What is better to make a chicken coop for broilers. We are building a chicken coop for broilers in the country for the summer. Budget chicken coop for broilers: video
Broilers are special meat broilers, a feature of which is a quick weight gain with intensive fattening.
Broiler chickens can be kept in a chicken coop in two main ways:
The floor method implies the presence of broilers and is most often used in small farms with up to 30 birds. With cage content, the chicken coop can be smaller, but equipped with a good system.
The main building blocks of a chicken coop are:
- covered area;
- Tambour;
- Aviary.
Building Requirements
A chicken coop intended for year-round rearing of broiler chickens must meet the following requirements:
- Safety;
- The presence of a foundation and thermal insulation;
- The presence of a ventilation system and;
- Elevated location.
A building, especially made of wood, must be built in compliance with fire safety rules. It is not recommended to use wood or combined stoves for space heating, and there should be no protruding nails or wire inside, which chickens can get hurt on. and the foundation of the room should not be accessible to the entry of mice or mice that will steal and spread the infection.
The year-round room should not be cold, have drafts and / or cracks. The area of the ventilation windows should be at least 1/12 of the floor area of the chicken coop (if a through ventilation system is used).
The drawing of the building is drawn up taking into account the number of chickens that are planned to be raised.
There should be no more than 4 broilers per square meter of the chicken coop with the floor method of growing, and no more than 12-18 broilers with the cellular method.When choosing a place to build, it is important to consider following points:
- The chicken coop should not be located in a lowland;
- The place of construction should be away from the roadway and noisy places;
- Windows and the south side should not be shaded by buildings or large trees.
Rain and melt water accumulate in the lowlands, so when the chicken coop is located in such a place, the floor inside will be constantly damp and moldy. The best location of the building is on a small, flat hill, with the enclosure turned to the southeast. Many breeds of meat chickens do not respond well to loud sounds, get nervous and, therefore, the place where the chicken coop should be built should be quiet.
Chicken coop insulation
Warming a room for chickens is necessary for the following purposes:
- To reduce heating costs;
- To ensure rapid weight gain for broilers;
- To prevent colds and other diseases of chickens associated with cold.
It is best done during the construction process, which will save material and time. The floor, walls and ceiling of the building need insulation.
The basic principle of insulation is the creation of a layer of heat-insulating material in the thickness of the wall or floor, which will keep heat in the room. It is also important to avoid drafts and cracks.
When building a wooden chicken coop, as a heat-insulating material, the following is suitable:
- Mineral wool;
- Polymer filler;
- Foam or foam blocks.
For floor insulation, you can use deep bedding in which, due to the decomposition of organic substances, heat is released into the room. Such bedding is made from hay or straw mixed with sawdust or peat. The height of the deep litter is 30-40 cm, it changes every year or two. The farmer needs to remember that the use of deep litter is inevitably accompanied by the accumulation of toxic ammonia fumes due to poultry excretions, so there must be a mechanical ventilation system in the chicken coop.
Lighting and ventilation
The ventilation system can be of three types:
- window;
- From a plastic pipe;
- Mechanical.
With a window type, openings are installed in the room on opposite sides, which open at the same time at certain hours and provide blowing of stagnant air.
Ventilation from a plastic pipe involves the installation of two vertical pipes in the ceiling holes, one of which will reach almost to the floor, and the other will stick out of the ceiling by 30-50 cm. The principle of operation of such ventilation is based on the ability of heated air masses to rise. Thus, heated air, together with ammonia vapor and carbon dioxide, will exit the short upper pipe, and fresh air will flow through the long pipe instead.
The mechanical type is electric fans located in wall openings or ceiling. This type of ventilation requires energy consumption, but allows you to quickly and effectively get rid of stale air. The mechanical method can be combined with others by embedding fans in vertical pipes or window openings.
Many hours of light is essential for broilers, as extended daylight hours increase appetite and encourage hens to feed, leading to rapid weight gain.Suitable for lighting:
- Incandescent lamps;
- LED bulbs.
Fluorescent lamps and "energy-saving" bulbs in the form of spirals made according to the same principle are not recommended because of the flicker imperceptible to the eye at a frequency of 60 times per second. Such flickering has a bad effect on the well-being of chickens, they lose their appetite and become pugnacious, which does not contribute to their rapid fattening. In addition, if the chickens peck at these lights, the coop will be contaminated with mercury, which will make the chickens sick for the next few months.
Incandescent lamps require a significant amount of electricity, since most of the electricity is converted into heat. LED lamps will allow you to well sanctify the chicken coop, and their low level of electricity consumption makes them possible to be powered by solar panels on the roof of the chicken coop.
For every 5 square meters of chicken coop area (with a building height of 2 meters), there should be one 100 W incandescent lamp or one 11 W LED lamp.How to build a chicken coop for broilers
Tools and materials
For the manufacture of a wooden insulated chicken coop, designed to keep 20 broiler chickens, you will need:
- Cement and bricks for the foundation;
- Crushed stone or pebbles;
- Wooden beam 100x100 mm;
- Beam 100x50 for log;
- Planed board 15-20 mm thick;
- Mineral wool;
- Metal fasteners in the form of brackets;
- Metal profile;
- Nails and screws;
- Construction level;
- Drill with a screwdriver;
- Saw and hammer;
- Roulette;
- Ruberoid;
- Resin for construction;
- Foil insulation.
Instead of mineral wool, you can use another insulation. If the construction is carried out using sandwich panels, insulation is not needed. Metal brackets are designed for additional fastening of load-bearing beams and must be at least 3 mm thick and 50-100 mm wide.
Step-by-step instruction
Before making a building, you must select a place and make a drawing. For a chicken coop designed for 20 broilers, the scheme shown in Figure 1 is suitable.
Construction should begin with the preparation of the foundation.
It is better to use a columnar or pile foundation for a chicken coop, since a strip foundation will require significant costs and its use for small buildings is impractical.To create a foundation in the form of a columnar foundation, you must:
- Mark a place for a chicken coop on the ground;
- Make marks at the corners of the future chicken coop and along its perimeter every one and a half to two meters;
- In the marked places, dig holes 0.5 meters deep and 0.4-0.6 meters wide;
- In dug pits, lay square columns of brick or cinder block, fastening the blocks with cement mortar;
- Let the cement dry, then fill the space between the pit and the posts with gravel or gravel.
Instead of brick columns, concrete mixed with crushed stone in a ratio of 1: 3 can be poured into the dug pits, having previously lowered several bars of reinforcement into the foundation pit for strength. To install a pile foundation, marking is done in the same way, only instead of digging holes, the piles are simply screwed into the marked places.
After the foundation has dried, you can proceed directly to the construction. To build a building you need:
- Lay square sheets of roofing material on the foundation columns;
- Install supporting horizontal beams from a 100x100 beam, fastening them together, as shown in Figure 2;
- Supplement the fastening with brackets, attaching them to self-tapping screws;
- Install four vertical support beams from a 100x100 bar at the corners of the future chicken coop;
- Fasten the vertical beams with temporary boards from above to secure their position;
- Attach the vertical beams to the horizontal beams using a beam located at an angle of 45 degrees so that each of the four bearing pillars is held by two fastening beams, the opposite ends of which rest on the horizontal beams;
- Strengthen the horizontal upper beams on which the roof will rest;
- Make rafters for a slope from a 100x50 timber by sawing them at an angle of 30 degrees, and then connect them on the upper horizontal beams as shown in Figure 3.
- Lay a 100x50 timber on the lower beams with an edge horizontally every 0.5 meters (sex logs);
- Lay the space between the lags with insulation;
- Lay the floorboards on the logs and attach them with nails or self-tapping screws;
- Revet with a board outside the walls of the chicken coop;
- Attach a beam vertically from the inside of the wall every 0.5 meters, by analogy with floor lags;
- Lay insulation in the openings in the wall and secure it with knitting wire;
- Expand the rolls of reflective foil and attach them to the walls on the insulation, starting from the top;
- Pin the lining boards to the reflector from the inside;
- Lay the boards on the roof under the slopes;
- Lay the roof surface with sheets of roofing material;
- Put tiles or slate on the installed rafters, leaving space for vertical ventilation;
- Lubricate all the cracks inside the room with a sealing mixture;
- After the sealant dries, treat the wood from the inside with a moisture-proof solution, and after it dries, cover the walls and floor with a lime solution;
- Let the lime dry, after which you can equip the room and fill up the litter.
Instead of a vertical beam in the walls, you can use a metal profile in order to save material. When installing load-bearing beams, it is important to check their levelness with a level. According to a similar scheme, only without laying insulation, a 1x1 meter vestibule is built on the outside of the door, the purpose of which is to prevent heat from leaving the room in winter.
Common Mistakes
When designing and building a chicken coop for broilers, many make mistakes, which sometimes lead to the need to redo the entire structure.
The first mistake relates to the choice of a place to build. A farmer, trying to choose a hill, often builds a chicken coop on too small a mound so that the walls of the chicken coop are almost flush with the ramp. In such buildings, parts of the foundation are often washed away, in addition, such a chicken coop cannot be expanded due to outbuildings.
The next common mistake is the lack of protection against rats and mice. By building a chicken coop directly on the ground and not making a protective distance between the soil and the bottom layer of insulation, poultry farmers not only expose the chicken coop to the possibility of flooding, but also open up access for rodents to it, as they easily gnaw through a tree.
Experienced poultry farmers recommend that the lower part under the floor insulation between the foundation pillars be filled not with crushed stone, but with broken glass - this will not allow rodents to dig.The next most common mistake is using the wrong building materials. For cladding not recommended to use:
- Drywall;
- Isoplat;
- PVC plastic.
Nowadays, not only large-scale production, but also private small farms can be engaged in growing broilers. Moreover, the result of the content will be very successful if the farmer manages to create the right conditions for living for meat chickens. In this article, we will talk about how to build a reliable chicken coop in a short time and organize a positive microclimate inside.
Broiler breeding methods
When planning the breeding of meat-producing chickens at his dacha, the owner, first of all, evaluates the allocated area for future maintenance. Considering all the nuances, one of two methods of the process is determined: floor or cellular.
Did you know? To date, it is not known exactly in which century people started the process of domesticating wild chickens. However, there are 3 popular versions, the first of which says that everything began in China 6 thousand years BC. e. Another point of view insists that this happened 2 thousand years ago in India, the third is that the country “pioneer” of domestic laying hens Asia (3200 thousand years BC).
The floor breeding method is successfully used both in personal small farmsteads and in large industrial meat production.
Positive sides:
- each individual is on constant review of the farmer, access to them is unlimited;
- hygiene in maintenance, simplicity in veterinary control;
- active mobility of broilers reduces the risk of carcass defects;
- space in movements allows birds to take sun and air baths, find additional nourishing complementary foods (insects, fresh plants);
- lack of stress;
- low cost, simplicity and maximum availability of equipment.
Negative points:
- reduced economic return (compared to the cellular method);
- a noticeably slower set of bird mass;
- ineffective use of the usable area of the barn.
The most common "Cage" method involves keeping birds in special containers (cages), which can be designed at your discretion in several tiered layers, which significantly increases your livestock by two or even three times.
But the approach is not without some drawbacks, which a beginner poultry breeder must be aware of. Let's go in order.
- About the merits:
- significant savings in space, heating, lighting and ventilation;
- the possibility of daily cleaning of the litter. Broilers do not crawl on dirty litter, do not consume their excrement and do not breathe ammonia fumes, which significantly reduces the risk of mass infection of livestock with pathogenic bacteria;
- the most efficient consumption of food, individuals are not able to scatter food, absorbing it in the required volumes;
- ease of cleaning and disinfection of feeders and drinkers;
- rapid weight gain in birds due to significant restrictions in movements (in energy consumption);
- limited contact with all livestock prevents the spread of serious viral diseases.
- Flaws:
- the cost of purchasing quality materials for cages or already made "boxes";
- frequent disinfection procedure (after each chicken batch);
- too fast and strong weight gain, and as a result, problems with the paws and cramps on the chest;
- reduced palatability of meat than in individuals that are on floor breeding;
- selection of balanced expensive food that covered gaps in nutrition (lack of protein and vegetable components obtained from self-caught food).
Distinctive features of a chicken coop for broilers
- Reduced space requirements.
- Two types of lighting: natural and artificial.
- Comfortable floor coverings.
- Places for cages.
- Warm room.
- Maximum ventilation of the house, no drafts.
- No nesting sites required.
- Feeders and drinkers are placed at different angles.
Chicken coop requirements
Just before building a reliable "housing" for broilers, the farmer needs to consider all future requirements necessary for the smooth functioning of the chicken coop.
Dimensions
Calculation of optimal parameters:
- when planning three-tier structures, the height of the house should be 2–2.5 m. When installing one, 50-centimeter cage, at least 60 cm from the floor;
- optimal width - 2.5 m (taking into account the width of the cage structures);
- the minimum size of the vestibule is 1.5x1.5x2.
- the parameters of the walking aviary (corral) vary depending on the number of broilers. 4 individuals - per 1 square. m.
Lighting
A good option for lighting in the chicken coop will be LED or incandescent lamps. Fixtures give a moderate and soft light, which, among other things, gives an additional heating effect.
The installation of devices should take place at the rate of: for every 5 sq. m. area (at a height of 2–2.5 m) - one incandescent bulb for 100 watts or one LED for 11 watts.
Important!It is not recommended to install electroluminescent lamps (energy-saving light bulbs) in the poultry house, as their flickering frequency of 60 times per 1 second negatively affects the health of the birds. They become too aggressive and in just a few days they lose their appetite intensely, which seriously impedes fast fattening.
Temperature and Humidity
The correct temperature regime in the poultry house ensures a good weight gain for broilers and contributes to their well-being.
As individuals “grow up” and gain weight, the indicators of the thermometer should correctly change:
- In the first week of life of chickens, the temperature in the room should not fall below +30 degrees.
- Chicks up to two weeks are set to +27 ... +28 degrees.
- Three-week-old broilers will feel comfortable at temperatures from +21 to +24 degrees.
- The temperature norm for monthly chicks is +20 ... +21 degrees.
In addition to temperature indicators, at the same time it is necessary to regulate the humidity in the room. With impaired air exchange in chickens, immunity will decrease, which will lead to problems with the gastrointestinal tract, metabolism and respiratory system. The norm of air humidity is up to 60%.
How to build a chicken coop for broilers with your own hands
It’s not so difficult to make “housing” suitable for growing broilers on your own, the main thing is to adhere to a pre-planned plan for choosing a place and prepare the necessary equipment. Also understand step by step how to qualitatively install internal coatings and the necessary structures.
Location selection
Choosing a place for location on the site of future construction should be meticulous, because the health and good weight gain of broilers also depend on this.
Basic requirements for the place:
- the north side of the room should be tightly covered from cold winds by trees or other buildings;
- the south side, on the contrary, suggests free space;
- with uneven landscape parameters, the chicken coop should be placed on a hill. Lowlands tend to have elevated levels of dampness from groundwater, threatening broilers with wet, cold litter contaminated with disease-causing bacteria;
- chicken "housing" should be built as far as possible from strong sources of noise, for example, from travel roads. Otherwise, chickens will experience frequent stress and gain weight poorly.
Materials and tools for work
Necessary materials:
- 6 used pipes (beam, round timber) - 80–100 mm;
- mesh length - 9-10 m, height - 1.5-2 m;
- metal corners 20 pcs. - 50x50;
- beam 10 pcs. 3 m - 50x50;
- slab (raw board) for overlapping 8 pcs. 4 m;
- roofing material 1 roll - 10 m;
- used slate - 7-8 sheets;
- USB - 2-3 sheets;
- 2 old doors (for flooring);
- frame from an old sofa (for the front door to the chicken coop);
- wood screws 20-40 mm (50/50 - 1 kg);
- self-tapping screws with a press washer (for attaching the mesh to a tree) - 100 pcs.;
- cement - 1 bag + sand and water for mortar;
- additional timber for door installation;
- bars (various) for finishing;
- small door hinges - 8 pcs.;
- corners for locks - 2 pairs;
- small locks - 2 pcs.;
- nails for slate - 20 pcs.;
- carnations with a substrate (a couple of dozen) for attaching the roofing material to the lattice.
Tools:
- screwdriver;
- welding machine (if the poles are metal, but not from a bar);
- hacksaw;
- level;
- hammer;
- pliers, nippers.
Budget chicken coop for broilers: video
Step-by-step instruction
- Put 6 metal racks (4 racks under the chicken coop and 2 under the canopy).
- Cover the territory with a strong metal mesh tightly to the ground.
- Weld the corners, respectively, to the pipes at a height from the ground - 15–20 cm, form a structure under the floor.
- Form a room from prepared boards and doors (in accordance with the planned dimensions).
- Under the roof, make 2 small windows on both sides, with USB and a latch, for ventilation in the summer and for keeping warm in the cold.
- Install a ladder from the board for the free movement of birds from the chicken coop to the yard.
- Place elongated wooden feeders inside the enclosure against the walls, attach drinkers to the net approximately 5 cm from the ground.
- From above, securely cover the chicken "housing" with prepared sheets of slate and roofing material.
- Build doors to a common aviary with a chicken coop (attach to 2 retaining loops and make a loop under the lock).
- Make a separate entrance (attach a wooden door) directly to the chicken coop, for easy cleaning and disinfection.
- Build a door for the exit of broilers to the walking yard.
- If you have the necessary materials and equipment, you can build a reliable poultry house for broilers (for 50 individuals) in just one week.
The interior of the chicken coop
After the successful construction of the premises, you should proceed to the internal arrangement: form a warm litter, install feeders with drinkers and organize protection from winter cold and pest (rodent) invasions.
bedding
The floor covering in the chicken coop simultaneously performs several important functions:
- creates thermal insulation of the floor;
- material mixed with litter disinfects pathogenic bacteria;
- protects chicken paws from dampness and cold weather.
Making a good bedding with your own hands is not difficult, the main thing is that, as a result, the coating meets the basic requirements: dryness, moisture capacity, from crushed and environmentally friendly material, without mold and toxic substances.
The unchanged and best material, as a rule, is sawdust, which for the first time is sprinkled with straw or peat chopped up to 5 cm. In summer, the thickness of the formed litter should be 6-10 cm, in winter - at least 15 cm.
Gradually, as the hens mature, new bedding is poured onto wet areas. Complete replacement of the floor covering is carried out after reaching its thickness of 35 cm.
With the help of building up the litter, broilers can comfortably and productively sit out the winter colds characteristic of the middle lane, however, in addition to creating floor “protection”, you should think about the general insulation of the built poultry house:
- The walls of the building are insulated with foam plastic, penofol, basalt or mineral wool.
- Roof - felt, foam and waterproofing. Also, the roofing material laid earlier will serve as an excellent protection.
The process of warming the chicken coop should be done in advance, no later than September-October.
Rodent protection
The construction plan outlined earlier and step-by-step instructions provide for closed access to the chicken coop (due to a stretched mesh that fits snugly to the ground) for pest rodents, however, for the farmer, for complete confidence in protection, it does not hurt to follow a number of additional rules:
- the door to the chicken coop should be tightly closed at night;
- the room should be regularly ventilated;
- it is necessary to timely clean and disinfect feeders and drinkers, general sanitization, removal of excess garbage;
- good access to daylight and artificial light is important;
- fragrant plants - chamomile, mint, wormwood should be laid out around the poultry house and the adjacent aviary;
- hens should be fed outside, food supplies should not be left indoors overnight.
Installation of feeders and drinkers
Food equipment for meat-oriented chickens can be made from:
- wood;
- plastic;
- nipple;
- metal;
- glass.
Main requirements:
- bottom tightness;
- smooth (polished) surface;
- ease of cleaning and disinfection.
In summer, in hot weather, feeders and drinkers are installed outside, in an aviary. Mounting on a mesh fence, about 5 cm from the ground, would be ideal. This will prevent active individuals from jumping inside the containers, scattering food and polluting the water.
In winter, drinking and food equipment is located directly inside the chicken coop, and is attached to the walls of the building in the same way as in the summer to the fence.
- So that snow does not accumulate on the roof of the house, and even the meager sun quickly warms it up, it must be gable and pointed.
- To ensure optimal natural light in the chicken coop, windows should occupy at least 10% of the total wall area.
- The material used to strengthen the walls should be characterized by increased moisture resistance, keep the warm microclimate inside the barn well and be impenetrable to rats and other pests.
- For the successful rearing of broilers throughout the year, it is advisable to equip a separate vestibule in the chicken coop to limit the effect of cold drafts on the livestock.
- In order for meat-producing birds to move freely around the corral, it is necessary to correctly calculate the territory, but do not exceed the space so that the individuals do not lose a lot of energy and actively gain weight.
- The food should be as high-calorie and balanced as possible, and the diet should be regular. In the case of growing poultry for abundant meat production, the feeders should not be empty at all. Food must be given fresh, malnutrition disposed of. Water should be changed frequently, and drinking bowls should be treated with boiling water and potassium permanganate.
Drawings of a chicken coop for broilers
The best option for a poultry house for broilers, the parameters of which may vary depending on the number of individuals.
Drawing for 20 heads:
Thanks to the above and simple recommendations, anyone, even a novice farmer, will be able to build a reliable chicken coop for purchased broilers.
Did you know?Domestic chickens outnumber people on the planet by a ratio of 3:1.
With the strict implementation of all norms and rules, the birds will eventually enrich the owner with high-quality and tasty meat.
When the cottage is completed, the beds and flower beds are planted, there is a desire to do something else new and interesting. If you spend the period from spring to autumn on your site, try to get chickens. Caring for them is simple, but at the same time you will always have fresh eggs and meat. In addition, chicken manure is an indispensable organic fertilizer for the garden. That is why in the country it is increasingly possible to meet chicken coops, which are used in the summer. It can be both simple structures and real architectural objects decorating the site. It all depends on the skill and imagination of the owner. And you can build a chicken coop in the country with your own hands.
- a house for chickens - where they spend time at night, carry eggs, eat, drink;
- places for walking during the daytime - as a rule, this is a small fenced area or aviary (in summer, the bird spends 15-17 hours outside, so it is important to pay more attention to the equipment of this particular zone).
There are several types of summer chicken coops:
- with awnings;
- with paddocks;
- portable.
The most convenient for giving is the chicken coop of the first type. The canopy protects from rain, overheating, birds of prey.
Chicken coops with pens require a certain height of the fence. It is important that the bird does not fly over the fence, otherwise it can harm the surrounding plantings (hens love to rake everything, getting worms, and pecking at fresh grass and flowers).
Portable chicken coops are usually very light and small. In them, the bird is kept in cramped conditions. They have several advantages:
- they are easy to move to any corner of the garden where there is grass;
- occupy a minimum of space.
Any chicken coop can be improved over time by adding new elements or changing its size. Almost any summer birdhouse can be converted into a winter one by insulating the outside and lighting inside.
Photo gallery: summer chicken coops
The chicken coop should have everything The chicken coop can be decorated if desired. Many birds can live in a large hut The chicken coop can be stylized as a Ukrainian hut A chicken coop-hut from a fairy tale will decorate a summer cottage The chicken coop on wheels is easy to transport The chicken coop should be convenient not only for birds, but also for cleaning An unusually shaped chicken coop will decorate any site
The walls and floor of a temporary chicken coop should be made only from natural materials: fiberboard, chipboard, OSB-plates, wood. As supports, you can use columns made of timber, metal profiles, concrete blocks. For the construction of an aviary, choose a chain-link or reinforcing mesh. The canopy can be made of plywood, polycarbonate, reinforced film or any other material that can protect from rain.
Since the chicken coop is not built for one season, make sure that all wooden elements are treated with special impregnations or painted.
The need for a foundation for a temporary house
The summer chicken coop should be installed on an elevated place so that during heavy rains there is no flooding and the water calmly goes into the ground. If the site is flat, you can make a small mound of gravel or rubble, broken bricks. Pour an additional layer of sand on top. It is essential for the digestion of chickens. The foundation, in addition to the main function (holding the structure), will also perform a protective one (to protect the bird from attack by small predators, such as foxes and rats). Depending on the design, it can be made tape or columnar.
If the chicken coop is installed without a foundation, then sheets of slate or strips of metal should be dug into the ground along the perimeter of the structure, which should rise to a height of 30 cm above the ground. If this is not possible, then lay a row of stones so that there are no gaps between the soil and the base of the chicken coop.
For a portable summer house, the foundation does not make sense. It is enough to make the lower base of the frame from wider bars, and attach a mesh to them in such a way that there is no possibility of predators getting inside.
Photo gallery: simple chicken coops for the summer
A chicken coop on a strip foundation will last for many years
A chicken coop with a column foundation will be an excellent solution for giving Portable chicken coops do not need a foundation
Mapping and preparing tools
Before you start building, decide on the number of chickens that will be kept there. Depending on this, you need to calculate the size of the house. For 5-6 birds, a chicken coop of 3 m 2 will be required, for 10 chickens - 5 m 2, for 20 heads - 10 m 2.
The place for walking should be quite spacious, about 2-3 times larger than the chicken coop itself. When building, you should take into account the characteristics of the breed that you are going to purchase. Broilers need to move little, so a small paddock is enough for them. Laying hens, on the contrary, stop rushing if they are cramped. For birds of different breeds, it is better to build separate chicken coops, as they can “fight” among themselves.
It is important to consider the following points :
- Cover the interior walls of the chicken coop with a layer of lime first to protect the birds from germs.
- Chicken manure releases ammonium, which is toxic to poultry. Consider a ventilation system and a way to frequently clean their housing (you can use a galvanized pull-out pan).
- Place nests for chickens in the far places of the house (one nest for 2-3 birds). In a small house, they can be outside, in the form of an attached side box.
- Since chickens drink a lot and often water, drinkers should be located both inside the house and in the aviary.
- Bird feeders need to be carefully secured as chickens are very active and food can end up in the trash. It is convenient to place a bunker-type feeder indoors.
- Be sure to equip a small window in the chicken coop. Its size must be at least 1/12 of the floor area of the house.
- For a night stay, chickens need perches (20-25 cm per laying hen).
- The height is recommended to be at least 1.5m.
If desired, an old greenhouse can be easily adapted for a summer chicken coop by dividing it into zones and replacing the glazing materials with wood and mesh.
Of the tools you will need:
- pencil and tape measure;
- screwdriver or screwdriver;
- hacksaw;
- building level;
- stapler with staples;
- hammer;
- self-tapping screws;
- nails;
- pliers;
- sandpaper.
Photo gallery: chicken coop schemes with a corral for the summer
A small but compact log chicken coop is great for giving The chicken coop, if desired, can be made both summer and winter For the construction of some structures, a columnar foundation is required
How to build a summer chicken coop for broilers with your own hands in the country
For broilers, a portable chicken coop is suitable. In the country, you can put a structure for 6-8 birds. The chicken coop will take only 4 m 2.
Once you decide on the size, you can start making a house:
- Assemble two side frames from boards cut at the desired angle using self-tapping screws or nails.
- Attach a metal mesh to them using the staples of a construction stapler. If this tool is not available, you can do this with nails, not completely driving them in, but after bending the hat to the board (imitation of a staple). Make sure that there are no sharp ends on the surface of the boards, otherwise the bird may be injured.
- Using self-tapping screws, connect the two side parts of the frame at the top. Fix the lower extremes between the crossbars. For greater stability, connect the two middle parts of the frame with another piece of board, setting it at a distance of 35-40 cm from the bottom.
- The middle level is the boundary between the perch and the aviary. Install spacers to stiffen the structure.
- Cut out a rectangle of the desired size from plywood and lay it on spacers. Attach it with screws.
- To cover the top of the chicken coop, cut out two rectangular pieces of plywood and fix them on both sides, starting from the middle crossbar up. To decorate the ridge part, attach two horizontal boards to the plywood. Close the ends with a net or make doors on them so that you can clean the chicken coop and collect eggs.
- Secure the junctions of plywood and mesh by stuffing the planks. This will protect the fence from deformation and give the structure additional rigidity.
- In order for the bird to easily get into the shelter, make a ramp. Stuff the cross rails onto the plywood strip. The ramp itself at the top should be attached to the spacer with self-tapping screws.
- After that, you can arrange a perch, a nest. The drinker and feeder in this design is best fixed on the door.
Video: do-it-yourself convenient chicken coop in the country
You can make your own chicken coop from readily available materials. With the right layout and well thought out components, it is easy to maintain. Throughout the summer season, your family will be provided with fresh eggs, and in the fall also with delicious meat.
Broilers are the result of crossing different breeds of domestic chickens in order to obtain a bird with the best meat performance. Their cultivation is simple and cost-effective both in large poultry farms and at home. It is enough for the owner of a personal plot to provide the family with meat of high taste quality.
Design with the dimensions of a small poultry house for broilers
Given that broiler chickens are usually raised in the summer, building a broiler chick can be easy, inexpensive, and do-it-yourself. In the spring, young animals are bought, fed for 2–3 months, and when they gain weight of at least one and a half kilograms, they are used for meat. For the entire spring-summer season, two batches of broilers can be fed.
And for year-round, the so-called intensive feeding, it is necessary. Chicks are purchased continuously, regardless of the season. But keeping one group for more than 70 days is economically unprofitable. Weight will not increase, and the meat will lose important dietary and taste qualities. After each batch, the house is thoroughly washed, the equipment is disinfected, and a new shift is settled after 10 days.
Drawing and diagram of a poultry house for broilersGeneral characteristics for the content of broilers:
- inexpensive construction, quick payback of construction;
- controlled microclimate;
- ease of maintenance.
Breeding broiler chicks at home is quite difficult, it is easier to buy them at an early age. The most popular for private households are ten-day-old chickens. Therefore, it is important not only to build a poultry house that meets the requirements, but also to choose the right young stock. When buying, you should require the seller to present a certificate from a veterinarian about vaccinations.
When purchasing the next batch, you should pay attention to each individual so as not to buy chickens from ordinary laying hens. Broilers, or crosses as they are called in science, have an absolutely yellow color at an early age, which turns white with the advent of plumage. And in order to pick up a healthy herd, each chick must:
Young broilers in a large poultry house
- be mobile;
- stand firmly on your feet;
- have a soft, even fluff;
- do not have dark age spots;
- respond quickly to sound;
- tightly press the wings to the body;
- have a clean butt.
Types of poultry houses, general requirements for them
There are many ways to keep poultry broilers, but two types of poultry houses are commonly used for housekeeping: floor feeding and cage rearing. Both have merits and demerits. The owner of the personal plot chooses the structure that is easier to build with his own hands. Regardless of whether for floor or cage keeping, as well as seasonal or year-round use, buildings for birds should have the following parameters:
How comfortable the broilers are in the room can be judged by their behavior. Chickens huddle together, huddling together, which means they are cold, and if they open their beaks, they breathe heavily, spreading their wings, which means they are hot. The owner must take care to bring the microclimate of the house to the desired state. An indicator of this is the even distribution of birds over the entire area, active biting and drinking water.
Broiler cages
If the broilers are lethargic, sneezing, drinking a lot of water, and liquid discharge from the beak, these are clear signs of poisoning. This means that the room is not provided with good air exchange: ammonia or carbon dioxide accumulates. It is necessary to make an urgent forced ventilation of the house with the help of electric fans.
And you should not be afraid of a general decrease in air temperature: for chickens from three weeks of age, fresh air is more important than warmth.
Lighting in the area of keeping broilers aged from 1 to 5 days must be made around the clock. This stimulates the consumption of food, which is needed for accelerated development and growth. Gradually, daylight hours are reduced, and by the third week it is brought up to 16 hours. The population density of broiler young stock is somewhat different from the content of ordinary laying hens.
Options for the location of broilers in the cages of the poultry house
But experienced poultry farmers claim that it can be the same for both floor and cell growing.
It is very important to control the temperature in the poultry house depending on the age of its inhabitants. For young animals for 1-2 days, the air should be warmed up to 31 degrees C. Then, every three days of fattening, the heating is reduced, and for monthly chickens it is brought to 19o.
Keeping broilers on litter
Outdoor poultry rearing primarily depends on the planned number of heads. The simplest way of such content is characterized by:
- manual distribution of feed, water for drinking;
- natural light;
- natural ventilation;
- the simplest walking equipment.
The construction of poultry houses for outdoor, non-walking chicks is easily accessible to every home craftsman. To do this, you will need sheet polycarbonate, a profiled pipe for the frame, two racks and a lintel for doors, as well as equipment for feeders and drinkers. Summer building is optional.
Inexperienced home poultry farmers make the most common mistake, namely, keeping young animals on the cold floor of the poultry house.
Broiler house design
Any building for chickens requires deep bedding, which needs to be maintained so that it is always dry, free of toxic substances and mold. The compacted compacted surface is loosened, and the dried composition is poured onto damp places, bringing the layer to a thickness of 35 cm. If it is thicker, the birds will not be able to completely dig it up and mold and condensation will appear on it.
The bedding material has thermal insulation properties. It is used only crushed, not containing large inclusions. It can be made from a mixture of chopped straw, sawdust, peat with the addition of coarse sand. For the summer keeping of broilers, the litter can be 10 cm, and for winter it is adjusted to 20 cm.
Growing broilers in cages
An example of growing broilers in cages
If you are thinking about getting into poultry farming, then this article will be useful for you. You will learn that you can make a chicken coop for broilers with your own hands. As a result, you will be able to save your money, unleash your creativity and create the perfect environment for chickens. Thus, you can learn about what important nuances you should pay attention to when designing and planning the construction of such a structure.
The difference between a chicken coop for broilers
It should be understood that the chicken coop for broilers in the country will be different from the usual poultry house. There are a few key differences to watch out for:
- The poultry house for broilers has a relatively small size.
- Good lighting. It is necessary to install lighting devices that will not only provide the chicken coop with light, but also with heat.
- Quality ventilation.
- Warm room.
Broiler coop requirements
Before you build a chicken coop for broilers, it is extremely important to delve into all the subtleties of the question of how it should be. The final result directly depends on the successful calculation of all the details. So, for the design, you can use ready-made drawings and diagrams. A mandatory element is the foundation, which must be strong and reliable, ensuring long-term operation of the chicken coop for broilers. But these are already well-known basic requirements. Let us draw your attention to the following extremely important features.
Size
Before you start developing a project, you must immediately determine how many chickens it will be designed for. As the experience of many poultry farmers shows, ten large birds and about fifty chickens can normally fit per square meter. Moreover, you need to make sure that it is convenient to maintain the chicken coop. For this reason, many recommend the construction of cells in several tiers.
Advice! The level of the upper cage should be no higher than one and a half meters from the floor.
Having decided on the dimensions, you need to pay attention to the following details.
Location and fences
Another important aspect that must be taken into account when building a chicken coop with your own hands in the country is the location of the building. First of all, you should not think only about your comfort, although this plays an important role. It is worth noting the fact that chickens must be provided with all the necessary and comfortable conditions for life. So, the soil under the chicken coop for broilers should be dry.
Important! If you build a chicken coop for broilers on wet and clay soil, then this can lead to permanent diseases of chickens. If there is no other suitable place in the summer cottage, then the soil should be drained artificially.
Moreover, it would be good if the broiler coop was directed towards the southeast. Why? This arrangement will provide the chicken coop with the necessary sunlight. The presence of natural light is a guarantee that the birds will be healthy.
Speaking of fences, they should serve as protection for chickens from drafts and wind. Be sure to consider this important factor. Otherwise, the presence of a bird in or near a chicken coop will be constantly associated with the risks of various diseases. Some poultry farmers plant a hedge, for example, from grapes.
Place for walking
This is another important aspect that you should take care of when choosing a suitable place for building a chicken coop in the country. Well, if there is a lawn. Although there must be a sunny side to provide the necessary warmth, it is important that the bird has somewhere to hide outside from the scorching sun.
Microclimate
If everything is clear and simple in the summer, then in the winter it can be uncomfortable for the bird, especially if there are severe frosts in your region. For this reason, it is necessary to take care that inside the chicken coop for broilers there is a comfortable temperature and microclimate all year round, including in winter. Remember that it should not be very hot and cold. All this can greatly affect egg production.
Chicken coop design
Let's say a few words about the very design of the future country chicken coop. Mostly it is a square or rectangular shape of the structure. Although in principle, there are no strict rules. The main thing is to provide the interior of the chicken coop so that the broilers feel normal, and you can rationally arrange all the available cages.
Necessary materials and tools
Before you make a chicken coop for broilers, you need to prepare all the necessary building material and tools. The next factor directly depends on the choice of building material - whether broilers will live in it in winter or only in summer. If this is a summer chicken coop for broilers, then the set of material will be simple. If the breeding of birds will continue in the winter, then it is extremely important to pay attention to literally every little thing.
When choosing building materials, give preference to high-quality raw materials. This will significantly increase its service life, and will also create normal conditions for the life of broilers. So, for different nodes, you will need the following set of building materials:
- For walls, you can use different sheet material, for example, plywood, OSB. There may also be capital buildings made of gas-block, brick, and so on.
- For the manufacture of the foundation, it is necessary to purchase cement, crushed stone, slag and wooden formwork. You can make a strip foundation or columnar. Accordingly, the set of material may differ.
- The roof can be covered with various roofing materials, for example, ondulin, slate, tiles, and so on. A tree is required to create a truss system.
- Metal plates for making pallets.
- Fasteners and more.
As for the tool, its set will depend on the chosen construction technology. If the chicken coop for broilers is wooden, then a set of carpentry tools is assembled.
Manufacturing technology
So, now let's take a closer look at the technology of how to make a chicken coop with your own hands and without the involvement of specialists. Of course, the videos and photos in this article can help you in this process.
First of all, the foundation is prepared. The method of making the foundation can be very different. For example, let it be tape. After that, the walls and truss system are erected. Next, the entire roof is covered completely. Be sure to pour the screed to ensure good conditions inside the chicken coop.
Do not forget about the manufacture of high-quality ventilation systems. For this window, you can provide vents. This is the simplest solution. It is possible to make forced ventilation. After that, special cages are made that allow you to keep broilers in a more organized way. So, one matured broiler requires a space of about 300 mm in width. It is this perch that should be based on one broiler.
Conclusion
So, as you can see, making a chicken coop with your own hands for broilers is not particularly difficult. It is quite possible to cope with all the work on your own. To do this, we recommend that you watch the prepared video. Also, the photos, diagrams and drawings in this article will help you design a chicken coop for broilers that will allow you to set up a poultry house. Remember that it is extremely important to pay attention to every little thing that was discussed in this article. We hope that this material was useful to you. If you have experience in this matter, then share it by leaving comments at the end of this article. This will help novice summer residents to make such a chicken coop for broilers that will meet all quality requirements.