Beautiful chicken coops in the garden. How to build a chicken coop with your own hands in the country. How to build a chicken coop in the country

Many owners breed poultry. The best option is chickens. They are undemanding to the conditions of detention, but it is necessary to build nice chicken coop. For a small family, it is enough to have 10 laying hens. To do this, you need to make a chicken coop with your own hands for 10 chickens. Drawings and detailed instructions will help to build a quality building.

You can make a beautiful and roomy chicken coop yourself

Read in the article

How to make a do-it-yourself chicken coop for 10 chickens: drawings and requirements

To start construction work, you should familiarize yourself with the basic requirements for such a structure:

• building placement. A rectangular chicken coop should be placed from east to west. Chickens lay better if there is enough daylight, so the windows should face south;
• when creating a warm chicken coop with your own hands, it is worth remembering that it should not be hot in the room, since at a temperature value above 25 degrees, chickens will not rush. But also in winter time you need to create heat. In frosts, a building will also be needed. The temperature must be at least 12 degrees;
• the building is better located away from noisy places;
• high humidity can provoke bird diseases, so ventilation is necessary;
• the dimensions of the room are selected taking into account the fact that two chickens are placed per square meter. In cramped conditions, chickens rush worse.

Useful advice! When designing a poultry house, it must be taken into account that over time the number of individuals may increase and more space will be required.

When arranging the premises, it is worth equipping windows with shutters from, and for walking, provide for a plot under a tree or under.

chicken coop cage

Features of designing a chicken coop

Drawings and photos will help to draw up a competent project for a chicken coop with your own hands. It is important to choose the right size of the building, which depends on the planned number of birds. The type of construction depends on how many birds will live in it and on the types of materials.

When designing, it is worth planning to open the door inward, and the floor is arranged with a slope towards the entrance. This will make the cleaning process easier. It is worth considering the interior design of the room. There should be a sufficient number of drinkers and perches. For such a structure, it is worth considering heating, lighting and.

Features of installing the simplest chicken coop in the country with your own hands: stages of construction and photos

When deciding how to make a chicken coop with your own hands, you should familiarize yourself with the main stages of installation.

The table shows the main steps in the construction of a simple poultry house.

Image	Stages
	Erection (only for structures with a large livestock)
	Selection and installation of flooring

You can build a chicken coop from improvised materials. In order to save money, you can use a room without erection or use a base on posts, for which leftovers or cobblestones will do. The floor can be made of adobe or earth, and the roof is made of durable plastic, tin or slate residues.

The nuances of creating a foundation

For a do-it-yourself chicken coop for 20 chickens, a photo of which can be seen in this review, you will need a more durable one. Depending on its type: or columnar - you will need a concrete mixture, a composition of or.

The foundation is built in accordance with certain rules:

• the site is cleared and the top layer of the earth is removed, about 25-55 cm;
• sand and gravel are used as a pillow;
• the formwork is made of boards, its width is 25 cm;
• rods are used for;
• concrete grade M300 is used.

The construction of the building can begin after the concrete mass has solidified. It should be borne in mind that the size of the site should be equal to the dimensions of the future chicken coop.

To create a columnar base, markings are required, which is done using metal rods and rope. Then, cabinets are mounted around the perimeter, which are placed at a distance of a meter. In this case, the supports should protrude from the ground by 25-30 cm. They are reinforced with cement mortar bricks.

chicken coop walls

When building a chicken coop with your own hands for 10 chickens, you need to prepare drawings of the walls. Wood is in demand as a raw material for walls. Used for wall cladding. In this case, the joints must be thermally insulated. In addition to boards, you can use plywood or lining. A good material is adobe brick. The combination of straw and clay allows you to keep warm.

Stacked by standard scheme. As insulation for separating the foundation and beams, roofing material is used, which is laid in two layers. Logs for the floor are also made of timber, which is placed edgewise. At the same time, voids and cracks are sealed with the remains of the timber and flax jute fiber.

Roof, ceiling and floor of the building

To create a do-it-yourself winter chicken coop for 10-20 chickens, high-quality floors and roofing are of great importance.

The arrangement has some features:

• it is better to use a gable type roof, which will protect against the accumulation of moisture and snow;
• coating material: roofing material or slate;
• thermal insulation is carried out using mineral wool or.

In a gable roof, you can build a small attic where you can put chicken bedding and food. After installing the ceiling beams, the ceiling covering is covered. In this case, boards are used, and expanded clay and coal slag are used for insulation.

When building a chicken coop, you need to do well. If they freeze, the room will be cold. It is recommended to use thick boards for the floor. First, the raw boards are laid, then a layer of vapor barrier material, and the processed boards are placed on top.

Note! When arranging a shed roof, it must be ensured that the slope does not look towards the bird area.

How to make chicken coop ventilation for 20 chickens with your own hands: drawings

Particular attention should be paid to the chicken coop with your own hands. The ventilation device is responsible for supplying fresh air. This is especially important during the cold season, as birds rarely visit fresh air. A budget and simple option is natural ventilation, which consists in airing the building. In this case, the exhaust window should be small and located on the ceiling or above the door. Such a scheme has many disadvantages, since heat will also leave the room along with the air masses. At the same time, a large amount of resources will be required for heating.

A more reliable option is an exhaust system. It makes sense to install it if more than 20 chickens live in the chicken coop. This design can be built with your own hands:

• in two holes are made for pipes, the entrance for the passage of air should be placed away from the perches;
• instead of a pipe, you can make special wooden boxes, but they need to be painted and;
• fresh air pipes are located at a distance of 35-40 cm from the roof, and the exhaust pipe rises 1.5 meters above the roof;
• to protect against precipitation, the upper ends of the pipes are equipped with small umbrellas.

For uniform circulation, it is better to place the pipes on opposite sides of the room. In this case, it is used, which is mounted in the window. You need to turn on such a system manually. There are also special sensors that allow you to control the humidity in the room.

How to equip a chicken coop inside?

After the completion of the main work, the arrangement of the interior of the premises is carried out. The arrangement of comfortable perches is of great importance. In this case, the length of perches and their number are calculated. These elements are best done from. The perches are turned to a rounded shape so that the chickens do not get injured. Perches should be installed at a height of 65-75 cm, and 55-65 cm should remain between the perches. It is recommended to place special pallets or trays under the perches. This will make the cleaning process easier. It is better to make perches removable so that it is convenient to perform sanitization.

In the form of boxes, it is worth equipping nests that should be darkened. They are installed in a separate place, and the boxes are covered from above. Recommended by a separate entrance for changing bedding and collecting eggs.

Feeders are another important element. They can be made of wood and installed on a small hill. Bedding is made of peat, straw or sawdust. They are of different depths. Deeper litter is dug up when contaminated. In addition, bedding is optional for the chicken coop in the winter.

Lighting features

Good allows you to ensure the growth and physiological development of birds. You can create a well-equipped and illuminated chicken coop with your own hands for 10 chickens: drawings, detailed diagrams and photos will help you do this. High-quality lighting affects the following parameters:

• number, size, density and weight of eggs;
• chick development;
• digestibility of the consumed feed;
• periods of laying eggs and their duration.

When planning a lighting system, you need to know some features. Chickens do not see well in the dark, so in the evening, you should not turn off all the lamps at once. When all the birds are settled on perches, you need to turn off the remaining lamps.

For hatched chicks, lighting with a brightness of 35-45 lux is required. Then, as the bird grows, the light intensity gradually decreases to 6-8 lux. An adult bird will need a light of 10 lux.

A device for soft turning on the light is recommended, as if the light is suddenly turned off, the bird may be frightened. This is especially true for breeds that are bred to produce eggs. Chickens should also be taught to darkness from the third day of life, so that in the event of a power outage, the birds do not trample each other.

Useful advice! If the birds behave aggressively and pluck each other's feathers, then reduced light intensity can solve this problem.

Heating

Before choosing, you need to take care of the insulation of the fences. There should be no drafts in the house, so if the walls and roof are blown, it will not help.

It is worth insulating doors and windows, since most of the heat escapes through these openings. It is also worth building a deep litter. This design consists of a layer of slaked lime and 10 cm of shavings, sawdust and straw. Natural heat-insulating materials are also used: peat, foliage and even manure. Natural composting allows heat to be released.

If you approach the construction of the chicken coop responsibly, then this building can be made cozy and reliable. Using inexpensive materials, you can create a high-quality and well-equipped bird house.

If you have a desire and minimal experience in keeping chickens and you are thinking about how to build a chicken coop with your own hands, then we will tell you how to build a winter chicken coop for 10 hens.

The small size and thermal insulation of the chicken coop will allow the birds to heat the room with the heat of their bodies. At the same time, the construction of such a chicken coop is quite within the power of every householder! This project will not take too much time and will not require expensive tools.

Do-it-yourself chicken coop for 10 chickens.

When designing and building a chicken coop, it is important to keep many factors in mind. After all, a chicken coop is both a comfortable home for birds and an outbuilding designed to make it easier for people to care for animals and increase labor productivity. Therefore, before making a chicken coop with your own hands, let's figure out what structural elements and features should be inherent in every good chicken coop.

1. We rise above the ground

Dampness and moisture are the main enemies of any chicken coop. In a damp room, the birds begin to get sick, so the chicken coop is always raised above the ground. Some designs provide for a very high rise - up to a meter, and sometimes even higher. If your area, like ours, does not have excessive humidity, then 25-40cm should be enough.

2. Placement of the chicken coop

Speaking of the area! Choose right place for a chicken coop - this is 50% success. Here are some tips to help you with this:

3. Entrances and exits for chickens and people

Each chicken coop should have an entrance for birds, as well as access for cleaning the room. In our coop, the passage for chickens is made behind the back wall, and two doors provide the possibility of cleaning the coop.

4. Nests and perch

Chickens will lay eggs in the nests, and you will take these eggs from the nests, so the nests should be convenient for both you and the hens. It's believed that The ideal nest size is 30x30cm long and wide, and 30-40cm. in height. At the same time, it is recommended to do the entrance to the nests already.

Outside, the nests should be easily accessible.

The lid opens so you don't have to climb inside the chicken coop to collect the eggs.

The lid must be inclined so that water flows freely from it and does not fall into the nests.

Total perch length is calculated based on 25cm per hen. Since we are counting on our chicken coop for ten chickens, the crossbar is enough for the entire length of the chicken coop (almost 2.5 m).

5. Lighting and ventilation of the chicken coop

Chickens need light. Shortening of daylight hours is one of the main reasons why chickens stop laying eggs in winter, and experienced owners know that turning on a light bulb solves this problem. Therefore, the windows in the chicken coop - to be!

It is better to make windows on at least three sides so that light penetrates the chicken coop throughout the day. Also pay attention to the folding ventilation window on the back wall. In wet weather, it can be opened for additional ventilation. The windows above the nests on the front wall also open. Ventilation is very important, but remember: whatever tricks you use to ventilate your winter coop, be sure to provide for the possibility of adjusting the air flow up to its complete overlap - this will come in handy in winter, when ventilation will suck out precious heat.

Chicken coop drawing.

Below we provide drawings of our chicken coop. For construction, we used timber and boards of coniferous wood, as well as plywood 15 mm thick. It is quite possible to use OSB for the floor and the substrate under the roof. When specifying the step between the lags and rafters, the distances are indicated between the centers of the bars.

How to insulate a chicken coop with your own hands

So we built a chicken coop. Now it is necessary to carry out its warming. Various materials can be used as insulation. Mineral wool is perfect for this.

As well as polystyrene and expanded polystyrene.

At worst, you can sheathe the walls with cardboard and old blankets.

The insulation is inserted between the bars, after which it is sewn up with plywood. Otherwise, birds can peck at it (they especially love foam).

In winter, it is also worth closing the windows with insulation. It is important to provide artificial lighting.

In case of severe frosts, infrared lamps can be provided. At the same time, their work can be controlled by a timer or even a thermal relay - this eliminates unnecessary hassle, eliminates the human factor (forgot to turn it on / off) and saves money.

Do-it-yourself chicken coop. Summer paddock.

In the warm season, chickens need more space, and they will be happy to spend most of their time outside. Therefore, when making a chicken coop with your own hands, you need to make an open summer pen for chickens. The area of ​​the paddock is calculated by the formula 1 sq.m. for every chicken.

Pay attention to the net at the bottom of the chicken coop - it protects from predators. It should be deepened into the ground by 20-30 cm, as some predators are quite capable of digging. And if in your area there are large predator birds, then the corral must also be protected from above.

It is also very important that at least part of the corral is in the shade - the chickens must be able to hide from the scorching sun. If there is no natural shade, then build a small canopy.

So that the birds can freely enter and exit the chicken coop raised above the ground, a simple ladder is usually built for them.

Do-it-yourself chicken coop from improvised materials.

A German farmer turned an old kitchen cabinet into a small chicken coop.

This reclaimed coop fully complies with EU-approved specifications for keeping chickens and provides enough space for up to three hens to collect and lay their eggs.

Chickens need space to roam, so the chicken coop is placed in the backyard to give them enough room to roam.

Chicken coop from improvised materials shows how modern methods keeping chickens can be implemented by non-standard means.

As you can see, in the construction of such a seemingly simple thing as a chicken coop, there are many nuances and important points, ignorance of which can nullify all efforts.

But despite this, anyone can build a good chicken coop with their own hands.

The main thing is to arm yourself right knowledge and think over all aspects of the design in advance. You can build a chicken coop according to our drawings, or, taking their basis, modify its device to suit your needs.

Please share your experience and advice on this topic in the comments!

Building a chicken coop today in a suburban area is quite simple.

This will require the necessary building materials, as well as a drawing of the planned structure.

Goals of chicken coop equipment

The arrangement of the chicken coop is carried out, focusing on such important points as:

• the number, as well as the age category of birds for which housing is being built;
• seasonality in which it is planned to operate housing;
• the need for constant cleaning and disinfection of the house.

To maintain the functional, hygienic condition of the chicken coop, it is important to take care of it:

• high quality ventilation system;
• insulation, heating;
• excellent lighting;
• a competent choice of affordable, easy-to-care materials.

In the process of building a bird house, it is important to take care of equipping it with perches, drinkers, and feeders - this is the best microclimate that is suitable for a bird.

Arrangement of a good microclimate

Good health, the productivity of living creatures directly depends on the lighting, humidity level, as well as the temperature regime in the chicken coop.

Even in the warm season, it is important that the house is reliably protected from drafts, as well as humidity. It is for this reason that after the construction of the frame, it is necessary to insulate the roof, wall and ceiling surfaces.

Taking advantage necessary materials, with a minimum skill you can equip a house for poultry inexpensive. You will need an easy-to-install foam, mineral wool and other building materials:

If you intend to keep livestock exclusively during the warm season, then this type of design will prevent overheating of the bird, as well as drafts.

When equipping a house for wintering birds, it is important to think about the heating system.

Today, poultry farmers use infrared lamps to heat the poultry house, which are easy to install, economical and most efficient in operation, while heating the area located exactly under the radiation source, and not the surrounding air space.

But when installing such a device, one should not forget that the distance from it to the bird should not reach less than 50 centimeters, while it is important to cover the flask with special protective grilles.

Lighting and ventilation system

If you plan to use the lamps as heating and at the same time for good lighting, then at night the lights must be turned off completely to ensure the birds have a good rest.

When arranging a bird house inside, you cannot do without a good ventilation system, thanks to which you can eliminate specific odors, normalize the temperature and humidity levels.

Perches and also nests

Nested perches are an important part of a well-organized chicken coop. You can create them using plywood, plastic containers, buckets, baskets. At the bottom of the nest, a litter is arranged.

When creating a chicken coop with your own hands, it is important to install perches. To do this, you can use perches with a diameter of 40 mm.

If the poles have a rectangular or square section, then the corners should be rounded as much as possible, and the surface should be carefully treated with sandpaper.

One of the first perches is formed at a height of about 50 centimeters, the rest - at a distance of about 35 centimeters from the next. Hens should not sit as close as possible in a row, so that the top birds do not pollute the birds nestled below.

how to make a bird house

Poultry farmers with many years of experience certainly have their own secrets for arranging chicken coops:

• Be sure to monitor the duration of daylight hours in the house. With excessive lighting, the birds get nervous, trample on eggs and peck at relatives.
• You should not build nests directly on the floor, otherwise the chickens will certainly use them for sleeping.

• To increase egg production, you need to install nests in the corners where there is no light.
• It is preferable to install feeders closer to the wall surface between perches, as well as nests, so that all residents of the house can view them.

DIY chicken coop photo

If you are reading this article, then most likely you have decided to start breeding and keeping chickens. This idea has many positive sides. For example, you will always eat fresh eggs and be able to cook nutritious meals from them. In addition, domestic chickens are also fresh meat. And if you keep a lot of chickens, then the eggs can be sold, i.e. sell, which will serve as an additional source of income for your family budget. However, first you need to make a reliable and durable chicken coop, thanks to which ideal conditions for the life of poultry will be created.

The construction process consists of several important steps. Do not assume that everything is simple, especially if you want to keep chickens in the winter season. After all, you need to worry about high-quality ventilation, reliable roofing, walls, heating and other important components. This article will provide complete material about all the construction and equipment processes. Interesting video materials, selections of photographs and diagrams will make the process of studying information exciting. A step-by-step instruction will allow you to figure out how to build a chicken coop.

What should be a house for chickens

A bird, like a person, needs a comfortable habitat, so before starting construction, it is worth highlighting several important factors that will make it possible to make a warm and cozy chicken coop. This space has a number of requirements:

• Temperature regime. If you plan to keep the bird during the winter season, then it is important to take care of the proper temperature. So, in winter, the temperature should not be lower than 12 ° C. There should be no drafts inside the room, they pose a threat to the health of the bird. AT summer time The room temperature should not exceed 25°C. If these temperature regimes are not observed, then the chicken will stop laying eggs.
• No moisture. To prevent chickens from getting sick, there should not be high humidity inside. Ventilation can solve this problem. There are several ways to arrange it, it can be forced or natural.
• Lighting. Light is life. As a result, the egg production of chickens also depends on the presence of light. There should be light bulbs inside the chicken coop that diffuse a warm yellow light. To ensure the lighting mode, some home craftsmen use automatic timers and relays that turn on / off the light at a given time. When conducting an electrician, everything must be done so that all cables are inaccessible to chickens.

• calmness. For a normal and calm life of chickens, there should not be much noise around. Therefore, the chosen place must be isolated from a busy country house.
• Safety. This is another important criterion that ensures the calmness of the bird. The chicken coop must be protected from the penetration of rodents and other predatory animals into it. Given this, many decide to build on a columnar foundation.

Video: features of keeping chickens in a chicken coop

Where is the best place for a chicken coop?

The location of the poultry house is an important stage in the preparatory work. You need to think not only about yourself, so that an unpleasant smell does not penetrate into a residential building, but also about the comfort of chickens. For example, some breeds do not like frequent intrusion into their territory. Because of this, they begin to rush worse.

A suitable place would be a remote corner on the territory of your summer cottage. If you have a barnyard, then it is important to remember that extraneous noise also negatively affects their egg production. Often, many decide to attach a chicken coop to an existing barn. But here, consider which pet will be the neighbors of the chickens - calm or mostly noisy.

When choosing a place, it is important to take care of the place for their walking. Often you can see a picture when chickens walk throughout the yard. This does not add beauty, in addition, on the threshold of your house, you may stumble upon the “gift” left by them. Place for walking chickens should be limited. As a rule, up to 2 m 2 is allocated per head. So, when keeping 20 chickens, the site should have dimensions of 4 × 10 m. And this is only for their walking.

If you cannot afford such an area, keep in mind that some summer residents resort to an original solution by making walking tunnels around the perimeter of the territory from a metal mesh.

The chosen place should be at the same time with shaded and sunlit areas. The shade will protect the birds from overheating on hot days, but at the same time they will be able to bask in the sun on cool weather.

Video: the best place for a chicken coop in a barnyard

For the construction of a chicken coop, it is recommended to choose an elevated place. This will eliminate the flooding of the territory during the rainy season or when the snow melts. If this is not possible, then dig a drainage ditch to remove excess moisture. Although the elevation can also be made artificially by pouring rubble, gravel or earth.

The windows of the chicken coop are preferably located on the south side for better and longer sunlight entering the room. Also, on the south side, it is recommended to install a manhole, a door and build an aviary. The south side is the most protected from cold winds.

What should be the size of the house

Having decided on the construction site, it is necessary to decide what dimensions the poultry house will have. This setting is influenced by several factors. It is necessary to build on the maximum number of chickens and accurately calculate the usable area:

1. If you plan to keep meat breeds, 3 heads should account for from 1 m 2;
2. For keeping egg breeds for 4 heads - from 1 m 2;
3. For breeding and keeping chickens for 15 pieces - from 1 m 2.

Separately, it should be said about the chickens. They must have individual quarters separated from adults. This will allow them to have free access to food. However, you should not allocate too much space for them. As a rule, a small box is enough for an overnight stay. On the other hand, one should not create conditions for their crush.

So, a poultry house intended for keeping 10 chickens can have dimensions of 2 × 5 m. As for the height, it should be convenient for you when you have to go there. Too low a ceiling will create discomfort while cleaning and cleaning the chicken coop. The optimal height is 2.2 m.

Given this, it will be practical to equip a gable roof, raising the ridge to 2.2 m, and leaving the walls at a height of 1.5 m. Such a chicken coop will be convenient for both chickens and its maintenance. On the other hand, it is much easier to implement a pitched roof. Nests can be installed in the low darkened part.

We have prepared several suitable schemes and drawings. Based on them, you can make an individual project or build a ready-made poultry house. We invite you to see a few interesting options in the next section.

Drawings and diagrams: ready-made projects for the construction of a poultry house

So, to summarize everything, for the construction of a chicken coop for 10 chickens, the drawings should be calculated based on the following parameters:

• The area is more than 4 m 2.
• Up to 4 nests.
• Feeders should be along the wall and opposite the perch.
• There must be access to the cleaning and feeding system from the outside.
• From the floor level, the drinker and feeder should rise at least 50–100 mm.
• The floor should be smooth but not slippery.
• Perch at a height of about 600 mm.
• The area of ​​all windows should not exceed 10% of the floor area.
• The presence of an aviary for walking is recommended.
• Be sure to have a ladder in the chicken coop.

Plus, the area and layout of the future poultry house will depend on what you want to place inside it. To save and optimize the interior space, a perch rail is installed. An ordinary snag usually copes with this role. Chickens can sleep on it.

When organizing a perch, it is important to consider that one bird will lay one egg in 1-2 days. Therefore, one place will be enough for 4 hens. Perches should be high as this will prevent damage to the egg. Moreover, they should be located in a clean, dry place and away from the place of lodging for the night. Otherwise, chicken droppings may end up on the eggs.

As for the norms, there is SNIP 30-02-97, which indicates the following parameters of the room:

1. At their summer cottage, you can keep and grow no more than 40 chickens.
2. From the chicken coop to the border of your territory should be at least 4 m.
3. If there is an adjoining residential building, then from the front door to the house should be at least 7 meters.
4. Carrying out an extension to the house, it is recommended to coordinate the project with the architectural commission.

If chickens are kept for personal needs outside the city, there are no norms and restrictions.

Types of chicken coops based on needs

There are several types that can be built:

Build a new or reconstruct a finished building

If you have an unneeded shed or garage, then it might be worth considering renovating it. You can save a lot on the purchase of building materials. You will only need to equip the room inside for the normal living of chickens.

On the other hand, such a room is not always suitable. For example, an inconvenient location, a small area, and the like. Today, there are many ready-made schemes that will help you quickly develop finished project. In this matter, you should not think only about saving money. As mentioned above, the egg production of birds and their health depend on how comfortable the conditions inside the chicken coop are.

If you still prefer the old room, then make sure that there are no lumber inside it covered with lead paint or previously used to store various chemicals. All this can provide harmful effect on the health of chickens.

Stages of building a poultry house

Having familiarized ourselves with all the requirements and provisions for the construction of a chicken coop, we highlight the main stages of construction:

Stage 1- design.

Stage 2- making the foundation.

Stage 3- construction of walls and partitions.

Stage 4- erection of a roof.

Stage 5- production of flooring.

stage 6- furniture.

Stage 7- warming.

Stage 8- production of heating.

These are perhaps the main construction processes that you should tune in to. We will go through all these processes, and also give some step-by-step instructions.

The foundation is the foundation of any structure.

Installing a chicken coop directly on the ground is a bad option, so a foundation must be built. For a poultry house, the base can be made using different technologies:

• columnar;
• slab;
• tape.

In the manufacture of a slab foundation, the technology of work is as follows:

Stages	Description of the work process
Step 1 - Markup	To begin with, using a cord and pegs, the perimeter of the future structure is indicated.
Step 2 - dig	At this point, remove the top fertile layer soils up to 350 mm deep.
Step 3 - filling the pillow	Now the bottom of the base is covered with sand and fine gravel. Everything is carefully rammed.
Step 4 - formwork	Before pouring concrete around the perimeter of the foundation, a formwork of boards is installed.
Step 5 - concrete work	In conclusion, a layer of concrete should be poured onto the manufactured pillow. Preliminarily, a woven reinforcing mesh with cells up to 100 × 100 mm is laid on the bottom. For concrete, M200 cement is used.

As you can see, the process of making the foundation is not so complicated. Although it takes a lot of effort. This kind of foundation is ideal for a chicken coop built from blocks or bricks.

It is much easier to build a chicken coop on a columnar base. We have prepared for you step-by-step instructions for building a poultry house on a columnar foundation, so you can find out all the details of this process in the next subsection. The only thing worth saying is that as support pillars can be used steel pipes, bricks, blocks and similar material.

Video: foundation breakdown features

Wall construction technology

The walls must be windproof and warm. The choice of material for the construction of walls depends on the foundation made. If a tape or slab was made, then you can use cinder block, foam block and even brick. However, these materials are high level thermal conductivity, so they must be insulated from the outside and from the inside.

If the foundation is chosen columnar, then it is better to give preference to a light frame structure made of wooden blocks. A wooden frame is laid on top of the supporting pillars, on which the entire frame of the future chicken coop is fixed. For the construction of the walls of the walking part, it is recommended to use a metal mesh. It can be attached to a metal corner.

Another option for building walls is polycarbonate. This construction material practical. For example, it is easy to wash, it is beautiful, strong and reliable. However, such a chicken coop will be problematic to use in the winter season. Some summer residents use logs for construction.

Often used adobe. You can make your own adobe bricks using clay and chopped straw. Such walls will provide a sufficient degree of heat retention and comfort. The only problem when working with this material will be the leveling of the surface.

As you can see, there are many building technologies and materials that can be used to make a reliable and beautiful poultry house. In any case, regardless of the material chosen, it is important to make sure that the walls are decontaminated in order to avoid the appearance of fungus, bacteria and the like.

Video: OSB wall construction

Wall insulation - winter version

So, if you decide to insulate the walls with mineral wool, then on the walls you should make a frame of 50 × 50 mm bars. The beam is fixed strictly vertically. The step of laying the timber is adjusted based on the width of the insulation. So, if the width of the mineral wool is 600 mm, then the step of the timber should be 590 mm. This will allow the mineral wool to be tightly packed without leaving any possible gaps.

The bars are fixed to the wall with self-tapping screws (if the frame is made of wood) or dowels. It is also recommended to make a vapor barrier layer. To do this, a plastic film is fixed to the wall in front of the mineral wool flooring. Its installation must be carried out with an overlap of up to 150 mm.

The thickness of the heat-insulating layer must be at least 50 mm. If, after installing the insulation, you find gaps, then they can be filled with mounting foam.

As for the external wall insulation, it is better to use polystyrene or polystyrene foam. For fastening, a special plastic dowel with a cap is used. This fastening method is used when the walls are built of bricks, blocks and the like. Be sure to cover the heat-insulating layer with protective plaster using a facade mesh.

In some cases, external insulation should not be performed, especially if you live in a warm region. Outside, the chicken coop can simply be sheathed with plywood and painted with moisture-resistant paint.

Roof - reliable protection from rain

The best option is the gable roof of the house. Due to this, the height of the ceiling inside the room increases. If the roof is well insulated, then ceiling stuffing is not even required. For covering the best option there will be a metal tile or slate.

The manufacturing technology of a gable roof is as follows:

• Rafters are installed on top of the wall frame.
• A waterproofing sheet is laid on the rafters and nailed. It is necessary in order to prevent wetting of the heat-insulating layer. The film thickness can be 200 µm. Each waterproofing strip should be overlapped up to 200 mm. It is advisable to glue them together with adhesive tape. Due to this, the coating will be completely sealed.
• After that, for the roofing, it is necessary to fill the crate. It is stuffed over waterproofing. The step of the crate will depend on the type of flooring chosen.
• When the crate is ready, you can proceed with the installation of the roofing.

Video: making a poultry house roof

Ceiling insulation - additional protection from the cold

The procedure for warming the ceiling of the house is necessary if you live in a cold region. In this case, floor beams are additionally fixed to the rafter system. On top of the beams, that is, from the attic side, you can fix plywood, which is fastened with ordinary self-tapping screws.

Thermal insulation material, such as mineral wool, is placed in the space between the beams. Additionally, you can fix the vapor barrier film. It is attached with a stapler. The ceiling is hemmed with the same plywood, or you can use wooden lining, drywall and the like.

Floors in the chicken coop

Floor finishing is one of the main activities in interior arrangement chicken coop. The finishing method depends on your goals. If you want to breed and keep broilers for meat, then it will be enough to make a light, non-insulated floor. However, the floor must still have a double structure. It is not difficult to implement it, especially if you have a columnar foundation:

• Beams are fixed to the support frame, acting as a lag.
• From below it is necessary to hem with boards.
• A heater, such as mineral wool, is laid on top of the boards.
• Next, a finishing floor is laid from the boards.

In the case of the manufacture of a shallow strip foundation, the floors can be made of earthen or adobe. To do this, prepare a mixture of finely chopped straw and clay. The clay mixture is applied in layers. Each layer is carefully rammed. In this case, before laying the next layer, the previous one must dry out. The process is quite lengthy, but the foundation will turn out to be reliable.

If the foundation is made using slab technology, then it is enough to make a wooden flooring on top of the concrete. However, it is better to use a different insulation or lay waterproofing. Mineral wool absorbs moisture. Further, the process of manufacturing the floor is as follows:

1. The base must be protected from penetrating moisture, so it can be covered with roofing material from above. The canvases must be glued together with a special bituminous mastic. Due to this, reliable waterproofing of the wooden flooring will be created, which will be completely protected from the penetration of chicken waste.
2. On top of the flooring, an embankment of sand, straw, hay or sawdust is made. However, hay and straw absorb moisture and do not dry well. Because of this, the flooring will rot and provoke the appearance of fungi and bacteria.

To eliminate this possibility, a layer of straw or hay must be made thin, and it is recommended to change it regularly. Therefore, as practice shows, it is better to use sawdust for flooring, especially since they can be easily purchased at carpentry shop sometimes even for free.

Internal arrangement of the poultry house

One of the main places inside the chicken coop is the perch. Perch means a wooden pole. This is where the chicken spends most of its time. An important rule is not to place perches one above the other. For one chicken, you need to calculate about 30 cm. The distance between the poles should be about 50 cm.

As for the location of the feeders and drinkers, they should be higher. Considering that chickens often arrange “showdowns” on the territory, dust can rise inside the chicken coop. To protect the drinker from dust getting into it, a small visor should be made on top.

You should also build nests. These places should be dark and secluded. This will ensure good egg production. There should also be litter inside the nest. The nests themselves are made in the form of boxes, which are closed on top with a removable lid. As practice shows, nests should be equipped with a separate cover. This will allow you to remove the eggs and change the litter.

The location of the feeders should be done at the height of the back of the bird. Due to this, the chicken will not scatter food with its paws, but will get it out by slightly stretching its neck. The number of drinkers and feeders should be sufficient so that they are enough for all chickens.

Video: arrangement of the inside and outside of the house

Heating - comfort and coziness

The chicken is very cold tolerant. Especially cold and drafts negatively affect the legs of chickens, freezing due to the lack of feathers on them. As already mentioned in this article, the indoor temperature should not fall below 12°C. If you live in the northern regions, then in addition to insulating walls, floors and ceilings, it is recommended to install heating devices.

In the absence of heating, the bird eats more food, gets fat and becomes lethargic. These are additional costs. If you are breeding chicks in an incubator, the heat of the chicken itself may not be enough. For these and other reasons, chicken coop heating is essential.

Video: chicken coop - winter version

Two ways of heating: natural and artificial

Heating a chicken coop can be done in two ways. Natural heating means maintaining a comfortable temperature without the use of heaters. The bottom line is to use the litter, which was mentioned above.

In October, the floor is sprinkled with slaked lime 1 kg / m 2. The thickness of bedding made of peat, sawdust, hay or straw reaches 7 cm of thickness. As the chickens live, the litter is trampled down and it needs to be poured. Previously, the flooring must be agitated with a pitchfork. By spring, the thickness of the litter can reach 25 cm.

The peculiarity of the bedding is that during the composting process it releases heat. Accordingly, the poultry house is kept at a stable temperature of about 12°C. The available heat slows down the decomposition of manure and disinfects pathogenic microbes. But with all this, it is necessary to organize high-quality ventilation. Otherwise, harmful ammonia will accumulate in the chicken coop. In addition, in winter, the ventilation pipe should be closed briefly with a lid so that warm air does not quickly escape.

However, if the outside temperature drops below -10°C, then all these methods are ineffective. Another method of heating should be used - artificial. We suggest you consider several options presented in the table:

Heating method	Feature of the organization of heating
electric heater	This is one of the available and inexpensive heating methods. You can use different heaters, for example, convectors, heaters, fan heaters, oil coolers, etc. It is necessary to select power based on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe chicken coop and the number of chickens. The presence of automation will allow you to set the off / on mode.
Gas heater	The use of gas to heat the poultry house is also equally effective, but only for large poultry houses. It is unprofitable to purchase an expensive gas boiler for a poultry house for 30 or 50 chickens. Moreover, for gas equipment constantly needs to be monitored.
Furnace heating	This category includes the usual potbelly stove. However, its use involves a number of difficulties. The problem is that due to high humidity, the metal is susceptible to corrosion. In addition, it is always necessary to have a supply of coal / firewood. It is also necessary to constantly maintain combustion, build a separate chimney, insulate the heating elements of the furnace, and strictly observe fire safety. All this requires a lot of labor.
Diesel oven	This oven is safe to use. It does not smoke and has low power.
Buleryan	This is a special air-convection stove that works efficiently on different types of fuel.
Infrared heaters	As you know, an infrared heater does not heat the air, but objects. This method has its advantages, as the objects will retain heat longer than the heated air escaping through the ventilation ducts. Such heaters with a power of not more than 500 W can be fixed to the ceiling.
Water heating	If the chicken coop is attached to a residential building, then water heating can be brought into it. Given that the heat inside the house is maintained regularly, the proper temperature will always be maintained in the poultry house.

As you can see, there are many ways to create a poultry house heating. You should choose the one that you can organize and that will pull the family budget.

Video: features of the organization of heating

Insulation without energy costs - an innovative solution

We have considered with you the traditional solution regarding how to arrange heating inside the chicken coop. When installing artificial heating, a lot of money is spent, and if you use the technology described above for natural heating, you have to make a lot of effort to control the level of humidity, otherwise there is a risk of fungus and mold.

Considering all the pros and cons, some gardeners resort to an original solution using the Netto-Plast mixture used for spaceships. The net layer is bacteria that should settle on the floor in the poultry house, namely in the prepared litter. The composition is packaged in packages of 0.5 and 1 kg. According to some estimates, 1 kg of this mixture will be enough to heat 20 m 2. In this case, these bacteria will live for about three years.

To begin with, sawdust is poured into the chicken coop, you can also add oat husks and dry straw. All components are thoroughly mixed with each other. Next, Netto-layer bacteria should be evenly poured onto the resulting mixture and mixed again.

Heat in this case will appear in this way:

• The feces of the hen fall on the bedding.
• When they come into contact with these bacteria, heat begins to be released. At the same time, an unpleasant odor is completely eliminated.

In another way, it is called a fermentation litter. From time to time, it is enough to slightly loosen the bedding and, if necessary, add sawdust or straw. However, you do not have to clean the chicken coop.

At a temperature outside of -20°C inside the poultry house, it can be +15°C. If the frosts are stronger, then you can additionally connect temporary electric heating.

This solution has many positive aspects. For example, there is a large cost savings due to the fact that electricity and fuel are not completely consumed. After a while, there is no need to clean the chicken coop, as the composition of the bacteria can lie with the litter for about 3 years. And after this time, you can get high-quality fertilizer for the garden.

Ventilation of the interior: several common ways

With the onset of winter, ventilation plays an important role in keeping birds, although in the summer it is not the least important. It’s just that everything is simplified in the summer, because you can open doors, windows and organize an influx of fresh air. Decaying chicken manure releases a harmful substance - ammonia. If good ventilation is not established, then there is a serious risk of illness for chickens and even for the person who will serve the chicken coop. Worst of all, due to the lack of ventilation, the walls and all the interior decoration will begin to rot and become unusable. For this reason, even at the stage of project development, it is important to consider the manufacture of ventilation.

When developing a ventilation project, it is worth considering some nuances. For example, in winter, the flow of fresh air must be strictly regulated. Otherwise, there is a chance that the temperature will drop quickly, and the chickens will be cold. You should also minimize the presence of drafts, which also negatively affects the health of the bird.

So, there are 3 most common ways to organize ventilation in a chicken coop:

• mechanical or forced;
• natural;
• supply and exhaust (a kind of natural).

Let's consider separately the features of each of them.

mechanical ventilation

Forced ventilation is beneficial if you have a lot of chickens and the chicken coop has a large area. Under such circumstances, it is important to organize a stable change of air. It's easy to implement. We will provide you with a quick guide to this process. Additionally, you can watch videos:

Stages of work	Manufacturing process
	To begin with, the place where the fan will be installed is determined. Some decide to install it in the wall, instead of a window or even in a pipe. In the latter case, the fan diameter must match inside diameter pipes. How to make such ventilation, you can learn from the prepared video.
	Having decided on the place, for example, in our case it will be a window or a window, if any, the glass is removed. Plywood will be installed in its place, so the size of the plywood must match the size of the window opening.
	Using a screwdriver and self-tapping screws, plywood is fixed in the opening. First, a hole should be made in the plywood according to the diameter of the fan.
	Now you can install the fan, securing it also with self-tapping screws.
	After installing the fan, it is necessary to bring an electrical cable to it. Here you can use a wire with a cross section of 2 × 2.5. A switch is also installed to control the fan.
	Make sure that all cable clamps and connections are carefully insulated. In addition, it is better to place the wire in a protective corrugation.

Additionally, the system can be equipped with temperature sensors to control the operation of ventilation. You can also purchase equipment to automatically turn on / off the fan. How to do this, you can learn from the video.

Video: organization of forced ventilation

natural ventilation

This type of ventilation is the easiest to organize. There are 2 interesting solutions that we offer you to choose from. Let's compare them and note the pros and cons:

2 ways	Technology features
Open vent/window	This is perhaps the most primitive way of organizing ventilation. But this method is relevant only for summer chicken coops. In the winter season, warm air will cool very quickly due to the open window and vents. Plus, you have to constantly run to open / close the window in time. This method is used in exceptional cases.
Installation of a pipe for air inflow and outlet	In this case, the ventilation process is automated. We note right away that this method is also relevant if you keep 100 chickens or more, and the room has an area of ​​\u200b\u200bup to 20 m 2. So, you will need 2 pieces of pipe Ø200 mm. Accordingly, one pipe will be installed for inflow, and the other for air outlet. The installation of the pipe is carried out in different corners of the chicken coop, or rather, in the opposite. The exhaust pipe can be installed near the bird perch at a distance of up to 200 mm from the ceiling. The outlet of the exhaust pipe is recommended to be arranged at a height of 1.5 m from the roof level. To prevent cold air from blowing on chickens, the supply pipe should be led out in the opposite corner from the chickens' perch. The lower end of the pipe should be at a height of 200 mm from the floor, and up to 300 mm from the roof level. A special umbrella is put on the upper end of the pipe, which will prevent rain, snow, birds and other things from entering the ventilation duct. The ventilation pipe must be insulated to prevent condensation. For effective work systems in winter, it is recommended to install dampers in the channel, which will prevent the rapid escape of warm air. Although in severe frosts there is a high probability of freezing of the pipe.

We offer you to watch a video that tells about the manufacturing technology of such a ventilation system.

Video: making natural ventilation in a poultry house

Building a frame chicken coop: step by step instructions

To consolidate all the material, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with step by step instructions construction at home. In addition, you can watch the videos:

Instructions with photos and explanations for the construction of a simple wooden frame chicken coop on a columnar foundation
Stage of work	Technological process
	First you need to make support pillars. Given the weight of the entire structure of the chicken coop, steel pipes Ø100–150 mm should be used at the base of the poles. You will also need a sheet of metal cut into squares. The thickness of the metal is not less than 4 mm. The cut out squares should be welded to the support posts. Immediately it is worth noting that the pillars should all have the same size.
	The next step is to choose appropriate place under construction. Using wooden pegs and a rope, the territory is marked. This is an important stage of work, because the final result largely depends on the quality of the preparatory work.
	After marking, it is necessary to remove the fertile soil layer on one shovel bayonet up to 250 mm. At the corners of the dug hole, support poles are installed for the future poultry house. It is important to pay special attention to their installation. They must be installed strictly vertically. Moreover, the upper sole of all 4 supports must be strictly at the same level with each other. The soil under the sole of the post must be compacted. If the soil in your area is unstable, then a sand cushion is sure to be made. A layer of sand and gravel is poured to the bottom. The pillow is rammed, after which the support poles are mounted. Even if there is a small horizontal difference, it can be leveled by attaching the lower harness.
	Installed support poles must be treated with an anti-corrosion compound, and also painted over with water-repellent paint. This will serve as additional protection. After that, the installation of the upper strapping from the board is carried out. For this purpose, you can use a board 150 × 50 mm. First, a bar is attached to the metal sole from two short sides. For this purpose, a hole is drilled in the metal, as well as in a bar. Fastened with steel bolts. After that, two boards are laid on top from the long sides and fastened in the same way. The fastening must be strong and reliable, because the quality of the future construction will depend on it.
	When the base is ready, we proceed to the manufacture of a wooden frame. However, before this, the dug hole is covered with soil (it can also be crushed stone), which is rammed. Support poles are installed at the corners, which can be fixed with metal corners and self-tapping screws to the previously laid wooden trim. An opening is immediately formed to enter the chicken coop. For greater strength, stiffeners are created in the middle of the height of the building. The beam can be 600 × 500 mm.
	Now it's time to arrange the roof, in this case the roof has 2 slopes. The rafters are installed and attached to the upper trim of the frame.
	The rafters are additionally fixed with spacers to give the roof the necessary rigidity. The formed attic can be used to store hay, sawdust and other things.
	When the frame is completely ready, you should proceed to its sheathing. Outside, such a chicken coop can be sheathed with plywood. The walls of the frame must be insulated with mineral wool. Inside the walls can also be sewn up with plywood, as well as other sheet material. As for the roof, metal tiles are used for it. The roof must be insulated. Inside, the ceiling is hemmed with plywood or similar material. Some use drywall.
	Here you can see that an additional place for walking birds is organized. A bar and a metal mesh were used as a frame. In addition, the perimeter of the foundation is sheathed with a mesh. This will exclude the penetration of predatory animals to the bird. Doors must be installed in the aviary so that cleaning can be done inside. A ladder is also made for the exit of chickens from the house to the street. The ladder is constructed from boards, the transverse boards at the same time give rigidity to the structure and serve as steps.

Many summer residents and people living in private homes are engaged in keeping chickens. Like other living creatures, chickens need a 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

The health and egg production of poultry is directly dependent 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 survive the winter well, but also maintain egg production and total mass body.

Types of insulated chicken coops

An ordinary chicken coop is a barn, near which there is a platform for walking birds in the 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 mixture of the M500 brand, steel reinforcement Ø18 mm and an edged board are used.

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 is a 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 walls being built depends on the temperature regime in the region;
• brick - 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 the best choice the material for the walls will be wooden beams and OSB. 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.

To modern materials for insulation, which can be used for thermal insulation of 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, as well as using special computer programs for design.

Opposite each 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 the construction of 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 the total weight of the structure, 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:

1. 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.

2. 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.
3. 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.

4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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

7. After 10 days, the surface of the foundation is covered with roofing material, on which a wooden strapping made of a 20 × 20 cm beam is laid. The strapping is a box of 4 blanks, which 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.
8. 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.

9. 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:

1. 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.

2. 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.
3. To strengthen the structure in places where it will be located Entrance door, a window for the exit of the bird to the outside and windows, 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

4. 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.
5. 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

6. 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.
7. 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

8. 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, as well as 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 boards.

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. Processing tools are used personal protection: goggles, bathrobe, 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.