In this article we will look at how to build a chicken coop in the country with our own hands. You simply need such a structure if you decide to breed chickens. And the first step is to make a house in which they will be kept. Moreover, the chicken coop must be reliable and durable. The conditions in it will be created as ideal as possible. If you plan to keep chickens in the winter, you will have to do a lot of work - insulate the building, make high-quality ventilation.
What should be the chicken coop
A bird needs comfort just like a human. Therefore, before starting construction, you need to consider some factors. Only in this case, you can build a cozy and warm chicken coop in the country with your own hands. So, the requirements that apply to him:
- Temperature regime. In winter, the temperature should not fall below 12 degrees. Drafts are not allowedbecause they can harm the bird. And in summer the temperature should not rise above 25 degrees - chickens simply will not lay.
- Lack of moisture in the room. To exclude the occurrence of diseases, it is impossible to allow an increase in the level of humidity. High-quality ventilation will solve this problem. Both forced and natural ventilation are allowed.
- Egg laying of chickens depends on one important parameter - lighting. Inside, you need to install lamps that scatter exceptionally warm yellow light. You can set timers and relays that will automatically turn on and off the lighting. But when you conduct an electrician, you need to consider one feature. All wires must be mounted so that they are inaccessible to chickens. But it is imperative that in the event of a breakdown you can access the wiring.
- Safety and peace of mind are important criteria. There should be silence around the chicken coop, so you need to install it away from the apartment building. And protect buildings from the penetration of various rodents, foxes, etc.
Place for chicken coop
The chicken coop should be away from residential buildings. The smell from chickens comes, frankly, not very pleasant. It is also worth considering that there are breeds of chickens that do not like it when strangers often enter their territory. Because of this, they will rush badly. The most suitable place to install a chicken coop in the country is a remote corner on the territory. If you decide to attach a chicken coop to an already built barn, then you need to consider what other animals will be neighbors of chickens.
When looking for a place, you need to think in advance about where the place for walking will be. Very often the bird is walked throughout the yard. This is not very beautiful, and the “gifts” on the threshold, for example, will please few people. It is recommended to limit the space for walking. For one chicken, you need to allocate about 2 square meters. m. area. Therefore, for 20 chickens, a 4x10 m paddock is needed. Please note that this is for paddock only.
What are the installation site requirements?
The place where the chicken coop is planned to be installed should be partially shaded. But the sun's rays must still penetrate the territory. The shade will protect the bird from the high temperature in the summer. It is also necessary to observe one condition - the construction of the chicken coop must be carried out on a hill. When snow melts and during rains, the territory will not be flooded.
In the event that there are no hills, it is necessary to dig a drainage ditch - excess moisture will be removed into it. It is worth noting that you can independently make a hill in the yard. To do this, you only need to make an embankment of earth, gravel or rubble. Let's talk a little about windows. They should be located exclusively on the south side - in this case, the sun's rays will be able to get into the building better and longer. On the same side, you need to put a door, a hole and equip an aviary for walking. After all, it is the southern part that has protection from the cold wind.
How big should the house be
When you determine a place for construction, you need to decideAnother important issue is the size of the chicken coop in the country. A photo of several designs is given in our material.
When choosing the dimensions of the building, it is necessary to build on the number of chickens:
- For poultry of meat breed, it is necessary that the area for three heads is at least 1 sq. m.
- Egg breeds of the same area will be enough for 4 hens.
- And chickens need even less - one square meter can contain 15 heads.
By the way, about chickens, the requirements for their maintenance are somewhat different. They need to be separated from adults. Only in this case they will have free access to water and feed. But do not make too much paddock for the chicks.
Examples of chicken coops
Let's say you plan to breed no more than 10 birds. In this case, it is recommended to make the house 2x5 m in size. The height should be such that you can easily enter it. If you make the ceiling too low, then it will be problematic to clean and clean the chicken coop. The optimal height is 2.2 meters.
Given this, it will be much more practical to make a gable roof, the ridge of which you raise to a height of 2.2 m. And the walls should have a height of no more than 1.5 m. It is this design of the house that will be convenient for both chickens and for you (at service).
Shed roof is much easier to make. It can also be done in a chicken coop. Nests must be installed in the lower dark part. In the articlephotos of simple chicken coops are given. In the country with their own hands, such designs can be made in just a few days.
The main stages of building a chicken coop
Knowing all the requirements for construction and having the necessary calculations, you can proceed with the installation work. First, let's highlight all the stages of work:
- Building design.
- Building the foundation (base).
- Establishment of partitions (if necessary) and walls.
- Roof installation.
- Roof decking.
- Carrying out "furnishing".
- Insulation work.
- Installation of the heating system (if necessary).
Now let's look at all these steps in more detail.
Building the foundation
You can not put the entire structure directly on the ground. It is recommended to make at least a simple foundation. Can be used:
- Slab.
- Tape.
- Columnar.
Steps of foundation construction:
- Marking the territory. To do this, with the help of a cord and pegs, it is necessary to outline the perimeter of the building.
- Dig a small trench - about 35 cm.
- Put a pillow of sand on the bottom and carefully tamp it down.
- Next, formwork from boards is installed.
- A layer of concrete is being poured. It is recommended to install a reinforcement grid inside the formwork.
The procedure for building a foundation is quite simple, but you still need to spend a lot of effort on it. Such a base can also be used for buildings made of brick or block.
If you wish, you canmake a columnar foundation. Moreover, metal pipes, bars, blocks or bricks can be used as pillars. In other words, absolutely any material.
Building walls
The next stage is the construction of the walls of the chicken coop in the country with your own hands. A photo of the designs is given in our material, you can look at the most suitable for your case. If you have made a slab or strip foundation, then you can use any material for construction - cinder block, brick, foam block, wood. But it should be noted that the first two have high thermal conductivity, so walls made from it need additional processing with insulating materials.
When building a columnar foundation, it is best to make walls from a wooden bar. But first, a wooden frame must be laid on top of the foundation pillars. And already on it the construction of a chicken coop in the country with their own hands is being carried out. A photo of the most common designs is given in our material.
It is also allowed to use cheap polycarbonate for construction. This material is quite practical, it is strong and easy to clean. But for use in winter, a chicken coop built of polycarbonate is hardly suitable.
Building insulation
If you plan to keep chickens in the winter, then you can not do without warming. You can use any material: mineral wool, foam plastic, polystyrene. Fixing materials is not difficult. Step by step guide toproduction of an insulating layer:
- Make a frame on the walls of 50x50 mm beams.
- The fastening of the bars is required to be carried out vertically.
- The step of laying the timber should be equal to the width of the insulation material.
- The beams must be fastened with self-tapping screws or dowels.
- Install a layer of waterproofing - this will avoid rising levels of humidity.
- If there are gaps after installing the insulation, it is necessary to seal them with mounting foam.
Outside, the walls are best insulated with materials such as polystyrene foam or foam plastic. For fasteners, experts recommend using plastic dowels with a large cap designed for this purpose.
Building the roof
In our example, we will consider the technology of manufacturing a gable roof. It is a little more complicated than a single-sided one. But her design is much more beautiful and practical.
Outside, the walls are best insulated with materials such as polystyrene foam or foam plastic. For fasteners, experts recommend using plastic dowels with a large cap designed for this purpose.
Building the roof
In our example, we will consider the technology of manufacturing a gable roof. It is a little more complicated than a single-sided one. But her design is much more beautiful and practical.
For installation, you need to perform the following manipulations:
- Rafters are being installed on the top of the frame.
- Thena layer of waterproofing material is laid. In this case, you can guarantee that the heat-insulating material will not get wet. If you need to overlap, then by about 20 cm, and most importantly, you need to glue the joints.
- Next, fill the crate on top of the waterproofing layer. The step depends on which flooring you have chosen.
- At the last stage, the roofing material is laid.
How to insulate the ceiling
If you live in the southern regions, then this is optional. But if in the Middle lane or in the north, it is recommended to insulate the ceiling. To do this, you need to attach floor beams to the rafters. On top of the beams, it is necessary to fix the plywood with self-tapping screws.
Thermal insulation is installed in the space between the floor beams. Plain foam or mineral wool can be used. It is recommended to additionally fix the film to protect it from moisture. You can hem the ceiling with wooden clapboard, drywall, plywood.
Making the floor in the chicken coop
This is one of the important events in the interior decoration of even the simplest chicken coop in the country. With your own hands, you can make a floor from any material. If you plan to breed broilers for meat, then you can make an uninsulated floor.
In the case of using a columnar foundation, you can make a double floor structure:
- On the support frame, support beams are fastened - the log of the future floor.
- Bottom is filed with boards.
- Insulation material is laid on top of the boards.
- The finishing floor is being laid. It is recommended to use boards for it.
If you made a shallow strip foundation, then it is allowed to make adobe or earthen floors. To do this, prepare a mixture of straw and clay. Clay floors must be laid in several layers, each must be rammed.
Chicken coop heating
There are two methods of heating a chicken coop - natural and artificial. In the first case, heaters are not needed, it is enough to use a special bedding. To do this, around October, you need to sprinkle the floor with slaked lime - about 1 kg per 1 sq. m. Next, bedding is made of sawdust, hay, peat or straw.
The thickness of the layer is about 7 cm. But forced heating can also be arranged, for this they are used:
- Electric heaters.
- Gas heaters.
- Stove systems (potbelly stove).
- Infrared heaters.
- Water systems.
- Buleryany.
The choice of the heating system option depends only on your capabilities, including financial ones. Now you know how to build a simple chicken coop in the country. There is nothing difficult in this, but you will have to spend money on materials.
