How to build a chicken coop in the country with your own hands?

In this article we will look at how to build a chicken coop in the country with your own hands. Such a structure you simply need if you decide to engage in breeding chickens. And the first thing you need to do is the house in which they will be kept. Moreover, the chicken coop should be reliable and durable. The conditions in it will be created as ideal as possible. If you plan to keep chickens in the winter, you will have to do a lot of work - to insulate the building, to make high-quality ventilation.

What should be a chicken coop

The bird needs comfortable conditions, like a person. Therefore, before starting construction, you need to consider some factors. Only in this case you can build a cozy and warm chicken coop in the country with your own hands. So, the requirements that apply to him:

1. Temperature condition. In the winter season, the temperature should not fall below 12 degrees. Drafts are not allowed, because they can harm the bird. And in the summer, the temperature should not rise above 25 degrees - hens simply will not rush.
2. Moisture deficiency in the room. To exclude the appearance of diseases, an increase in the level of humidity should not be allowed. Good ventilation will solve this problem. Both forced and natural ventilation are allowed.
3. Egg production of chickens depends on one important parameter - lighting. Inside, you need to install lamps that scatter exceptionally warm yellow light. You can set timers and relays, which will automatically turn on and off the lighting. But when you conduct an electrician, you need to consider one feature. All wires must be mounted so that they are not accessible to chickens. But it is absolutely necessary that in case of a breakdown you can get access to the wiring.
4. Safety and calm are important criteria. There should be silence around the chicken coop, so you need to install it away from the apartment building. And protect buildings from the penetration of various rodents, foxes, etc.

Place for the chicken coop

The chicken coop should be away from residential buildings. The smell of chickens comes out, frankly, not very pleasant. It is also worth considering that there are breeds of chickens who do not like it when strangers often penetrate their territory. Because of this, they will rush badly. The most suitable place for installing the chicken coop in the country is a remote corner on the territory. If you decide to attach the chicken coop to the already built barn, then you need to consider what other animals will be the neighbors of the hens.

When searching for a place, you need to think in advance about where there will be a place for walking. Very often the bird is walked throughout the yard. This is not very beautiful, and “gifts” on the threshold, for example, few people will please. It is recommended to limit the place for walking. For one chicken, you need to allocate about 2 square meters. m. area. Therefore, for 20 chickens you need a 4x10 m walking range. Please note that this is only for walking.

What are the requirements for the installation site?

The place where the chicken coop is planned to be installed should be partially obscured. But the sun's rays should still penetrate the territory. The shadow will protect the bird from high temperatures in the summer. It is also necessary to observe one condition - the construction of the chicken coop must be carried out on a hill. When snow melts and during rains, there will be no flooding of the territory.

In the event that there are no hills, it is necessary to dig a drainage ditch - excess moisture will be removed into it. It is worth noting that you can independently make the hill in the yard. To do this, you only need to make an embankment from the earth, gravel or gravel. And let's talk a little about windows. They should be located exclusively on the south side - in this case, the sun's rays will be able to get into the building better and longer. On the same side, you need to put the door, a hole and equip an aviary for walking. After all, it is the southern part that has protection from the cold wind.

How big should the house be?

When you determine the place for construction, you need to solve another important issue - the size of the chicken coop in the country. A photo of several designs is given in our material.

When choosing the dimensions of the building, it is necessary to proceed from the number of hens:

1. For poultry of meat breed, it is necessary that the area for three heads is at least 1 square meter. m
2. Egg breeds of the same area are enough for 4 chickens.
3. And the chickens need even less - you can keep 15 animals per square meter.

Speaking of chickens, the requirements for their maintenance are somewhat different. They need to be separated from adults. Only in this case they will have free access to water and feed. But no need to do too much walking for the chicks.

Examples of chicken coops

Suppose you plan to breed no more than 10 birds. In this case, it is recommended to make the house 2x5 m in size. The height should be such that you can freely enter it. If you make the ceiling too low, then cleaning and cleaning the chicken coop will be problematic. The optimal height value is 2.2 meters.

If you take this into account, it will be much more practical to make a gable roof, the ridge of which is raised to a height of 2.2 m. And the walls should have a height of not more than 1.5 m. It is this design of the house that will be convenient for both hens and for you (when servicing )

A shed roof is made much easier. It can also be done in the chicken coop. Slots must be installed in the lower dark part. The article contains photos of simple chicken coops. In the country with their own hands, such designs can be made in just a few days.

The main stages of the construction of the chicken coop

Knowing all the requirements for construction and having the necessary calculations, you can proceed with installation work. To begin, we select all the stages of work:

1. Building design.
2. Building a foundation (foundation).
3. The construction of partitions (if necessary) and walls.
4. Roof installation.
5. Roofing.
6. Carrying out "furniture".
7. Insulation work.
8. Installation of a heating system (if necessary).

And now let's look at all these stages in more detail.

Foundation construction

Do not place the entire structure directly on the ground. At least a simple foundation is recommended. Can be used:

1. Tiled.
2. Tape.
3. Columnar.

Stages of the construction of the foundation:

1. Marking the territory. To do this, with the help of a lace and pegs, it is necessary to outline the perimeter of the building.
2. Dig a small trench - about 35 cm.
3. Put a pillow of sand on the bottom and carefully tamp it.
4. Next, formwork is installed from the boards.
5. A layer of concrete is poured. It is recommended to install a reinforcement grid inside the formwork.

The procedure for building the foundation is quite simple, but still you need to spend a lot of effort on it. Such a foundation can also be used for buildings made of brick or block.

If desired, a columnar foundation can be made. And in the role of pillars you can use metal pipes, beams, blocks or bricks. In other words, absolutely any material.

Walling

The next stage is the construction of the walls of the chicken coop in the country with your own hands. A photo of the structures is given in our material, you can look at the most suitable for your case. If you have made a slab or strip foundation, then you can use any material for construction - cinder block, brick, foam block, wood. But it should be noted that the first two have high thermal conductivity, so the walls made of it need additional processing with insulation materials.

When erecting a columnar foundation, it is best to make the walls of a wooden beam. But first, on top of the pillars of the foundation, you need to lay a wood frame. And already on it, the construction of the chicken coop in the country with their own hands is being done. Photos of the most common designs are given in our material.

It is also allowed to use cheap polycarbonate for construction. This material is quite practical, it is sturdy and easy to clean. But for use in winter, a chicken coop built from polycarbonate is hardly suitable.

Building insulation

If you plan to keep chickens in the winter, then you can not do without insulation. You can use any material: mineral wool, polystyrene foam, polystyrene. Fastening materials is not difficult. Walkthrough for the manufacture of insulation layer:

1. Make a frame on the walls of the bars 50x50 mm.
2. Fixture of bars is required to be carried out vertically.
3. The step of laying the beam should be equal to the width of the insulation material.
4. The fastening of the bars must be done using self-tapping screws or dowels.
5. Install a layer of waterproofing - this will avoid increasing the level of humidity.
6. In the presence of cracks after installation of a heater it is necessary to close them with polyurethane foam.

Outside the walls are best insulated with materials such as polystyrene foam or polystyrene. For fasteners, experts recommend using plastic dowels with a large cap intended for these purposes.

Erection of a roof

In our example, we will consider the technology of manufacturing a gable roof. It is a little more complicated than a shed. But her design is much more beautiful and practical.

Outside the walls are best insulated with materials such as polystyrene foam or polystyrene. For fasteners, experts recommend using plastic dowels with a large cap intended for these purposes.

Erection of a roof

In our example, we will consider the technology of manufacturing a gable roof. It is a little more complicated than a shed. But her design is much more beautiful and practical.

For installation, you need to perform the following manipulations:

1. On the top of the frame is the installation of rafters.
2. Then, a layer of waterproofing material is laid. In this case, you can guarantee that the insulating material will not get wet. If you need to overlap, then about 20 cm, and most importantly - you need to glue the joints.
3. Next, fill the crate over the waterproofing layer. The step depends on which flooring you have chosen.
4. At the last stage, roofing material is laid.

How to insulate the ceiling

If you live in the southern regions, then this is optional. But if in the middle lane or in the north, it is recommended to insulate the ceiling. To do this, you need to attach floor beams to the rafters. On top of the beams, plywood must be fixed with self-tapping screws.

Thermal insulation is installed in the space between the floor beams. Use of simple polyfoam or mineral wool is allowed. It is recommended that you further fix the film to protect it from moisture. The ceiling can be hemmed with wooden lining, drywall, plywood.

Making the floor in the chicken coop

This is one of the important events in the interior decoration of even the simplest chicken coop in the country. With your own hands you can make a floor from any material. If you plan to breed broilers for meat, then you can make an insulated floor.

In the case of using a columnar foundation, you can make a double floor structure:

1. On the supporting frame, the support beams are fastened - the log of the future floor.
2. At the bottom there is a hemming by boards.
3. Thermal insulation is laid on top of the boards.
4. The final floor is laid. It is recommended to use boards for it.

If you made a shallow strip foundation, then the manufacture of adobe or earthen floors is allowed. To do this, prepare a mixture of straw and clay. Adobe floors need to be laid in several layers, each must be rammed.

Chicken coop heating

In total there are two methods for heating the chicken coop - natural and artificial. In the first case, heaters are not needed; it is enough to use a special litter. To do this, around October, you need to sprinkle the floor with slaked lime - about 1 kg per 1 sq. Km. m. Next, litter is made of sawdust, hay, peat or straw.

The layer thickness is about 7 cm. But you can also organize forced heating, for this are used:

1. Electric heaters.
2. Gas heaters.
3. Furnace systems (potbelly stove).
4. Infrared heaters.
5. Water systems.
6. Buleryany.

The choice of a heating system option depends only on your capabilities, including financial ones. Now you know how to build a simple chicken house in the country. Nothing is complicated, but you have to spend money on materials.