How to build a warm chicken coop with your own hands - step-by-step instructions. The simplest chicken coop at the dacha with your own hands Build a chicken coop at the dacha

On a country plot you can not only have a wonderful rest, you can use the free space for a variety of human needs. Surprising someone with the presence of a chicken coop is no longer easy. If the owner decides to thoroughly engage in breeding chickens, then preference should be given to capital construction. A small room and cramped conditions will lead to the bird not laying eggs well or gaining weight. What's the point of keeping it then?

The subtleties of choosing a suitable place for a chicken coop

A lot depends on the location of the future building. Thanks to this, you can make a choice in favor of one or another design you like. If we talk about the basic principles, they look like this:

Location. The most ideal place is elevated. Lowland terrain creates certain difficulties for birds to walk, and constant dampness will not benefit the health of birds. In addition, melt water can remain here for a long time, and heavy precipitation will lead to flooding of the room.
If you choose a rectangular building, then its length should be located from west to east. It is recommended to place window openings on the south side, and doors are made in the east wing. This arrangement of windows will allow for maximum illumination of the room, which is very important for egg-laying breeds of chickens. On very hot summer days, windows should be shaded to prevent the temperature inside the room from rising.
Temperature regime. Birds do not tolerate both low and high levels well. At +25 degrees, chickens begin to lay half as many eggs; as soon as the increase continues, productivity may completely disappear. When the heat sets in, it is recommended to use plywood shutters to cover the windows. In winter the normal value is +12 degrees.
No noise. It is important that there are no noisy highways, rest areas, rural roads, etc. near the chicken coop that could disturb the peace of the hens. You can plant a hedge next to the bird house.
Free space. The choice of location for construction is determined by the scale of the construction and based on the standard that two chickens must have at least 1 square meter of area. When constructing permanent buildings intended for wintering, the presence of a vestibule is taken into account; it will help maintain heat in the chicken coop. It is not recommended to build everything back to back and according to the standards, it is better to provide a small reserve, for example, for a place to store feed.

Features of wooden buildings

Before starting construction, it is necessary to make a sketch of the future building, preferably in a drawing version. The interior arrangement of the chicken room should be planned there. Based on the standard, there will be one square meter for two birds. If you plan to keep five heads, then you will need 2.5 square meters; another 30% is put under the nesting houses. In total, for 5 birds you will need a room with an area of 3.2 square meters, however, you can add 2.8 square meters if the flow height is 1.8 meters.

It is important to use quality wood for construction. How to choose lumber, you can find out here.

a columnar foundation will be an ideal foundation for construction;
for the construction of the body, a frame made of 100X50 beams is used;
the cladding of the floor, ceiling and side walls is made from tongue-and-groove boards;
the roof is pitched, the simplest option.

To insulate the room, you can use polystyrene foam, but it will need to be covered from birds so that they cannot peck at it.

Foundation and frame

After the farmer has decided on the location for the construction of the bird house, the land is marked, as well as the water level. If the soil on the site in the spring, after the melting of the snow cover and the flood, continues to remain damp for a long time, and therefore we can conclude that the water level is quite high, which means that drainage will be required by connecting a pipe to the general drainage system on the site.

When the contours of the future building are drawn, you will need to dig 5 pits, their depth is half a meter, for casting and laying out the foundation pillars. The role of reinforcement can be played by unnecessary wire, and the formwork can be made from scraps of boards. The supports are 15x15 cm in size and erected to a height of at least 30 cm above the soil. As soon as the concrete sets, it is necessary to clean the ends of the posts and align them along the general horizon line.

Then you need to assemble the base part, its trim and lay the logs. To protect the room from small rodents, it is recommended to stretch a metal mesh with thin cells over the bars, not forgetting to leave a reserve of half a meter. After the frame is made, the mesh around the edges is used for interior wall cladding.

It's time to install the corner posts of the frame part. They are aligned in a vertical plane. Temporary jumpers are used to secure them together. After the installation of the upper part of the frame has taken place, the ceiling beams of the walls have been erected, the floors have been laid and the ceiling has been mounted, everything can be sheathed with uncut and tongue-and-groove boards.

To equip the roof you will have to use roofing materials; remnants from the previous roofing of buildings erected at the dacha will do. The most practical option is slate, which has the qualities of a resistant material.

Interior arrangement

Entrance doors and walking space for birds are located so that they can be easily viewed from the house or from the garden. In the summer, the bird sits on its perch when the sun sets; in order to close the doors to the chicken coop after all the inhabitants are inside, the owner needs to be able to control this process. Installing a lamp above the front door or vestibule greatly simplifies the task.

Often, owners are not limited to one door. In the summer, a version of the door is hung, where the core is replaced with a steel fine-mesh mesh. This method allows for more efficient ventilation of the room. Similarly, you can block windows in the summer by removing the glass and replacing it with mesh.

As for the ventilation system, a supply option is also suitable for a small chicken coop. It is enough to cut a window on the back wall near the ceiling, its size is 10x15 cm. Air circulation is carried out by opening the front door.

To insulate a room for the winter, you can pay attention to how country houses are insulated. The simplest option is to use wooden lining, covering it with polyethylene, etc.

The importance of nesting houses and perches

The internal arrangement of the chicken coop includes the installation of containers for feed, water, perches and nests where the bird will lay eggs. If you plan to keep about a dozen heads, two or three houses located indoors will suffice. In the summer, it is recommended to install nests in the walking yard. The same goes for perches. The diameter of the attachments is calculated depending on the breed. Sticks of the same thickness will not suit dwarf and meat breeds.

To keep nesting houses clean, it is recommended to make a triangular-shaped canopy or roof (of the house) over them. It will be difficult for chickens to climb onto such a surface. Hay, straw or other suitable material is used as bedding in the nests, which must be changed as needed. It is recommended to place nests in a chicken coop in a place with a minimum amount of lighting.

Perches can be either stationary or collapsible. The second option is somewhat preferable. In this case, it is convenient to wash and disinfect the poles as needed.

Walking space

Constantly being indoors, even if it is very well equipped, is not very beneficial for chickens. The bird should be able to go for walks. Exercise is good not only for health, but also because in the summer, being in the fresh air allows the owner to significantly save on feed. Chickens will find their food right in the yard.

Video: how to build a chicken coop at your dacha with your own hands

Using a small chicken coop may not always satisfy the requirements of the poultry farmer. Such designs are supplied ready-made, but an experienced poultry farmer knows what results he wants to achieve from his laying hens. Therefore, he builds a chicken coop according to his preferences.

Design options for country chicken coops

one-story portable chicken coop;
mobile arched chicken coop;
chicken coop in the form of a wheelbarrow;
mobile chicken coop trailer;
mini chicken coop on rollers.

Such structures can be moved around the site at any time; they weigh little. But they fit a small number of heads.

An ideal option for a family is a barn with a run for 5-20 chickens. When keeping 5 chickens, 3 square meters is enough. m. The larger the livestock, the larger the housing size required. 10 individuals require a minimum of 5 sq. m, 20 chickens - 10 sq. m. If the hen gets fat, then they begin to lay worse, so more space is allocated for them. If a poultry farmer raises broilers, then the chicken coop can be made smaller so that the bird moves little and gains weight.

Before you start building a chicken coop with your own hands, you need to think about the appropriate size for it. They also think about seasonality and location. If positioned correctly, it can become a decorative part of the garden.

Professionals for beginner poultry keepers It is advised to build a barn for chickens next to the house and comply with the following conditions:

What is the best material to build a chicken coop from at the dacha?

Build a chicken coop with your own hands possible from improvised means. Common materials for building a country chicken coop:

wooden beam;
wooden lining for wall cladding;
galvanized sheet for making a pull-out tray under the perch;
chain link for the walking area;
roofing felt

Creating a green roof (plants on top) protects the chickens from overheating and adds beauty to the structure.

When it is not possible to purchase materials for construction, you can use those at hand. For example, pipes, pallets, polycarbonate.

Wooden structural elements are coated with a solution that protects the wood from moisture and pests.

How to build a comfortable chicken coop

It is not difficult to create a comfortable environment for chickens; it is important to follow the sequence of actions. When building a chicken coop at the dacha, you will need to collect a sufficient number of beams and boards, which will become the basis of the structure. Cement and brick are used for the foundation. It is worth thinking about insulation; for this, mineral wool, sawdust and roofing felt are prepared. To fence the walking area you will need several meters of chain link. The list of tools includes:

screws, nails;
level, ruler;
saw;
shovel;
hammer.

This kit is considered a basic kit; additional tools may be required during assembly.

Foundation

In some cases, the construction of a foundation is not required: when constructing a small chicken coop. In this case, care must be taken to ensure that predators do not attack the chickens. Metal plates are installed around the perimeter of the chicken coop.

When the poultry house is large, building the foundation becomes an important step. And the best option is columnar. In this case, floor ventilation will be good. It can be made from inexpensive materials and is easy to construct:

They study the drawing, prepared in advance, and drive metal rods around the perimeter, connecting them with rope.
The top layer of soil 20 cm deep is removed.
The support bollards are placed around the perimeter at a distance of at least 1 m (a 60 cm hole is prepared for each post).
The posts are placed level with an elevation above the soil surface at a distance of 30 cm.

The construction of the columnar foundation ends here. They give him time to compact it. To do this, leave it for 5 days.

If you want to build a chicken coop not only for summer use, but also for winter use, you need to take care of preparing a strong floor that will retain heat well. For this purpose, a double floor is made: the first layer is the “subfloor”, which is made from any boards; the second is the “main floor” made of high-quality boards without gaps. Beams and a layer of insulation are laid between the layers.

Frame and walls

Not only the floor must retain heat, but also the walls. Therefore, it is recommended to build a chicken coop from high-quality timber, leaving openings for windows for ventilation. The beams are fixed and covered with boards on the outside and inside, and a layer of heat insulator (sawdust, mineral wool) is placed between them.

Walls must be at least 1.8 m in height. Otherwise, the chickens will become crowded and egg production will decrease. To improve the appearance, the chicken coop is painted or decorated with finishing materials based on budgetary funds. The windows are removable so that the chickens feel comfortable during the hot season.

Roof

It is convenient to place all the necessary equipment for chickens under the roof. That's why they make it gable. Snow does not accumulate on it, which helps to avoid dampness indoors.

The procedure for making a roof:

lay insulation flooring (slag, expanded clay);
fasten ceiling beams at an angle;
roofing felt is attached;
covered with slate or other roofing.

As you can see, it is not difficult to build a gable roof.

Inner space

Particular attention is paid to interior decoration. Nests and perches are placed in such a way that the hens lay eggs well. The calculation of perches is simple:

one chicken needs at least 30 cm;
You will need a beam of 40x60 mm, it is rounded;
placed at a height of 80 cm from the floor;
Trays are placed under the perches to collect chicken droppings.

Perches cannot be placed on top of each other.

Arrangement of nests:

take boxes filled with sawdust (wicker baskets);
they are placed in the corners of the poultry house (height above the floor 40 cm);

Dry material or straw is laid on the floor for the convenience of the chickens, this will make them more comfortable. Litter will accumulate on it, making cleaning easier.

Aviary

In the spring, chickens are separated into groups of 10-12 and provided with a separate place to roam. If the chickens are cramped, then this becomes the cause of the development of infectious diseases.

For a chicken coop with a walk, an aviary is additionally equipped, the size of which should be 2 times larger than the poultry house. They build it on a flat, green area so that later, when walking, the chickens will have enough nutrients that they will find in the grass and soil.

To build an enclosure prepare:

bars;
metal mesh.

The chicken pen consists of several sections. One of them is hung with loops and used as a gate.

Construction of a summer chicken coop for broilers

To breed broilers with your own hands, you can build a small chicken coop. 5 square meters is enough for a dozen chickens. m.

Making a chicken coop:

Using self-tapping screws and boards, 2 side frames are assembled. The upper part is fixed with self-tapping screws. At the bottom, a board is fixed at a distance of 35 cm from the bottom. In the middle part, spacers are attached and a rectangular sheet of plywood is laid; it will act as a ceiling and floor at the same time and impart rigidity to the structure.
A chain-link mesh is secured with staples or nails and a door is made.
The role of the roof is performed by two sheets of plywood attached to the sides. The ridge is formed by two horizontal boards.
The feeder and drinker are attached to the door. Set up a perch and nest made of straw.

If there are no self-tapping screws, use nails. They are not driven in completely and bent so that the bird does not get hurt. For convenience, the birds prepare a ramp from a piece of plywood with transverse slats.

Lighting in the chicken coop: window installation and electricity

To ensure maximum light penetration into the chicken coop, window openings are made on the south side. If there is not enough lighting for chickens, they become lethargic and lay eggs less often.

The total area of window openings must be at least 1/12 of the floor area.

Windows must be opened to allow fresh air to enter. They are protected by a net from predators. In summer the windows are opened.

In order to organize artificial lighting, lamps are installed based on the required power of 5 W per 1 m2. Using a relay, you can regulate the length of daylight hours; in winter it should be 17 hours. Places with nests are shaded, and drinking bowls and feeders, on the contrary, require good lighting.

Capital chicken coop for all seasons

If you plan to raise chickens in your dacha all year round, then the chicken coop needs to be insulated. An additional heating system is installed to ensure high egg production in winter. The windows need to be glazed and the cracks sealed if the frames are old.

Foundation of an all-season chicken coop must be durable. For the purpose of its construction, a hole 0.5 m deep is prepared. Formwork is installed around the perimeter and filled with concrete. Wait several days for complete hardening.

The thickness of the walls should be more than 20 cm. Mineral wool is used for thermal insulation. Windows and doors should be tightly closed to prevent drafts. The floor is insulated with polystyrene foam and a metal mesh is placed to protect against rodents. The boards are laid on top of the mesh. They make the floor warm.

Perches for laying hens in the country

After construction is completed, it is necessary to pay special attention to the organization of perches and nests where it will be convenient for chickens to lay eggs. A dozen chickens need 3 nests. In the summer, perches are installed in the walking area, the distance between which should be half a meter above the floor. The nests are filled with straw and changed regularly. Canopies are made over the perches.

Hay is not used because it rots and becomes a medium for the spread of small pests and infections.

Bright lighting for chickens - the reason for the decrease in egg production. Therefore, the nests should be less illuminated than the rest of the chicken coop.

For a chicken coop with year-round housing for chickens, additional ventilation is made from corrugated pipe. They make a hole in the ceiling and bring the pipe up. This ensures good ventilation and prevents drafts.

With proper arrangement of the chicken coop: creating natural exhaust ventilation, proper lighting and a warm room; the birds will lay eggs all year round.

At your summer cottage you can provide yourself not only with fresh vegetables and fruits, but also with homemade poultry and chicken eggs. You can make a chicken coop at your dacha with your own hands. The main thing is to understand how many chickens there will be. It is better to carry out construction using drawings with exact dimensions.

Project and drawing with dimensions of a country chicken coop

An important aspect in building a chicken coop is the choice of installation location. It is necessary to prevent the smell from the bird from penetrating into the house. Chickens also need peace and do not like noise. Therefore, it is better to build in remote areas of the site. You should not combine the building with a barnyard.

A walking area is set up next to the chicken coop. Enough . A platform of 2 x 10 m is built for 10 chickens. Calculations are made taking into account that there will be at least 2 m2 per head.

Design option and diagram of a chicken coop for installation on the site

Advice. In the absence of sufficient area, you can resort to making tunnels. They are mounted around the perimeter of the area and allow the birds to run around to their heart's content.

It is better to install the building on an elevated plot of land. Then the soil will warm up faster, and moisture will not linger on the surface. It is necessary to provide for a shady and sunny side. It is recommended to place the windows in the sun and the exit in the shade.

Names of elements and design of the chicken house

What materials to choose for a chicken coop in the country

The simplest chicken coop can be built from scrap materials. If only summer operation is planned, then plywood or OSB is chosen as the main material for the walls. First, a standard frame is created, which is sheathed with sheet materials. This design will be enough to protect the chickens from adverse weather conditions.

The winter chicken coop needs to be well insulated. Plywood and fiberboard can be used as a base. Other building materials are also used: foam blocks, timber or sandstone. It is better to install the roof in a chicken coop for 10 chickens from slate, ondulin or roofing felt.

You should not install metal roofing. During rain or hail there will be a lot of noise, and birds don’t like it.

Due to these manifestations, the quality of weight gain and the number of eggs laid is significantly reduced.

Roofing option made of soft tiles

It is better to use mineral wool or polystyrene foam as insulation. These are cheap and beneficial materials for.

Small mice can live in such insulation. Therefore, they are covered on both sides with a metal mesh with a minimum cell size.

An example of insulating a chicken coop with foam sheets

The best option is extruded polystyrene foam. Its price is higher, but the effect is better. Due to its properties, it repels fungi and insects. Rodents will not chew holes in it. It can be laid up to 3 cm thick.

How to build a chicken coop at your dacha with your own hands

It is better to build from four-edged timber measuring 100 x 150 mm. It is inexpensive and does not require skills when constructing a building.

Foundation

Before its construction, a drawing is created in order to understand how much material will be spent. The materials of the entire structure and the final weight of the building are taken into account. This will allow you to calculate the load on the base.
If the chicken coop is small for 5 chickens, it will be easier to build. Columns can be made of brick or stone. Around, which is filled with cement-sand mortar. Don't forget to create natural ventilation under the floor, it prevents rotting.

Floor

Floors also require proper installation. This will protect the birds from wind and freezing. It is better to use double flooring. First, a subfloor is created. To do this, use a simple unedged board. It must be dry! The next layer is vapor barrier.

Bars with a cross section of 100 x 100 mm are installed on top. Insulation is laid between them. Finally, the finishing floor is installed. It is better to make it from dry edged boards.
Builders recommend leaving ventilation ducts with grilles. During wintering they are tightly covered with panels.

Walls

Walls can be built in different ways and from different materials. We will consider the timber option. An insulator must be laid between the first crown and. The most affordable is roofing felt. It is laid on the surface in two layers.

Scheme of laying roofing material between the foundation and the crown

We must not forget about installing floor joists, which are also created from timber laid on edge. They are laid at a distance of at least 0.5 m from each other.

The connection of the crowns is best done using the tongue-and-groove system using a sealant. You can use simple flax jute fiber. They are often built from wood with natural moisture, so it is recommended to install dowels in corner joints. They will prevent distortions after the timber dries and shrinks.

Ceiling

If you don't have food storage space, consider this option. The internal attic space can be converted into small storage space.

At the initial stage, the ceiling beams are strengthened. The ceiling itself can be covered with any boards. An important part - . Two ventilation ducts are knocked together from scrap materials and installed at different ends of the building.

Options for installing natural ventilation in a chicken coop

The first should be at ceiling level, the second 40 cm lower. Using dampers, you can regulate the temperature inside the chicken coop. The ceiling also needs to be insulated, but a more affordable insulation option can be used. Expanded clay or coal slag are suitable.

Construction of a chicken coop inside - how to properly build a roost

When the initial work on the construction of the chicken coop is completed, interior decoration begins. The main part is the roost, where the chickens spend most of their time.

Several bird perch design options

There should be at least 30 cm of perch per individual to make it comfortable. If a chicken coop is being built for 10 chickens, then the total length of the roost should be at least 3 m.

A good poultry house is a guarantee of excellent health and high productivity of your birds. Finding themselves in cramped conditions, dampness, cold and darkness, poultry will by no means be able to provide even the needs of the breeder’s family with meat and egg products, let alone bring him a stable income. This is why coop comfort is important. How to independently build and equip a chicken coop at the dacha, what needs to be taken into account during construction and how to insulate the structure for the winter - we will talk about all this later in the article.

How to choose a place to build a chicken coop in your country house

Finding a good place for construction will help the summer resident-poultry farmer in the future to get rid of negative factors that affect the decrease in egg production of birds, defects in their development and diseases.

Important! To protect poultry from helminthiasis, feed the livestock with a fresh decoction of chamomile flowers or garden sorrel leaves for 3 days every month..

When choosing the right zone, it is important to focus on the following recommendations:

Give preference to elevated and well-lit areas. This arrangement of the chicken coop guarantees an acceptable level of moisture inside the room, and also provides the light necessary for laying eggs. Moreover, water will never accumulate on the elevations during thaws and precipitation.
Avoid swampy areas, lowlands and places with high dampness, since cold air masses and excessive moisture always accumulate in them. And these are not the best helpers when breeding chickens.
For a poultry house, look for a remote, cozy corner in your yard, where pets will not be frightened by the sounds of a busy road or other residents of the farm yard. It is desirable that people and animals appear in this place extremely rarely.
Try to ensure that the area chosen for the chicken coop corresponds to a rectangular shape, oriented from east to west.
In this case, the windows in this design should be planned from the south, and the northern wall should be protected by tall bushes or leaning trees. Plants will provide the bird with shade in the sun and protection from the piercing cold wind in winter. Besides, It is recommended to provide a walking area near the bird house.

It is fenced with a chain-link mesh or hedge, preventing living creatures from crossing the permitted boundaries.

Layout and dimensions

It is not advisable to build a room that is too large for raising chickens at the countryside. After all, in winter it will need to be heated and lit, and this will entail additional costs. In order for the future design to be practical and thoughtful, experienced poultry farmers advise initially doing the drawing work, designing all the details and nuances.
In order to determine the size of the poultry house, you need to understand how many birds it is designed for. If we are talking about one dozen birds, then 4 square meters will be enough, if 2–3, you need to expand to 10–12 square meters.

When calculating the required area, you should pay attention to the type of chicken breed you like. For example, meat hens require more space than egg hens, so experts advise that when designing the area of a poultry house, proceed from the fact that for each square meter there should be no more than 3 adult meat hens or 4 laying hens.

With a possible expansion of the livestock, a small reserve of space can be provided in advance, but it is important to take into account the costs of maintaining the premises. But in order to save money, it is not worth reducing the bird territory, since this is fraught with undesirable consequences. The behavior of chickens largely depends on the color of the lighting. For example, blue lamps have a calming effect, orange causes urges to reproduce, green stimulates the production of growth hormone, and red dampens the impulses of laying hens to cannibalism and pecking eggs.

Be sure to consider a walking area near the chicken house, the area of which is calculated based on the fact that each mature bird requires at least 2 square meters of space.
Therefore, for 30 birds you need to design an area of 20 to 50 square meters. m.

When the dimensions of the future chicken coop and aviary have been decided, you can move on to their internal layout. Experts advise having a lot of windows in the room on the south side, which will save on lighting. It is advisable that they have windows for ventilation.

But these openings must be placed in such a way as to exclude the possibility of drafts during ventilation.

In addition, inside the poultry house you need to design an area for rest and feeding. In the first, nests and perches are placed, and in the second, sawdust, feeders and lamps are hung for lighting. It is also important to provide a corner for keeping hens and young animals.

The drawings should be taken very seriously, having first thought through all the details of the future construction. The work done will allow you to prepare the necessary materials and also avoid mistakes.

How to build a chicken coop at your dacha yourself

Before you take up construction tools, you need to take into account the requirements for the future chicken coop. According to experienced chicken breeders, these include stable dryness, warmth and good lighting, regardless of the time of year.
Therefore, it is necessary to think in advance about the internal heating system and the method of external wall insulation (for example, using mineral wool, polystyrene foam or polystyrene), and also provide for the possibility of shading window frames in hot weather. And only then can construction begin.

Important! To minimize the risk of window glass breaking, experienced poultry farmers advise protecting them with bars or plywood shutters.

Selection and construction of the foundation

In order for the future structure to be durable, it must be erected on a concrete foundation. In addition, this solution will protect the bird house from the penetration of rats, mice and shrews. But such a neighborhood is extremely undesirable, since these small rodents are carriers of infections and helminths.

In practice, several options for creating a foundation are used, depending on the type of poultry kept:

Floor laying

Any foundation requires a durable heated floor. Concrete, clay and soil are absolutely not suitable for its construction. In such an environment, favorable conditions for dampness and cold will arise, which will harm the health of birds, so it is better to give preference to wooden boards.

With a possible expansion of the livestock, a small reserve of space can be provided in advance, but it is important to take into account the costs of maintaining the premises. But in order to save money, it is not worth reducing the bird territory, since this is fraught with undesirable consequences. The owners of the longest chicken tails are Chinese Fen Huang breed roosters. Their tail feathers flutter to a record ten-meter length. In their homeland, such chickens are considered the personification of life wisdom, truth and good luck..

To lay a plank floor, initially dig a 20-centimeter recess. After that, fill it halfway with crushed stone, glass and brick fragments, and only then fill it with concrete mortar.

Some summer residents share their experience of protecting the poultry house from the penetration of unwanted guests from the ground using a galvanized mesh with small cells (no more than 12 mm) placed at the bottom of the pit. Both methods require an additional layer of boards.

You can put roofing felt or thick rubber on top as insulation. This variation will make cleaning the room easier and will withstand high-quality disinfection using chemical detergents.

Building walls

The material from which the walls of the chicken coop will be built is determined taking into account the time of its operation. That is, 25 mm boards are quite suitable for summer cottage structures. But for winter rooms you should choose brick, cinder block, shell rock or thick beams. Plan the height of the structure within 190 cm.
Even craftsmen with little experience in economic construction will be able to erect the walls of a chicken coop.

To do this you need:

Cover the foundation with a sheet of roofing felt, which will prevent moisture.
Lay out the first row of beams so that their ends meet in half.
Lay beams with a section of 10 x 15 cm on top. In the future, as the height increases, every 50 cm it will be necessary to construct logs with the ribs down. In this case, a space is expected to form between the joining building materials, which will then need to be sealed with insulation. It will not be superfluous between each new beam.
Lay out subsequent crowns of beams, attaching them to each other according to the “tenon and groove” principle.
Make a fastening from dowels (wooden rods). They are driven into holes made in the beams by drilling. It is important that the rod completely pierces the material and enters the next beam.
It is advisable to insulate the erected walls on both sides with glass wool, and additionally cover the outside with plastic or foam plastic.

Important! If you plan to heat the chicken coop with a wood stove or potbelly stove, be sure to provide a concrete floor underneath it, as well as in a circle with a radius of 1 meter.

Roofing device

A shelter on a chicken coop can be made of varying complexity, depending on your existing construction experience. If it is not there, it is better to prefer the most basic single-slope option. But under a gable roof, chickens will be more protected from the scorching sun in summer and from the cold in winter.
And this will already affect the economic factor of maintaining the premises during the heated period. In addition, many summer residents specially make gable roofs in order to store work equipment and other gardening utensils in the resulting space.

To build such a roof, you need:

Prepare the rafters and install them at an angle of 35 degrees (if you want a higher room, you can adjust the position of the parts to 45 degrees), and then attach them to the constructed walls.
Lay the ceiling out of boards, attaching it to the walls.
Cover the chicken coop with any roofing material, attaching it to the rafters (slate, tiles, metal profiles).

Making the ceiling

If you want Choughs to lay all year round, you definitely need to insulate the ceiling. After all, according to the laws of physics, the heat generated inside the structure will constantly rise upward. To avoid its leakage, it is important to eliminate all cracks and holes in the plank ceiling.

To do this, it is necessary to make a double-sided flooring of glass wool or mineral wool (at least 10 cm), and then sew up both surfaces with sheets of plywood, chipboard or clapboard.
Some craftsmen recommend additionally covering the insulation on both sides with a vapor barrier film. This is done so that the material does not weather or become damp. In this case, the protection will need to be attached to the beams using a construction stapler. At the same time, make sure that its smooth side is turned inward.

Important! For stove heating, it is advisable to design an L-shaped chimney. This option will protect the bird’s home from increased moisture..

Doors and windows

The number of windows in the poultry house depends on its size. It is advisable to do them in the upper zone on the south side, which will provide better lighting of the room during the day.

The shapes of window frames can be chosen to your taste, but, according to construction canons, their dimensions cannot be less than ¼ of the floor area. The main thing is that the windows do not let the cold in. Therefore, they also need to be insulated. And to prevent birds from breaking the glass, immediately place protective bars on them.

Doors to the chicken coop are made not only for free access for birds, but also taking into account the maintenance needs of the premises. Don't forget that you will need to clean and disinfect it regularly. Therefore, you should not have any difficulties entering the structure.

Wood is ideal for such purposes. If desired, the doors can be equipped with an automated system so that they close at a certain time.

Microclimate

To ensure that the laying of eggs in laying hens is not interrupted, it is important, regardless of the time of year and day, to provide the pets with dryness, warmth and 17 hours of daylight. And for this, the builder needs to pay attention to the thermal insulation of the walls, the heating system in the room, and also eliminate all factors affecting dampness. But let's talk about all this in order.

Ventilation

If good ventilation is not provided in the poultry house, the chickens will be at risk of dampness, which is a favorable environment for the proliferation of pathogenic microflora. Regular ventilation of the room will help solve the problem.

Professional builders draw the attention of beginners to several methods of ventilation in poultry houses:

With a possible expansion of the livestock, a small reserve of space can be provided in advance, but it is important to take into account the costs of maintaining the premises. But in order to save money, it is not worth reducing the bird territory, since this is fraught with undesirable consequences. The largest chickens in the world are representatives of the rare Vietnamese breed Ga Dong Tao. There are about 300 of these fighting birds left. They are distinguished by an overly hypertrophied crest, massive build and very thick legs. Each limb of an adult is equal to the circumference of a child's arm.

Lighting

For high egg production, chickens need 14–17 hours of daylight. That is why, in addition to windows, additional lamps (LED, fluorescent, energy-saving or incandescent) must be provided in the poultry house. This solution will increase the egg productivity of laying hens by 30%.

It should be noted that in the warm season, when daylight lasts about 16 hours, there is no need for backlighting. It will be relevant exclusively from November to March.

At the same time, you should not pursue the goal of achieving record egg laying in black-billed whales by lighting the chicken coop around the clock. Constant light will only harm birds, because, regardless of the species, they need periodic darkness.

According to experts, it plays an important role in the processes of bone tissue formation and calcium absorption, which affects the strength of eggshells. The same applies to lamp power.
Experienced summer residents and chicken breeders advise limiting themselves to 1 60-watt lamp on an area of 8–10 square meters. If you prefer fluorescent ones, stop at a power of 40 watts, energy-saving - 15 watts.

Temperature

For feathered pets to function properly, it is important to maintain a stable temperature at +12...+20 °C. To this end, the summer resident needs to seal all the cracks in the room in advance and take care of its insulation, as well as eliminate the possibility of drafts.

However, do not forget that in the heat the bird may stop laying eggs altogether. That is why in the summer, ventilation must be running in an insulated room.

It is unacceptable for the temperature in the poultry house to exceed + 24 °C during the warm season, because this will not have the best effect on the quantity and quality of meat and egg products.

In regions with frosty, harsh winters, glass wool and polystyrene alone are not enough to maintain the desired temperature. There it makes sense to install additional heating devices or stoves. They should also be put into operation with the aim of maintaining humidity at a level of 50–60%.

Higher rates can trigger livestock mortality.

Arrangement of the poultry house inside

For the full functioning of chickens in the chicken coop, it is important to provide perches, nests, feeders and drinkers. In this case, an excess of items will only disturb the pets. The main task of the breeder is to create comfort for residents using a minimum number of attributes.

With a possible expansion of the livestock, a small reserve of space can be provided in advance, but it is important to take into account the costs of maintaining the premises. But in order to save money, it is not worth reducing the bird territory, since this is fraught with undesirable consequences. The carcasses of chickens of the French Bresse-Gali breed have the best taste, which since 1957 has been the only holder of the AOC quality mark. For the sake of this bird, the French annually organize a magnificent chicken show, where each producer is rewarded with a cash prize of 10 thousand euros.

Ideally, these are long poles with a diameter of 5–6 cm with a smooth, well-sanded surface. They are placed in the shaded area of the chicken coop opposite the front door. When installing a multi-tiered installation, you should make indents from the top row so that the choughs sitting on top do not stain the neighbors below with droppings.

Experienced poultry farmers recommend taking into account the characteristics of the breed of pets when constructing. For example, too high perches will not be available for large meat chickens, so it is advisable to place them at a level of 70 cm from the floor, and for all other varieties a height of 1.2 m will be acceptable.

When making poles, it is important to provide a distance of about half a meter for each chicken. If it is necessary to install parallel perches, it is recommended to leave at least 40–50 cm between them.

Nests

Their number depends on the number of livestock. It is advisable to build a nest for every 5 laying hens. Moreover, these attributes need to be installed not on the floor, but at a height of one and a half meters. A load-bearing wall is ideal for this.

You can use ready-made boxes as nests or make them yourself. The main thing is that the design corresponds to a height of 35 cm and a depth of 40–45 cm.

In a small chicken coop, it is advisable to combine the nests in a row, separating them with plywood partitions. It is important that the entrance hole is not wide and has a small threshold, which will prevent the eggs from rolling out.

To save space, you can make multi-tiered structures. In this case, the upper nests must be equipped with a sloping roof. This is done to prevent bird roosting.

The inside of the nest is covered with hay or dry straw, and a dummy egg is placed to lure the hens.

Feeders and drinkers

The range of farm products for equipping poultry houses today surprises even the most demanding customers with its richness. But it is much cheaper to build a drinking bowl and feeder yourself. However, the origin of these containers does not matter at all for birds. The main thing is their practicality and convenience.

Experts advise choosing wooden feeders for dry food, and metal or glass containers for wet mash. Lattice structures are ideal for fresh or dry herbs.

In addition, when choosing such utensils, you should take into account the shape of the containers. For example, rectangular flat trays with low sides are designed for feeding and watering chickens, since adults will climb inside and scatter the contents.

And trench-shaped structures with restrictive, removable gratings and special compartments for different types of food should be located outside the enclosures, providing access for pets to them. There are also variations of bunker feeders, which greatly facilitate the process of their maintenance (can be filled with a daily portion once).

For large poultry farms, the best option for drinkers is a nipple system. By the way, you can build it at home by drilling holes in a plastic bucket and equipping them with nipples.

In the chicken coop, feeders and drinkers are placed under lamps in a place away from the resting area. Depending on the mounting methods, they can be placed on the floor or suspended from a vertical support using brackets.
The main thing in choosing these containers is to comply with the following requirements:

vessels for feeding and watering chickens must be made in such a way as to prevent birds from getting inside, scattering the contents and contaminating it with their paws;
drinkers and feeders should be as easy to maintain as possible (after all, several times a day you will have to empty them of food residues, wash them and change the water as necessary);
These containers are considered ideal if they are not cramped for pets (the dimensions are calculated, leaving each adult a distance of about 15 cm), they are light, their shape and dimensions do not interfere with regular washing and cleaning.

With a possible expansion of the livestock, a small reserve of space can be provided in advance, but it is important to take into account the costs of maintaining the premises. But in order to save money, it is not worth reducing the bird territory, since this is fraught with undesirable consequences. Chickens, despite the prevailing stereotype about the limited capabilities of their brain, can remember about a hundred people, recognize their owner and orient themselves well in time.

Bath tray

What it will be does not matter to the chickens. The main thing is its availability, so in this case the breeder can use any volumetric container, taking into account the size of the birds. Ideally, a plastic tray 25–30 cm high is suitable. It should be filled with a mixture of sand, ash and fine granite screenings.

Winter insulation of the room

High-quality external insulation of the structure, including window frames and the attic, will help save on heating birds. In this case, the need for internal heating devices will be relevant only on severe frosty days.
To heat such rooms, many summer residents prefer the following options:

Natural- involves the use of foam plastic (50 mm thick), mineral wool or glass wool. They are recommended to cover insulated surfaces on both sides. Also suitable for these purposes are fiberboard, chipboard, plastic, lining, boards, and plywood. The gaps in the windows and between the joint parts are treated with construction foam, and the board elements are impregnated with a special liquid to protect them from damage and aging. Also, many breeders try to warm their birds with a thick layer of bedding (straw from awnless cereal crops, sawdust, pine needles). On winter days, a layer of about 7–10 cm is recommended. Subsequently, the soiled layer is not thrown away, but sprinkled with a new one. During the process of physicochemical reactions, the decomposition of chicken manure is accompanied by the generation of heat, which helps to maintain the desired level of optimal temperature and disinfect the room. In addition, hay or straw is stored in the attic to save heat.
Electric- carried out with the participation of infrared heaters, oil radiators or heat fans. Each of the units, to one degree or another, maintains the temperature regime of the room and combats excessive dampness. The only drawback of such heating is its costs. Many owners consider infrared heat lamps to be the most profitable of the listed methods of electric heating of a chicken coop, because during the heating process the room is also illuminated. In addition, such devices justify themselves with a high efficiency factor (98%). They heat not the air masses, but the objects underneath them. But for proper operation, it is important to place them at a distance of at least 0.5–1 m from the heated object. Also, do not forget about fire safety techniques.
Gas- provide for the presence of gas installations. Beneficial only on large farms. To heat several dozen chickens at the dacha, it is not advisable to buy an expensive boiler. And the system requires constant monitoring,
Wood-burning- carried out using an ordinary clay stove, potbelly stove or “buleryan”. Each of the devices justifies itself with good heat transfer and ease of operation. However, the installation of such structures requires special attention to compliance with fire safety rules.
Water- provides for the installation of steam heating, but is relevant only in cases where the chicken coop is adjacent to a residential building. It is necessary to equip the premises with additional pipes. However, even experienced builders will be unable to deal with the upcoming work on their own, so it makes sense to turn to specialists for help.

With a possible expansion of the livestock, a small reserve of space can be provided in advance, but it is important to take into account the costs of maintaining the premises. But in order to save money, it is not worth reducing the bird territory, since this is fraught with undesirable consequences. Hindus have long feared chicken because domesticated chickens were considered sacred animals. At the same time, every resident of India hunted their wild relatives.

Yard for walks

Each variety of poultry requires space to roam for full development. To protect the birds from other birds that carry infections, this area should be fenced with netting on the sides and top.
To prevent birds from digging and trying to get under the fence, it is recommended to deepen the mesh by 10–20 cm.

The size of the enclosure is calculated based on the number of feathered charges. The main thing is that the walking area does not restrict their physical activity.

It is advisable to pre-sow the allotted area with any grass suitable for grazing chickens (alfalfa, clover, sainfoin, goat's rue, amaranth, lawn mixture, knotweed, barley, mustard).

It is also important to leave an ash area inside where the black whales will bathe. In addition, an important detail of the walking yard is a canopy where the children can hide from the sun or from the rain. Drinking bowls also wouldn't hurt.

Some breeders plant this area on the north side with tall bushes, which will provide the chickens with shade and protection from the wind.

Even craftsmen with little experience in outbuildings will be able to make a homemade chicken coop. The main thing in this matter is to think through all the details, collect the necessary material and get to work.

If you are reading this article, then most likely you have decided to start breeding and keeping chickens. This idea has many positive aspects. For example, you will always eat fresh eggs and be able to prepare nutritious meals from them. In addition, domestic chickens also provide 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’s budget. However, first you need to make a reliable and durable chicken coop, which will create ideal living conditions for poultry.

The construction process consists of several important stages. Don’t assume that everything is simple, especially if you want to keep chickens in the winter. 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 construction processes and equipment. Interesting video materials, collections of photographs and diagrams will make the process of learning information fun. Step-by-step instructions will help you figure out how to build a chicken coop.

What should a house for chickens be like?

Birds, just like humans, need a comfortable habitat, so before starting construction it is worth highlighting several important factors that will allow you to create a warm and cozy chicken coop. There are a number of requirements for this room:

Temperature. If you plan to keep a bird in the winter, 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. In summer, the indoor temperature should not exceed 25°C. If these temperature conditions are not observed, the chicken will stop laying eggs.
Lack of moisture. To prevent chickens from getting sick, there should not be high humidity inside. Ventilation can solve this problem. There are several ways to organize it; it can be forced or natural.
Lighting. Light is life. As a result, the egg production of chickens depends on the availability of light. There should be light bulbs inside the coop that diffuse warm yellow light. To ensure lighting mode, some home craftsmen use automatic timers and relays that turn the light on/off at a given time. When conducting electrical wiring, you need to do everything so that all cables are inaccessible to chickens.

Calm. For a normal and quiet life for chickens, there should not be a lot of noise around. Therefore, the chosen location must be isolated from a busy country house.
Safety. This is another important criterion that ensures the bird’s peace of mind. The chicken coop must be protected from rodents and other predatory animals entering it. Considering this, many decide to build on a columnar foundation.

Video: features of keeping chickens in a chicken coop

Where is the best place to place a chicken coop?

The location of the poultry house is an important stage of the preparatory work. You need to think not only about yourself, so that no unpleasant odor penetrates into your residential building, but also about the comfort of the chickens. For example, some breeds do not like frequent intrusions into their territory. Because of this, they begin to lay eggs worse.

A suitable location would be a remote corner of your summer cottage. If you have a barnyard, it is important to remember that extraneous noise also negatively affects their egg production. Often many people decide to attach a chicken coop to an existing barn. But here take into account what kind of pet the chickens will be neighbors with - calm or mostly noisy.

When choosing a place, it is important to worry about a place for them to walk. You can often see chickens roaming throughout the yard. This does not add beauty, in addition, on the threshold of your home you may stumble upon a “gift” they left behind. The space for walking chickens should be limited. As a rule, up to 2 m2 is allocated per head. So, when keeping 20 chickens, the area should have dimensions of 4x10 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, making walking tunnels around the perimeter of the territory from a metal mesh.

The selected location should have both shaded and sunny 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 in cool weather.

Video: The Best Place for a Chicken Coop in a Barnyard

It is recommended to choose an elevated place to build a chicken coop. This will prevent flooding of the area during the rainy season or when snow melts. If this is not possible, then dig a drainage ditch to remove excess moisture. Although a hill can be made artificially by pouring crushed stone, gravel or earth.

It is advisable to place the windows of the chicken coop on the south side for better and longer sunlight entering the room. It is also recommended to install a hole, a door and build an enclosure on the south side. The south side is most protected from cold winds.

What size should the poultry house be?

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

If you plan to keep meat breeds, 3 heads should have at least 1 m2;
For keeping egg breeds for 4 heads - from 1 m2;
For breeding and keeping chickens for 15 pieces - from 1 m2.

Separately, it is worth mentioning about 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 2x5 m. As for the height, it should be comfortable for you when you have to go there. A ceiling that is too low will create discomfort when cleaning and cleaning the chicken coop. The optimal height is 2.2 m.

Taking this into account, it would 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 both for chickens and for its maintenance. On the other hand, it is much easier to implement a pitched roof. Nests can be installed in the low, dark part.

We have prepared several suitable diagrams and drawings. Based on them, you can make an individual project or build a poultry house from a ready-made one. We invite you to look at some interesting options in the next section.

Drawings and diagrams: ready-made projects for building 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 m2.
Availability of up to 4 slots.
Feeders should be along the wall and opposite the perch.
There must be access to the cleaning and feeding system from outside.
The drinker and feeder should rise at least 50–100 mm from the floor level.
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.
It is recommended to have an enclosure for walking.
Be sure to have a ladder to 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 internal space, a perch pole is installed. An ordinary piece of driftwood usually performs this role. Chickens can sleep on it.

When organizing a roost, it is important to consider that one bird will lay one egg every 1-2 days. Therefore, one place will be enough for 4 chickens. The perches should be high as this will prevent damage to the eggs. Moreover, they should be located in a clean, dry place and away from their overnight stay. Otherwise, chicken droppings may end up on the eggs.

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

On a summer cottage you can keep and raise no more than 40 chickens.
There should be at least 4 m from the chicken coop to the border of your territory.
If there is an adjoining residential building, then there must be at least 7 meters from the front door to the house.
When making an extension to a house, it is recommended to coordinate the project with the architectural commission.

If chickens are kept for personal use outside the city, there are no rules or restrictions.

Types of chicken coops based on needs

There are several types that can be built:

Build a new or reconstruct an existing premises

If you have a shed or garage that is no longer needed, you may want to consider remodeling it. You can save a lot on the purchase of building materials. You will only need to arrange the premises inside for normal living of chickens.

On the other hand, such a room is not always suitable. For example, inconvenient location, small area, etc. Today there are many ready-made schemes that will help you quickly develop a 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 premises, then make sure that there are no lumber inside it that was coated with lead paint or that was previously used to store various chemicals. All of this can have a detrimental effect on the health of chickens.

Stages of poultry house construction

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

Stage 1– design.

Stage 2- making the foundation.

Stage 3– construction of walls and partitions.

Stage 4- construction of the roof.

Stage 5– production of flooring.

Stage 6- “furnishings”.

Stage 7– insulation.

Stage 8– heating production.

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 basis of any structure

Installing the 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

When manufacturing a slab foundation, the working technology is as follows:

*Stages*	*Description of the work process*
Step 1 – marking	To begin with, using a cord and pegs, the perimeter of the future building is indicated.
Step 2 – digging	At this stage, the top fertile soil layer to a depth of 350 mm should be removed.
Step 3 - filling the pillow	Now the bottom of the base is filled with sand and small gravel. Everything is carefully compacted.
Step 4 - formwork	Before pouring concrete, plank formwork is installed around the perimeter of the foundation.
Step 5 - concrete work	Finally, a layer of concrete should be poured onto the manufactured cushion. A woven reinforcing mesh with cells up to 100×100 mm is first laid on the bottom. For concrete, M200 cement is used.

As you can see, the process of making a foundation is not that complicated. Although it requires 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 steel pipes, bricks, blocks and similar material can be used as support pillars.

Video: features of laying out the foundation

Wall construction technology

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

If a columnar foundation is chosen, 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 support posts, onto which the entire frame of the future chicken coop is fixed. It is recommended to use metal mesh to construct the walls of the walking area. It can be attached to a metal corner.

Another option for wall construction is polycarbonate. This building material is 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.

Adobe is often used. 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 leveling the surface.

As you can see, there are many construction 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 ensure that the walls are disinfected to avoid the appearance of fungus, bacteria and the like.

Video: building walls from OSB boards

Wall insulation - winter option

So, if you decide to insulate the walls with mineral wool, then on the walls you should make a frame of 50x50 mm beams. The beam is fixed strictly vertically. The pitch 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 pitch of the timber should be 590 mm. This will allow the mineral wool to be tightly packed without leaving any possible gaps.

The beams are secured 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, before laying mineral wool, a polyethylene film is fixed to the wall. Its installation should be carried out with an overlap of up to 150 mm.

The thickness of the thermal insulation layer must be at least 50 mm. If after installing the insulation you find gaps, they can be filled with polyurethane foam.

As for external wall insulation, it is better to use polystyrene foam or penoplex. For fastening, a special plastic dowel with a cap is used. This method of fastening is used when walls are built from bricks, blocks and the like. The thermal insulation layer must be covered with protective plaster using a façade mesh.

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

Roof – reliable protection from precipitation

The best option is a gable roof for the poultry house. Due to this, the ceiling height inside the room increases. If the roof is well insulated, then you won’t even need to fill the ceiling. For covering, the best option would be metal tiles or slate.

The technology for manufacturing a gable roof is as follows:

Rafters are installed on top of the wall frame.
A waterproofing sheet is laid and nailed onto the rafters. This is necessary to prevent the thermal insulation layer from getting wet. The film thickness can be 200 microns. Each waterproofing strip should be overlapped by up to 200 mm. It is advisable to glue them together with tape. Due to this, the coating will be completely sealed.
After this, it is necessary to fill the sheathing for the roof deck. It is stuffed on top of the waterproofing. The pitch of the sheathing will depend on the type of flooring chosen.
When the sheathing is ready, you can begin installing the roofing.

Video: making a poultry house roof

Ceiling insulation – additional protection from the cold

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

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

Chicken coop floors

Finishing the floor is one of the main activities in the interior arrangement of the 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’s not difficult to implement, especially if you have a columnar foundation:

Beams acting as joists are attached to the supporting frame.
The bottom needs to be hemmed with boards.
Insulation, such as mineral wool, is placed on top of the boards.
Next, the finished floor is laid from boards.

In the case of making 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 compacted. In this case, before laying the next layer, the previous one must dry. The process is quite lengthy, but the foundation will 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 other insulation or lay waterproofing. Mineral wool absorbs moisture. The further process of making the floor is as follows:

The base must be protected from penetrating moisture, so the top can be covered with roofing felt. The canvases must be glued together with a special bitumen mastic. Due to this, reliable waterproofing of the wooden flooring will be created, which will be completely protected from the penetration of waste from chickens.
A mound of sand, straw, hay or sawdust is placed on top of the flooring. However, hay and straw absorb moisture and dry out poorly. Because of this, the flooring will rot and provoke the appearance of fungi and bacteria.

To eliminate this possibility, the 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 a carpentry shop, sometimes even for free.

Poultry house interior design

One of the main places inside the chicken coop is the roost. A perch refers to 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 feeders and drinkers, they should be higher. Considering that chickens often have “showdowns” on the territory, dust may rise inside the chicken coop. To protect the drinker from dust getting into it, a small canopy should be made on top.

Nests should also be built. These places should be dark and secluded. This will ensure good egg production. There should also be bedding 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 lid. 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 bird's back. Due to this, the chicken will not scatter the food with its paws, but will reach it by slightly stretching its neck. The number of drinkers and feeders should be sufficient so that all chickens have enough of them.

Video: arrangement of the interior and exterior of the poultry house

Heating – comfort and coziness

Chickens can't handle the cold very well. Cold and drafts have a particularly strong negative effect on the legs of chickens, which freeze 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 the 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 raising chicks in an incubator, the chicken itself may not be warm enough. For these and other reasons, heating the chicken coop is necessary.

Video: chicken coop - winter version

Two heating methods: natural and artificial

Heating a chicken coop can be done using two methods. Natural heating means maintaining a comfortable temperature without the use of heaters. The bottom line is to use the bedding mentioned above.

In October, the floor is sprinkled with slaked lime 1 kg/m2. The thickness of the bedding made of peat, sawdust, hay or straw reaches 7 cm in thickness. As the chickens move in, the bedding gets trampled down and needs to be replenished. The flooring must first be turned with a pitchfork. By spring, the thickness of the litter can reach 25 cm.

The peculiarity of the litter is that during the composting process it generates heat. Accordingly, the temperature in the poultry house is stably maintained at about 12°C. The available heat slows down the decomposition of droppings and disinfects pathogens. 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 covered for a short time to prevent warm air from escaping quickly.

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

*Heating method*	*Features of heating organization*
Electric heater	This is one of the available and inexpensive heating methods. You can use different heaters, for example, convectors, air heaters, fan heaters, oil radiators, etc. It is necessary to select the power based on the area of the chicken coop and the number of chickens. The presence of automation will allow you to set the off/on mode.
Gas heater	Using gas to heat a poultry house is also no less effective, but only for large poultry houses. It is not profitable to purchase an expensive gas boiler for a poultry house for 30 or 50 chickens. Moreover, gas equipment must be constantly monitored.
Stove heating	This category includes an ordinary 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/wood. You should also constantly maintain combustion, build a separate chimney, insulate the heating elements of the stove, and strictly observe fire safety. All this requires a lot of labor.
Diesel stove	This oven is safe to use. It does not smoke and has low power.
Buleryan	This is a special air-convection stove that works effectively on different types of fuel.
Infrared heaters	As you know, an infrared heater heats objects, not air. This method has its advantages, as objects will retain heat longer than the heated air escaping through the ventilation ducts. Such heaters with a power of no more than 500 W can be mounted on the ceiling.
Water heating	If the chicken coop is attached to a residential building, then water heating can be installed in it. Given that the heat inside the house is maintained regularly, the poultry house will always be maintained at the proper temperature.

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

Video: features of heating organization

Insulation without energy consumption - an innovative solution

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

Considering all the pros and cons, some summer residents resort to an original solution, using the Netto-plast mixture used for spaceships. Net plastic is bacteria that should settle on the floor of the poultry house, namely in the prepared litter. The composition is packaged in packages of 0.5 and 1 kg. According to some calculations, 1 kg of this mixture will be enough to heat 20 m2. Moreover, 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 together. Next, Netto-Plast bacteria should be evenly sprinkled onto the resulting mixture and mixed again.

In this case, heat will appear as follows:

The chicken's feces fall onto the litter.
When they come into contact with these bacteria, heat begins to be generated. At the same time, unpleasant odor is completely eliminated.

This is otherwise called fermentation mat. From time to time, it is enough to lightly loosen the litter and, if necessary, add sawdust or straw. However, you won't have to clean the coop.

When the outside temperature is -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 decision has a lot of positive aspects. For example, there are large cost savings due to the fact that electricity and fuel are not consumed at all. After a while, there is no need to clean the chicken coop, since the composition of bacteria can lie with the litter for about 3 years. And after this time, you will be able to get high-quality fertilizer for the garden.

Indoor ventilation: several common methods

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 in the summer everything is simpler, because you can open doors, windows and organize an influx of fresh air. Decaying chicken droppings release a harmful substance - ammonia. If you do not establish good ventilation, then there is a serious risk of illness for the chickens and even the person who will serve the chicken coop. The worst thing is that due to the lack of ventilation, the walls and all interior decoration will begin to rot and become unusable. For this reason, even at the project development stage, 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 feel 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 type of natural).

Let's look at the features of each of them separately.

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 air change. It's not difficult to implement. We will provide you with a short guide to this process. Additionally, you can watch videos:

*Stages of work*	*Manufacturing process*
	First, determine the location where the fan will be installed. Some decide to install it in the wall, instead of a window, or even in a pipe. In the latter case, the diameter of the fan must match the internal diameter of the pipe. You can learn how to make such ventilation from the prepared video material.
	Having decided on a place, for example, in our case it will be a window or window, if there are 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 into the opening. First, a hole should be made in the plywood to the diameter of the fan.
	Now you can install the fan, also securing it with self-tapping screws.
	After installing the fan, you need to connect the electrical cable to it. Here you can use a wire with a cross section of 2x2.5. A switch is also installed to control the fan.
	Make sure that all cable terminals and connections are thoroughly 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 ventilation operation. You can also purchase equipment to automatically turn the fan on/off. You can learn how to do this from the video.

Video: organizing 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

Features of the technology

Open vent/window

This is perhaps the most primitive way of organizing ventilation. But this method is only relevant for summer chicken coops. In the winter season, warm air will cool down very quickly due to open windows and vents. Plus, you will have to constantly run to open/close the window in time. This method is used in exceptional cases.

Installation of pipes for air inlet and outlet

In this case, the ventilation process is automated. Let us immediately note that this method is also relevant if you keep 100 chickens or more, and the room has an area of up to 20 m2. So, you will need 2 pieces of pipe Ø200 mm. Accordingly, one pipe will be installed for air inlet and the other for air outlet. The pipe is installed in different corners of the chicken coop, or rather, in opposite corners. The exhaust pipe can be installed near the bird's perch at a distance from the ceiling of up to 200 mm. It is recommended to organize the outlet of the exhaust pipe at a height of 1.5 m from the roof level.

To prevent cold air from blowing on the chickens, the supply pipe should be placed in the opposite corner from the chickens' roost. The lower end of the pipe should be at a height of 200 mm from the floor, and at a height of up to 300 mm from the roof level. A special umbrella is placed 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.

To ensure efficient operation of the system in winter, it is recommended to install dampers in the duct, which will prevent the rapid escape of warm air. Although in severe frosts there is a high probability of pipe freezing.

We invite you to watch a video that describes the manufacturing technology of such a ventilation system.

Video: making natural ventilation in a poultry house

Construction of a frame chicken coop: step-by-step instructions

To secure all the material, we suggest you read the step-by-step instructions for construction at home. In addition, you can watch the following videos:

Instructions with photos and explanations for building a simple chicken coop from a wooden frame on a columnar foundation
*Work stage*	*Technological process*
	First you need to make support pillars. Considering the weight of the entire structure of the chicken coop, steel pipes Ø100–150 mm should be used as the base of the posts. You will also need a sheet of metal cut into squares. Metal thickness is not less than 4 mm. The cut squares should be welded to the support posts. It is immediately worth noting that the pillars should all be the same size.
	The next step is to select a suitable location for development. Using wooden pegs and 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 layer of soil by one shovel up to 250 mm. Support poles for the future poultry house are installed at the corners of the dug hole. 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 base of the post must be compacted. If the soil in your area is unstable, then a sand cushion must be made. A layer of sand and crushed stone is poured onto the bottom. The pillow is compacted, after which the support pillars are mounted. Even if there is a slight horizontal difference, it can be leveled by attaching the lower trim.
	Installed support pillars must be treated with an anti-corrosion compound and also painted over with moisture-repellent paint. This will serve as additional protection. Afterwards, the top trim from the board is installed. For this purpose, you can use a 150x50 mm board. First, a beam is attached to the metal sole on two short sides. For this purpose, a hole is drilled in the metal, just like in a beam. Fastened with steel bolts. Then two boards are laid on top on 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 this.
	When the base is ready, we begin making the wooden frame. However, before this, the dug hole is filled with soil (or crushed stone), which is compacted. Support posts are installed in the corners, which can be fixed using metal corners and self-tapping screws to the previously laid wooden frame. An opening is immediately formed to enter the chicken coop. For greater strength, stiffening ribs are created in the middle of the height of the building. The timber 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 secured to the top frame 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 begin covering it. The outside of such a chicken coop can be lined with plywood. The walls of the frame must be insulated with mineral wool. The inside of the wall can also be covered with plywood, as well as other sheet material. As for the roof, metal tiles are used for it. The roof must be insulated. The inside of the ceiling is lined with plywood or similar material. Some people use drywall.
	Here you can see that there is an additional area for poultry walking. Timber and metal mesh were used as a frame. In addition, the perimeter of the foundation is lined with mesh. This will prevent predatory animals from entering the bird. Doors must be installed in the enclosure so that cleaning can be done inside. A ladder is also made for the chickens to exit from the house to the street. The ladder is constructed from boards, the transverse boards simultaneously impart rigidity to the structure and serve as steps.