.

Drinkers are placed away from the feeders so that water does not mix with food. For drinking bowls, cut plastic pipes with cut holes are used. The width of the drinkers and feeders should be sufficient to accommodate as many chickens as possible and prevent fights.

Things to take care of in winter

Chickens need extra warmth in winter. Chicken coop heating is arranged in one of two ways:

1. Installing a fan heater. Programmable models save energy significantly.
2. Canopy of infrared lamps. They are placed above the perch and above the floor. The peculiarity of the method lies in the fact that the temperature of the room will not rise significantly, but the chickens that are under infrared light will be warm enough.

Warning! Lamps are placed in such a way that they do not interfere with the free movement of birds.

Aviary for walking birds

Walking for birds is an important part of care. It is necessary to solve several problems:

• marking the territory for the location of poultry;
• loss elimination;
• protection from other pets.

Walking suit one of the types:

1. Mobile enclosure. It is necessary when chicken coops are arranged for the summer. This option has several advantages. As the greenery is destroyed, the enclosures are moved to a new site, providing food for the chickens.
2. Stationary enclosure. It is attached to autonomous chicken coops. It can be built with any type of foundation. A net is stretched along the perimeter, the height of which should not be less than 60-70 centimeters.
3. Mobile enclosure. This is a type of portable walking device. It is designed on wheels, which makes it easier to move around the summer cottage. As a rule, such structures are completely covered with greenhouse-type mesh and equipped with a door.

Aviary structures are equipped with feeders and drinkers, because chickens are on the range all day in summer.Stationary buildings, which are installed on the foundation, are covered with straw or sawdust. The bird may be out for several hours during the cold season.

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