Content
In addition to growing vegetable plants and obtaining a harvest, it is becoming popular to grow various kinds of poultry on a personal plot. The most popular and affordable are chickens, which can become both a source of meat and eggs. As a rule, it is not difficult to build a chicken coop for laying hens with your own hands if you know the main features of the arrangement of this structure, both its design and the internal space.
Purpose and requirements for arrangement
To plan chicken coop device follows from the following parameters:
- The number of chickens, and their age criteria;
- The time of the year in which the bird is supposed to be populated and raised;
- Convenience of carrying out disinfecting measures and works on cleaning and cleaning the territory.
To make the chicken coop device comfortable both for the inhabitants and for those who monitor its condition, you should take care of such important parameters:
- Ventilation;
- Thermal insulation and waterproofing of the structure, especially when used in winter;
- High-quality and in the required volume lighting of the chicken coop;
- Interior finishing materials that are easy to clean and easy to install.
Features of the structure
For laying hens, the device of a hen house implies the obligatory presence of nests where they will lay eggs. The dimensions of the building are chosen depending on the number of inhabitants. To build a chicken coop, a flat area with a slight slope is usually chosen, which will facilitate the natural convergence of water after rain, without holding it in the ground. The place for the chicken coop should be sunny, without drafts and strong winds.
Since chickens must be able to walk, a place for walking birds must be equipped next to the structure. To do this, pillars are installed around the perimeter of the walking area and the fence is usually pulled in the form of a net.
An option for how walking for chickens can be performed is shown in the video:
Features of the internal space
These parameters are the most important in the construction of a chicken coop, and the behavior of chickens and their egg production depend on their correct and high-quality arrangement.
Microclimate
The microclimate components are factors such as the air temperature inside the chicken coop, lighting, air humidity and ventilation. The well-being of chickens depends on their correct indicators. Therefore, when equipping a chicken coop, it is necessary to provide for the support of an optimal microclimate at any time of the year.
Depending on at what time the built chicken coop will be operated and you should choose materials for the installation of walls and roofs of the building, so that they can provide a high-quality temperature regime and prevent drafts.
If the chicken coop is operated year-round, then the installation of the heating system cannot be avoided. It can be either autonomous or connected to a home heating system.
Infrared lamps are very popular among poultry farmers for heating chicken coops... They use electricity economically and allow you to heat the room, even if its dimensions are not the smallest. Install equipment only at a safe distance, and cover lamp bulbs with protective covers.
The correct organization of lighting is also important for chickens, since they need complete darkness for proper rest. You can significantly save on the installation of lighting in the chicken coop if you make large windows in its room.
An option on how to make high-quality lighting in a chicken coop is shown in the video:
And another option, how to make the chicken coop warm and light, is shown in the video:
How to equip a chicken coop inside for layers with high-quality ventilation is shown in the video:
A proper ventilation system will help get rid of unpleasant odors, normalize the temperature and humidity in the chicken coop.
A large building requires a well-equipped forced-type ventilation device.
The photo shows various options for arrangement chicken coop ventilation.
Walls and floor
Walls and floors, regardless of the type of foundation and material used for the walls, it is necessary insulate in the event that the chicken coop will be actively used in the winter. Insulation is carried out with various materials, it can be mineral wool, glass wool, sawdust, straw or other types of insulation.
The option for insulating a chicken coop is shown in the video:
In addition to the need for insulation, walls and floors need to be treated with solutions for disinfection and protection from parasites that can spread various infections. For this, a lime mortar is often used, which covers the inner surface of the entire chicken coop.
Nests and perches, feeders and other functional items
When we equip a chicken coop specifically for laying hens, then it is imperative to provide a place where they will hatch their eggs. This function is performed by specially equipped artificial nests, which can simply be prepared from various scrap materials - boards and boxes, plywood, etc.
Birds master all the nests perfectly, the main thing is to lay a bed of hay or straw on the bottom.
Usually the number of nests is calculated on the basis that there is one nest for 4-5 birds. They arrange houses for laying hens so that the hens do not see each other, and no one bothers them, in the corner farthest from the entrance, several pieces at the same or different levels.
So that the chickens can rest freely and at the same time not interfere with each other, as well as sleep, roosts are necessarily equipped in the hen house. For them, a wooden bar with rounded edges is used, the surface of which is pre-treated with sandpaper, which is installed in several rows near the wall in the chicken coop.
Usually, the first row of perches in a hen house is set 50 cm above the floor surface, and each next row is 30-35 cm from the previous one. Its design resembles a slide, as it is not allowed for birds to sit on top of each other - this is necessary to prevent contamination with droppings from those chickens sitting below. The roost should be at least 25 cm from the wall of the coop. To calculate the roost space and length, the number of chickens in the coop should be taken into account. Each inhabitant will need at least 30 cm of free space on the perch.
Requirements for roosts in all chicken coops:
- Durability and reliability. The bars should be thick enough to support the weight of several chickens without bending.
- Security. The entire surface of the timber used must be smooth, without knots and splinters, for this it must be pre-sanded;
- Comfort. Birds should be free enough on the roost.
Eating and drinking areas are important elements in any house. Feeders in the chicken coop can be equipped, or you can sprinkle food on the surface of the straw bedding, and the birds will peck out the grains, which means that they are provided with something to do. If you intend to make do-it-yourself feeders for a chicken coop, then you need to know:
- Due to the quarrelsome character and sloppiness, the chickens will fight for a place at the feeder, as well as stain food containers with droppings;
- Inattention can cause chickens to overturn feeders;
For feeders in a chicken coop, a wide variety of materials can be used, the main thing is that they are easy to wash and clean from feed residues, as well as add new portions.
These rules are also true for the arrangement of drinking cups, which must be in the chicken coop without fail. Any capacious container from which it is convenient for chickens to drink water can be used as a drinker.
Secrets of a successful arrangement of a chicken coop for layers
Each farmer who has experience in building structures for chickens has some of his own secrets of competently arranging the territory inside the building. The combined experience of such nuances is presented below:
- An important condition for the chickens to lay well is their mood. When they are calm and not annoyed, then everything is fine. But not sleeping chickens are aggressive individuals capable of spoiling eggs in nests and pecking other birds. The length of daylight affects the mood of chickens. It is the excess of light in the hen house that causes imbalance and aggressiveness;
- It is better not to make nests on the same level with the floor, as some cunning birds can use them for sleeping, rather than hatching eggs;
- To increase the number of eggs, it is worth trying to put the nests in the farthest and darkest corner of the chicken coop;
- Roosts in the hen house should be equipped on the wall, which is located on the opposite side of the nests;
- It is important not to forget about the arrangement and the dusty-ash bath, bathing in which the birds are cleared of pests and parasites.
- Before starting the construction of a chicken coop, it is worth deciding on the number of its inhabitants and the materials that will be used for work.
As a rule, equipping a chicken coop with your own hands for laying hens is an easy task. The main thing is to correctly and clearly develop a strategy for performing work, as well as determine the number of its inhabitants, and then correctly arrange the necessary items and allocate zones for various activities. And then the egg production of the chicken coop will be at the highest level.
