Livestock farming: how to build a chicken coop for ten chickens with your own hands. Drawings and diagrams

If you are the owner of a summer cottage or a country house, you should think about poultry breeding. Chickens are best suited for this role.

They are undemanding to living conditions and are quite capable of providing your family with eggs and meat. Besides, small chicken coop able to organically complement your garden plot.

For a small family it is quite enough to have 10 layers. If you plan to breed birds for financial profit, then a mini-chicken coop is not enough; you will need a more spacious room. You will learn how to build a simple chicken coop for 10 chickens in this article.

Features of the chicken coop

The main function of the chicken coop is bird protection from environmental influences and predatory animals, for example: foxes or ferrets.

Therefore, the room must be reliable and warm. The air temperature inside the building should vary from -2 to +30 degrees.

In addition, the egg production of birds directly depends on the length of daylight hours, so it is worth taking care of lighting. The chicken coop must have windows and electric lamps installed.

Room dimensions are selected taking into account the available chickens. For broilers, the recommended housing density should not exceed 3 birds per square meter.

Egg breeds feel comfortable when their population does not exceed 4 birds per square meter of area. For chickens - 14 goals per m. It is worth considering the fact that in winter chickens can be compacted to 6-7 individuals per m. Thus, the birds will better withstand the winter cold.

Selecting a location

Before starting construction, you need to decide on the location of the future chicken coop. To do this, you can choose any flat place with a slight slope on your garden plot.

The slope is needed so that during rain, water does not accumulate around the house but goes to the side. It is also worth taking care that the chicken coop is not located in the shade of trees or nearby buildings.

Materials and tools

To build a small chicken coop, you can use any scrap materials, which are probably available in every household. In particular:

• wood;
• pieces of sheet iron;
• old window frames;
• mesh.

If you have planned more fundamental design, that is, it makes sense to purchase:

• brick;
• foam blocks;
• polycarbonate;
• cement.

Depending on the scale of construction set of tools may be different. But the required minimum should look something like this:

• hammer;
• axe;
• plane;
• Master OK;
• roulette.

How to build a chicken coop

Project

Any construction begins with. This allows you to better plan future construction and determine the amount of materials needed.

Need to draw on paper diagram future construction. Indicate the location of the door and windows, determine where the area for walking chickens will be located.

For 10 laying hens, it is enough to fence the area 2x2 m. It should be located on the side of the door to the chicken coop.

In order for the birds to be able to go for a walk without hindrance, a small hole is made in the door (a hole with a diameter of about 50 cm). It is worth noting that there are chicken coop options for 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50, 100 and 200 birds.

Accordingly, the more laying hens you want to have, the larger your construction will be. Although, for personal needs chicken coop for 10 birds will be more than enough.

Base

Having decided on the dimensions of the future structure, you can begin pouring.

If you are planning to build a compact building for keeping birds in the summer, then the foundation can be neglected, quite simply level the area using a shovel (read about various techniques and methods for leveling areas) and fill it with crushed stone.

To fill the foundation, a hole is dug with a depth of about 30 cm. The edges of the pit are lined with boards. This will be the outer part of the future formwork. The internal part is installed at a distance 20 cm from external.

Note! Before installing the formwork, it is recommended to line the edges of the pit with a metal mesh. This will protect the laying hens from predators and mice. Very often, uninvited guests enter the chicken coop by digging.

The formwork is filled with cement-sand mortar or concrete. After pouring, it is necessary to postpone further work until 2-3 days. The solution should gain strength.

Construction of the floor

For flooring there are two possible options:

1. Make the floor earthen;
2. Lay boards over the foundation.

The second option is considered the most optimal. A wooden floor will retain heat better in the winter season. If you decide to lay a plank floor, then first you need to lay waterproofing layer.

For these purposes you can use roofing felt. Bedding is poured on top of the waterproofing, which will act as insulation. Usually it's a mixture sand, sawdust and hay about three cm thick. Only after this can you begin installing the boards.

How to make walls

You can build walls made of brick. This option will give the chicken coop a solid and beautiful appearance. Of course, you can’t use just bricks to build walls; the chicken coop will turn out to be cold.

Therefore, it would be right to take care of additional insulation. To do this, the inner surface of the walls is covered with a frame made of wooden slats or bars.

Insulation is placed between the bars, you can use polystyrene foam or mineral wool. Sheets of plywood or fiberboard (fibreboard) are stuffed on top of the frame.

When erecting walls, do not forget to provide window openings. Otherwise, you will have to pay electricity bills all year round.

The fact is that chickens do not lay eggs in the dark. Therefore, in order for the egg production of birds to be at the proper level, care should be taken not only about, but also about natural. It is best to arrange windows on the sunny side, this will provide the laying hens with sunlight in winter.

Ceiling and roof

To build a roof you can use any improvised material. For example, pieces of sheet iron, roofing felt or slate. Usually there are roofs in chicken coops gable and.

It is best to use the first option. This will not only increase the internal volume of the building, but will also provide more efficient protection from precipitation. The main thing is to insulate it.

This can be done in the same way as walls. To make the roof, install rafters, onto which the frame is nailed. Insulation is laid on the frame. The roof needs to be covered on the inside with plywood, and on the outside with roofing material.

Ventilation device

When you get carried away with construction, you shouldn’t forget about hood. To do this, install a pipe with a diameter of about 20 cm in the roof as far as possible from the perches.

The pipe should go down into the chicken coop at 50-70 cm, the rest remains above the roof. The total length of the ventilation pipe should be about two meters.

Such ventilation can easily cope with the renewal of air in a room of up to 10 sq m.

Important! In winter, it is best to seal the hood. Otherwise, instead of ventilation, drafts will occur, which negatively affects the health of chickens. In winter, the chicken coop must be ventilated regularly; to do this, simply open the door.

chicken pen

To prevent chickens from walking around the garden, pecking out your harvest, you need to make a small aviary where they can walk and breathe fresh air.

As we said earlier, the optimal size of the area for 10 chickens is 2x2 m. To create it, pillars are dug into the ground next to the chicken coop, and the space between them is covered with a mesh.

IN summer time chickens spend most of their time outside and easily find food for themselves.

Internal structure of the chicken coop

Having finished with construction, it is worth thinking about internal equipment. After all, birds need to create the most comfortable conditions for their life.

Need to install feeders and drinkers. It is best to place them on the side of the coop opposite the roosts. The number of feeders depends on the number of birds.

The main thing is that every chicken can come up for food without any problems. Each bird should have at least 15 cm feeder length.

To rest, birds need to install perches. They are made from a wooden block, the sharp corners of which must be smoothed with a plane. This precaution is necessary to prevent the birds from injuring their paws.

The length of the perch depends on the number of chickens. For example, for 10 laying hens a block of length is enough 3m. The perch is installed at a height 50 cm from the floor and at a distance 35 cm from the wall.

You need to install electric lamps. The length of daylight hours for chickens should be approx. 15 hours. Lamps with shades are better suited for this.

When installing lighting, remember that for every square meter of area there should be at least 5 Watts of electricity. It is better to place the lamps in such a way that the light falls not on the perches, but on the feeders.

Don't forget about nests for laying hens. For ten chickens you will need 2-3 slots. You can make them from ordinary wooden boxes.

The dimensions should be as follows: drawer height 40 centimeters, width and depth approx. 30 cm. They can be placed in any shaded area of ​​the chicken coop. As bedding, the bottom of the box is lined with straw.

Where to buy a ready-made chicken coop

If you do not have the opportunity to build a chicken coop yourself, you can purchase one already finished design. To do this, you can turn to the Internet for help.

There are companies specializing in the production houses for poultry. You can order not only a chicken coop, but also cages for breeding quails, rooms for keeping geese or turkeys.

You can purchase ready-made models or order a chicken coop for an individual project. A typical building for keeping chickens will cost you approximately 10000-15000 rubles.

The cost will depend on the size and material of manufacture. Custom chicken coops will cost much more expensive.

Therefore, many novice farmers prefer to build chicken coops with your own hands. Firstly, it is inexpensive, and secondly, you can make a room for chickens of any design and size. Everything will depend on your imagination.

A clear example of a chicken coop built with your own hands and its dimensions, you can watch in this video.

Mini-poultry farms built on private plots are designed for exactly this number of individuals. A dozen laying hens are enough to provide the average family with eggs, optimally develop the territory and not have problems with the owners of adjacent housing constructions. How to build a small chicken coop with your own hands, without starting large-scale construction, will become the subject of conversation.

What to consider before construction

For those who have not previously raised poultry, a few things should be explained. Building a chicken coop is not difficult in principle. Anyone who is used to doing everything with their own hands, and not paying for the services of hired craftsmen, will be able to handle this task, especially since this building is not a residential building with its ceilings, internal walls, communications, and so on.

And if you focus on ready-made diagrams or drawings with all the indicated dimensions, then the work is greatly simplified. But it will only be useful if all technological operations are carried out intelligently. What conditions should be created for chickens so that they do not get sick and lay eggs well?

The author specifically draws the reader’s attention to this. Knowledge of such nuances will help you remake any finished drawing at your own discretion if the layout and dimensions of the designed chicken coop for some reason are not suitable for local conditions.

• Humidity. The room should be moderately dry. A damp chicken coop is one of the main causes of poultry illness. This means that you need to think about how to properly organize ventilation.
• Temperature (ºС). Optimal values: in winter – within 12, in summer – no more than 24 (increasing it will sharply reduce the ability of chickens to lay eggs).
• Lighting. Birds love light, so you may need to consider installing a light in your coop. If there is no great need for it in summer, then in winter, when daylight hours are significantly reduced, artificial lighting will definitely be required. Taking into account the number of chickens (10) and the corresponding dimensions of the house, it is enough to place 1 light bulb of 60 - 75 W in it.
• Security. Firstly, from extraneous irritating sounds: chickens do not like noise. Secondly, from predators and rodents. Even if the former do not manage to strangle the chickens, they will most likely kill the laid eggs. Rodents are no less dangerous, since they are the main carriers of infections that make chickens sick and die.
• Opportunity to mix freely. To raise chickens and provide conditions for good laying of eggs (there is such a term - egg production), one house is clearly not enough. We also need a small walking area.

Now we can move on to the issue of building a chicken coop. As indicated - small, for 10 chickens.

Preparatory activities

Drawing up a drawing

Experience in breeding chickens shows that for 10 chickens a house of 4 - 5 m² is sufficient. If possible, it is advisable to increase the area of ​​the chicken coop to 6 - 7. Firstly, different breeds of chickens have their own “standards”, and secondly, if the number increases slightly, you won’t have to redo anything.

The area for “chicken walks” should be located on the side of the house that is illuminated most of the day.

Selecting a location

You should focus on the following requirements:

• For 1 individual - at least 1 m² of walking area. Plus – the house itself.
• The segment of the territory on which the chicken coop is being built must be well lit. Therefore, placing it in the shade of tall objects (houses, trees, solid fences) is not recommended.
• When choosing a place for a chicken coop, you need to take into account the likelihood of flooding of the house and site with rain (melt) water. Based on this, they cannot be built in lowlands.
• It is advisable to place the chicken coop as far as possible from residential buildings and roads: the bird needs peace and quiet.

On a note! When choosing a location, you should not forget about regulatory documents. According to SNiP (No. 30-02 of 1997), there must be at least 4 m between the chicken coop and the external fence of the land plot.

Selection of materials

It is difficult to give recommendations on this point. Firstly, every owner always has some material left over from building a house, a summer kitchen, a fence or something else. Secondly, an important detail is financial capabilities. But one piece of advice will still not be superfluous.

Metal cannot be used. Any other material (and characterized by low thermal conductivity), just not “iron”. It regularly, even throughout the day, changes temperature + constant condensation of moisture on the surface.

The optimal material for a chicken coop is wood and... In the latter case - cellular sheets. They retain heat well and ensure a constant microclimate in the building.

Chicken coop construction process

Marking

The dimensions of the chicken coop (house + platform) have already been mentioned. If possible, the building should be positioned so that as much light as possible enters the windows.

Site preparation

• It needs to be leveled, and so that a slight slope is obtained. This is necessary to naturally remove water from the coop during (and after) rainfall. You may also have to think about installing a drainage system in this segment.
• To protect against rodents from below, it is advisable to install a “barrier” (a small layer of soil is first removed). Clay is taken and broken glass is added to it. This mass is laid out in a layer over the entire site.
• It is advisable to pour expanded clay on top. It will provide additional insulation of the bottom (floor) of the chicken coop.

Foundation

This is the most expensive stage of any construction. Taking into account the small weight of the chicken coop, the optimal solution is a base or columnar type. It is not difficult to install such a foundation with your own hands, and you will not have to do extensive excavation work, damaging the root system of the plantings.

Screw piles are simply screwed into the ground, and a head is mounted on each. With pillars it is somewhat more difficult - you will have to drill holes. You can use metal or asbestos-cement pipes as supports. Since seasonal soil movements are not uncommon, they will have to be strengthened. Reinforcing bars are inserted inside the pipes (the central one should rise slightly to connect with the support frame) and concrete solution is poured.

If we provide for the chicken coop house to be elevated above the ground, then this space will partially replace the poultry walking area. It is enough to raise the building by about half a meter, and you can save space on the site.

House

The process of erecting walls and ceilings (roofs) is not worth describing, since in essence it is a small box (frame) covered with boards. But there are some features that require more detailed consideration.

Door

At the bottom of the canvas (or on the side) there must be a hole for birds (30 x 30 is enough) with a small threshold.

Window

The main requirement is that their total area must be at least 0.1 of the same floor area. The owner decides how many windows to install - 1 large or 3-4 small ones.

Walls

Regardless of the material, they need to be insulated. When choosing a heat insulator, you need to focus on its vapor permeability, otherwise dampness in the chicken coop cannot be avoided. From these positions, polystyrene foam (expanded polystyrene) is no longer needed. As a rule, a layer of mineral wool is laid, and the top is covered with a thin board or multi-layer plywood. This is enough not to think about artificially heating the chicken coop.

Floor

The principle is the same - double flooring, between the levels of which insulation is laid. Taking into account the expanded clay bedding, it is enough to keep the chicken coop warm.

Roof

The optimal schemes are single- or double-slope. Also – insulation and waterproofing.

Interior design

Ventilation

These can be either pipes or technological holes. But always with the ability to regulate air flow. Their location: supply - in any far corner, exhaust - above the perch.

Electrical/wiring

Only external, and in boxes. This is a standard requirement for all wooden buildings.

Perches

The slats must be not just planed, but also polished. The height from the floorboards is about 75 cm. In a chicken coop for 10 chickens, one perch is not enough, so at least three are installed, on the same level, with an interval of half a meter. In such conditions, the chickens will not interfere with each other.

Laying nests

One for 3-4 birds is enough. Therefore, for 10 chickens, four will be enough. There are many design options, but the requirements are the same. The width and height are at least 35, but the depth is somewhat greater - about 40 (cm).

Bedding

This is not only convenient for laying hens, but also provides additional insulation for the chicken coop. Not only the nests are covered, but also the floor in the room. Options: straw, sawdust, peat. The main thing is to change it in a timely manner. Normal humidity and cleanliness are essential conditions for comfortable living for the inhabitants of the chicken coop.

Poultry walking area

Its dimensions are already indicated. It’s not difficult to set up - pillars around the perimeter +. What to consider? For more intensive removal of moisture from the territory, in addition to the slope of the site, care must be taken to ensure good absorption of liquid into the soil. Therefore, it cannot be concreted or “rolled” into asphalt. The best option is to fill it with ASG, only with small fractions of filler. Chickens love to peck pebbles (for better digestion of food), so you should not use anything else for “flooring”.

Home or country farming is a great help. Even a dozen chickens will be provided with eggs and meat. The first thing to do is build a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens. Construction can be quite inexpensive.

Optimal sizes

If you approach the issue of determining the size of a chicken coop scrupulously, then for each breed of bird there is a certain standard of “living space”. But in a country house or in a private house they rarely keep a purebred bird. Therefore, they start from the average.

Estimating the area and dimensions of the building

When building a chicken coop, they usually proceed from the planned number of birds. It is believed that 2-4 chickens can live on 1 square meter of area. If we are talking about broilers, you can take 3-4 pieces per square meter. They are inactive and this area is enough for them. If we talk about laying hens or meat and egg breeds, it is believed that the optimal number is 2-3 birds per square area. So, a chicken coop for 10 broiler chickens can have an area of ​​-2-3 square meters, a poultry house for 10 chickens - when keeping laying hens or meat and egg breeds - requires 4-5 square meters. If you decide to build a chicken coop for 20 chickens, the area for broilers will be 5-7 squares, for eggs and meat - 8-10 squares.

But knowing the area of ​​a chicken coop for 20 chickens or 10 is not everything. We still need to decide on the sizes. Most often they try to make a rectangular building: 3 * 1.5 m; 4*, etc. In this case, you can clean the poultry house without going inside - a rake, scraper, broom will reach even the far corners. Square ones are not so convenient in this regard, although a small chicken coop for 10-20 chickens will still not be large. So a square is fine.

How tall should the chicken coop be?

When building a chicken coop, you still need to decide on the height of the building. For birds, a height of about 140-150 cm is sufficient. But you must remember that you will have to clean the house, collect eggs, and change bedding. So when choosing the height of the poultry house, they proceed from their own convenience. For this reason, the roof is made higher than head level - so that you can walk upright.

No overlap

There are two options when installing a roof. First: if the poultry house is without a ceiling (ceiling), you can remove the walls by about 140-150 cm, make the roof gable and raise the ridge by 180-200 cm (or a little higher, as is convenient for you). In this case, you can move around the center of the room without problems, but we still rarely go to the edges. There is usually a perch and nests there, and there may be bedding. You will have to work carefully in this area, protecting your head.

The benefit of this option is that with this arrangement we save on wall material. The downside is that more is spent on insulating the roof: it must be insulated over the entire area, which is significantly more than what is required when insulating the ceiling. But, in general, this option turns out to be less expensive, but also less convenient (you have to take care of your head).

With attic

The second option for how to build a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is to make a mini-copy of a regular house. In this case, the walls are driven to the height required for free movement inside. This is a person’s height, plus 10-20 cm. But keep in mind that part of the height will go to the ceiling, there will also be a floor and bedding on it. Each requires about 15 cm of height. So, if the owner of the chicken coop is 180 cm tall, you will have to make walls with a minimum height of 220-230 cm.

As you can see, this option will require more materials for the walls, but only the ceiling (ceiling) can be insulated, and the attic can be left cold. The attic can also be used to store straw, bedding, etc. But don’t forget about rodents, who love such storage facilities and can become a problem.

On pillars

Another option: make a chicken coop for 10 chickens on poles. In this case, 4 beams are dug into the ground at the corners of the building, the floor covering is made at a height of 50-80 cm from the ground level. The roof is made at a height of 180-200 cm. In general, this is a convenient option for a mini-chicken coop for a summer residence. This is more of a summer option, but can be insulated. In order for the bird to be able to get in and out, an inclined ladder is made from boards with thin perches nailed about 10 cm apart to make it easier for the bird to move.

In general, you choose the height and general construction plan at your own discretion.

Material for building a chicken coop

For chicken coop walls, the material chosen depends on the intended use. For a summer chicken coop, boards, plywood, and OSB are suitable. Such buildings are made according to the principle of frame house construction: a frame is assembled from timber, covered with boards or sheet material. The task of such buildings is to protect from the sun, wind and rain, and they do this very well.

For a winter chicken coop you can use the same materials as for a summer one, but the walls will have to be insulated. You can also use logs, timber, gas or foam concrete, adobe, cinder block, shell rock, sandstone, etc. Basically, any building materials. If there is material left over from the construction of a house, bathhouse, barn, it can be put to use. Only part of the material during the construction of a winter chicken coop requires mandatory insulation, while others can be done without (depending on the thickness of the wall, winter temperatures).

Boards, OSB, lining, plywood - these are the most popular materials for building a chicken coop

A chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is usually covered with inexpensive material. Most often it is roofing felt or slate, but any other material can be used. Only if you are planning a metal roof (from metal tiles, corrugated sheets), keep in mind that chickens do not like noise. During rain or hail, they may become frightened, which will affect the number of eggs or weight gain.

Insulation - mineral wool or polystyrene foam. Mineral wool is vapor-permeable, so normal humidity can be automatically maintained in the chicken coop (if the walls are also vapor-permeable). Polystyrene foam does not allow moisture to pass through, but it is cheaper and is used to build a budget poultry house. Just remember that mice love to live in such insulation (foam plastic and mineral wool). And this is a problem. To block their access to the inside of the wall, it is tightened on both sides with a fine metal mesh (cell size - the smaller the better).

There is also extruded polystyrene foam. It is much more expensive than the options listed above, but the advantage is that fungi do not grow in it, bacteria do not multiply, and insects and rodents do not like it. And one more thing - it has excellent thermal insulation characteristics and, to insulate a chicken coop, a thickness of 2-3 cm is enough (foam plastic needs more than 5 cm), so in fact, the cost of insulation will not increase very much.

Drawings and projects

A summer chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is a small building, usually made of wood. A mini poultry house with a walk, which will house less than a dozen birds, has dimensions of 3 * 1.5 m. Moreover, this is with a walk - a fenced off area. The very room where the chickens will spend the night and lay eggs is 80-100 cm deep, 140-160 cm wide, and its height is about 1 meter.

Summer chicken coop for 5-9 chickens with walking - a very small building

For maintenance - changing bedding, cleaning - there is a door in the back wall. There is a small window covered with shutters to let in light. In general, an ideal option for a summer house for seasonally keeping a small number of chickens.

A chicken coop for 10-15 chickens is a more serious building. Dimensions double: 1*2. The height can still be kept low - all servicing can be done through a door in the back wall. There is no need to go inside. Only as a last resort.

For an even larger number of birds, you need to make an even larger barn for chickens. This is really a barn or a shed. You can already enter such a room.

If the winters are snowy, you will have to make high slopes and a hip roof

Please note that even the smallest poultry house should have windows. No one will install metal-plastic, but glass must be present. In a seasonal chicken coop, one glass is enough; in a winter one, it is better to install two. Moreover, the second can only be installed in cold weather. And one more thing: it is advisable to have shutters on the window. This will give you the opportunity to change the length of daylight hours.

There are designs for chicken coops of unusual shapes - in the form of a triangle or a wigwam. This type of construction is optimal. By spending a minimum of funds on construction, we get a substantial area.

This chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is built using frame technology. There are no walls as such; they are covered with soft roofing material. A very rational construction. It is also suitable for snowy regions: with such an inclination, little will be delayed.

Chicken coop for 10-20 chickens: choosing and making a foundation

The type of foundation depends on the type of material chosen. If this is a frame building or timber or logs will be used, the most optimal is a columnar foundation. The costs in time and money are minimal, reliability is sufficient, and possible distortions of the columns are compensated by the strapping and elasticity of the material.

If the walls are built from blocks of any type, brick, shell rock and any similar material, a strip foundation is needed. There are more costs, but there is no other way to do it. An even better option is a slab foundation, but the costs are even higher. But the slab can be used as a subfloor, and with such a foundation any frost heaving is not a problem.

Preparing the site for the foundation

To build a chicken coop for 10 chickens with your own hands, first clear the area. It is necessary to remove all the fertile layer. Its thickness can be 20 cm or more, and maybe only 5. In any case, we remove everything, including stones, roots, etc. We level the area and compact it. For tamping, you can use a piece of large diameter log with a crossbar-handle nailed on top.

It is necessary to remove the soil because the animal and plant remains in it under the building begin to rot. So it is necessary to remove the fertile layer of soil. We carry out further construction work on the cleared and leveled site.

Columnar foundation

The foundation pillars for the poultry house can be made of brick, but the easiest way is to use concrete blocks 20*20*40 cm. They fit perfectly. If you are building a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens, it is unlikely that your structure will be larger. The longest side length that can be is 4 meters. If the winter is snowy, you can put three supports on this side: two at the edges and one in the middle. If the length of the chicken coop wall does not exceed 3 meters, we place only supports in the corners.

In the selected places we dig holes that are slightly larger in size than the future pillars. The depth of the holes is 25-30 cm. Pour medium-fraction crushed stone onto the bottom and compact it well. The thickness of the compacted layer is 15 cm. We pour sand onto the compacted crushed stone and tamp it well too. Blocks can be placed on this base. They need to be placed “on the horizon”. To do this, you can use pegs with a rope stretched along the level, or you can put even planks on the blocks, lay a building level on them and use it to navigate.

Once the blocks are aligned, you can begin laying the strapping. This is either a beam (for frame or timber construction) or a log. The strapping beam/log must be treated with impregnation. Under them, on the posts, it is advisable to lay a piece of roofing felt or waterproofing material folded in two layers (a modern and improved analogue of roofing felt). That's it, you can continue building the chicken coop.

Strip foundation for a chicken coop

A strip foundation is usually made for a chicken coop for 20 chickens, which will be built from any building blocks, adobe, shell rock, brick, etc. To make a concrete strip, you will have to dig a trench at least 50 cm deep and at least 35 cm wide along the perimeter of the future building. Try to make the walls of the trench even, and if the soil is loose, with a slight slope.

The bottom of the trench is cleared of stones and roots, leveled, and compacted. Crushed stone of medium fraction is poured onto the bottom, leveled and compacted. Layer thickness - 15 cm (compacted). Construction sand is poured on top and compacted. The thickness of the layer is about 10 cm. Next, formwork is assembled from boards in a trench for pouring concrete. The formwork panels should rise above the ground by at least 10-15 cm. In this case, the floor of the chicken coop will be slightly raised.

Strip base - for serious buildings or very difficult soils

To increase resistance to soil movements during frost heaving, reinforcement is placed inside the strip foundation. In this case, two rods with a diameter of 10-12 mm (ribbed, not smooth) are sufficient, which are located at a distance of about 15 cm from each other. The distance from the rods to the formwork panel is at least 5 cm. The distance from the bottom should be the same or greater .

The last step in constructing a strip foundation for a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is pouring concrete. The grade of concrete is M150, it’s not worth doing less. The proportions are standard: for 1 part of M400 cement we take three parts of medium-fraction crushed stone and four parts of dry sand. Water - 0.7-0.8 parts. Mix everything and pour it into the formwork. Having leveled the top edge, cover the foundation with film and wait 1-3 weeks. If it is warm (+20°C and above) we wait a week, if from +17°C to +20°C - two, if less than +17°C - three. After which you can remove the formwork and continue construction.

Remember that the concrete foundation, even for a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens, must be waterproofed. It can be coated twice with bitumen mastic, or you can lay two layers of roll waterproofing. If the humidity in the area is high, it is better to use both.

Insulation and vapor barrier

The walls in the chicken coop are erected using the chosen technology. There are no nuances here. Insulation, in fact, too, but it’s worth talking about insulation, since after all, this building has its own characteristics.

Lay thermal insulation between two layers of sheathing - and here you have a winter chicken coop

Mineral (basalt or glass) wool

Insulation with mineral wool is most often done if a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is built according to the principle of frame house construction. The assembled frame is sheathed on the outside, laying a layer of waterproofing under the material (plywood, OSB, boards). At the same time, please note that there should be a ventilation gap of 2-3 cm between the insulation and the outer skin. This can be provided by strips stuffed between the posts or stretched twine (secured with staples from a stapler). The second option is less reliable, but faster and cheaper.

To insulate a chicken coop with mineral wool, it is best to use hard or semi-rigid mats. They are cut into pieces of the required length and inserted into the spacer between the racks on the side of the room. It turns out that on the outside they rest against slats or stretched twine. The thickness of the insulation is 5-10 cm (depending on the region) and the material of the outer cladding, but in any case, when installed, it should not protrude beyond the racks. If the width of the racks is not enough, and thick insulation is needed, planks/boards are placed on top of the racks.

During construction, place the racks at such a pitch that the distance between them remains 3-5 cm less than the width of the insulation. Due to its greater width, the insulation will hold on (the elastic force works). Just be careful: measure the actual width of the roll, and do not use the number that is on the roll. There may be a difference of a couple of centimeters, the edges may bend, so as a result it will be difficult to install the insulation, as it will fall out. When insulating, try to ensure that the pieces fit together without gaps. If they do exist, fill them in thin strips. The installed insulation can be fixed using ordinary twine and staples made of.

A vapor barrier membrane is fixed over the installed insulation. In the simplest version, this is a film with a density of 200 microns. But it’s better to take a membrane for vapor barrier. It is attached to the posts with wooden planks, using small nails or staples from a stapler. At the joints, one sheet should overlap the other by at least 15 cm. Double-sided tape is used to glue the sheets together. This results in a double seam that provides a normal degree of protection against steam penetration. Internal cladding material (plywood, OSB, gypsum fiber board, gypsum plasterboard, boards) can be mounted on top of the vapor barrier film.

Why not an option? Also insulation... All that remains is to come up with something with the floor

So, when insulating a chicken coop with mineral wool, the wall pie looks like this (from inside to outside):

• internal lining;
• vapor barrier;
• insulation;
• ventilation gap;
• waterproofing;
• outer cladding.

The sequence of layers prevents moisture from penetrating into the insulation from the inside. This task cannot be completed 100% - vapors still penetrate. Therefore, it is necessary to have a ventilation gap between the insulation and the waterproofing. Due to this, the steam trapped in the insulation escapes. It is this construction that guarantees that the insulation will work.

Polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam

When insulated with polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam, everything is a little simpler. It is itself vapor-tight, so it is not necessary to protect it from steam penetration. If a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is built on a frame principle, you can lay foam plastic between the posts. It is cut with a fine-tooth saw (for metal) and secured using polyurethane foam with low expansion. To prevent the insulation from leaking, strips are placed along the racks on both sides. You can lay polystyrene foam and expanded polystyrene both from the street and from the room. Sheathing can be done in any order. The only thing: on the street side, under the sheathing, it is better to fix the waterproofing. Especially for polystyrene foam - it “blooms” when exposed to large quantities of moisture.

If a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is made of vapor-permeable material (foam and gas concrete, timber, logs), it must be insulated with foam plastic from the outside. There should be a ventilation gap between the wall and the insulation, which will allow moisture to evaporate from the wall. To do this, a lath 20-30 mm thick is stuffed onto the wall. Then the counter-batten is stuffed in the opposite direction. The thickness of the bars is no less than the thickness of the insulation. Foam plastic/extruded polystyrene foam is fixed between the counter-battens on the mounting foam. Then, on top, you can install the outer skin.

Ventilation

Chickens feel fine in normal humidity. When they fall or rise, they begin to hurt (high humidity is more dangerous), so ventilation in the chicken coop should creep in during the planning period. A hole is made in one of the walls for air flow. To do this, you can insert a piece of plastic pipe into the wall and select a cover for it.

The air outflow from the chicken coop (exhaust) is a pipe passed through the roof or the top of the wall. On the street, the pipe rises some distance above the roof and ends with a fungus or a canopy - for protection from precipitation and foliage. The supply and exhaust are located in opposite corners so that the air travels the greatest distance. This type of ventilation is called natural, but it does not always work stably.

For stable operation, a fan with a cover is embedded in the upper part of the wall. It's better if it has several speeds. The operation of this type of ventilation does not depend on the weather, but depends on the availability of electricity and requires human intervention. In principle, you can do both methods and use them as needed.

If you are the owner of a summer cottage or a country house, you should think about poultry breeding. Chickens are best suited for this role.

They are undemanding to living conditions and are quite capable of providing your family with eggs and meat. Besides, small chicken coop able to organically complement your garden plot.

For a small family it is quite enough to have 10 layers. If you plan to breed birds for financial profit, then a mini-chicken coop is not enough; you will need a more spacious room. You will learn how to build a simple chicken coop for 10 chickens in this article.

Features of the chicken coop

The main function of the chicken coop is bird protection from environmental influences and predatory animals, for example: foxes or ferrets.

Therefore, the room must be reliable and warm. The air temperature inside the building should vary from -2 to +30 degrees.

In addition, the egg production of birds directly depends on the length of daylight hours, so it is worth taking care of lighting. The chicken coop must have windows and electric lamps installed.

Room dimensions are selected taking into account the available chickens. For broilers, the recommended housing density should not exceed 3 birds per square meter.

Egg breeds feel comfortable when their population does not exceed 4 birds per square meter of area. For chickens - 14 goals per m. It is worth considering the fact that in winter chickens can be compacted to 6-7 individuals per m. Thus, the birds will better withstand the winter cold.

Selecting a location

Before starting construction, you need to decide on the location of the future chicken coop. To do this, you can choose any flat place with a slight slope on your garden plot.

The slope is needed so that during rain, water does not accumulate around the house but goes to the side. It is also worth taking care that the chicken coop is not located in the shade of trees or nearby buildings.

Materials and tools

To build a small chicken coop, you can use any scrap materials, which are probably available in every household. In particular:

• wood;
• pieces of sheet iron;
• old window frames;
• mesh.

If you have planned more fundamental design, that is, it makes sense to purchase:

• brick;
• foam blocks;
• polycarbonate;
• cement.

Depending on the scale of construction set of tools may be different. But the required minimum should look something like this:

• hammer;
• axe;
• plane;
• Master OK;
• roulette.

How to build a chicken coop

Project

Any construction begins with. This allows you to better plan future construction and determine the amount of materials needed.

Need to draw on paper diagram future construction. Indicate the location of the door and windows, determine where the area for walking chickens will be located.

For 10 laying hens, it is enough to fence the area 2x2 m. It should be located on the side of the door to the chicken coop.

In order for the birds to be able to go for a walk without hindrance, a small hole is made in the door (a hole with a diameter of about 50 cm). It is worth noting that there are chicken coop options for 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50, 100 and 200 birds.

Accordingly, the more laying hens you want to have, the larger your construction will be. Although, for personal needs chicken coop for 10 birds will be more than enough.

Base

Having decided on the dimensions of the future structure, you can begin pouring.

If you are planning to build a compact building for keeping birds in the summer, then the foundation can be neglected, quite simply level the area using a shovel (read about various techniques and methods for leveling areas) and fill it with crushed stone.

To fill the foundation, a hole is dug with a depth of about 30 cm. The edges of the pit are lined with boards. This will be the outer part of the future formwork. The internal part is installed at a distance 20 cm from external.

Note! Before installing the formwork, it is recommended to line the edges of the pit with a metal mesh. This will protect the laying hens from predators and mice. Very often, uninvited guests enter the chicken coop by digging.

The formwork is filled with cement-sand mortar or concrete. After pouring, it is necessary to postpone further work until 2-3 days. The solution should gain strength.

Construction of the floor

For flooring there are two possible options:

1. Make the floor earthen;
2. Lay boards over the foundation.

The second option is considered the most optimal. A wooden floor will retain heat better in the winter season. If you decide to lay a plank floor, then first you need to lay waterproofing layer.

For these purposes you can use roofing felt. Bedding is poured on top of the waterproofing, which will act as insulation. Usually it's a mixture sand, sawdust and hay about three cm thick. Only after this can you begin installing the boards.

How to make walls

You can build walls made of brick. This option will give the chicken coop a solid and beautiful appearance. Of course, you can’t use just bricks to build walls; the chicken coop will turn out to be cold.

Therefore, it would be right to take care of additional insulation. To do this, the inner surface of the walls is covered with a frame made of wooden slats or bars.

Insulation is placed between the bars, you can use polystyrene foam or mineral wool. Sheets of plywood or fiberboard (fibreboard) are stuffed on top of the frame.

When erecting walls, do not forget to provide window openings. Otherwise, you will have to pay electricity bills all year round.

The fact is that chickens do not lay eggs in the dark. Therefore, in order for the egg production of birds to be at the proper level, care should be taken not only about, but also about natural. It is best to arrange windows on the sunny side, this will provide the laying hens with sunlight in winter.

Ceiling and roof

To build a roof you can use any improvised material. For example, pieces of sheet iron, roofing felt or slate. Usually there are roofs in chicken coops gable and.

It is best to use the first option. This will not only increase the internal volume of the building, but will also provide more efficient protection from precipitation. The main thing is to insulate it.

This can be done in the same way as walls. To make the roof, install rafters, onto which the frame is nailed. Insulation is laid on the frame. The roof needs to be covered on the inside with plywood, and on the outside with roofing material.

Ventilation device

When you get carried away with construction, you shouldn’t forget about hood. To do this, install a pipe with a diameter of about 20 cm in the roof as far as possible from the perches.

The pipe should go down into the chicken coop at 50-70 cm, the rest remains above the roof. The total length of the ventilation pipe should be about two meters.

Such ventilation can easily cope with the renewal of air in a room of up to 10 sq m.

Important! In winter, it is best to seal the hood. Otherwise, instead of ventilation, drafts will occur, which negatively affects the health of chickens. In winter, the chicken coop must be ventilated regularly; to do this, simply open the door.

chicken pen

To prevent chickens from walking around the garden, pecking out your harvest, you need to make a small aviary where they can walk and breathe fresh air.

As we said earlier, the optimal size of the area for 10 chickens is 2x2 m. To create it, pillars are dug into the ground next to the chicken coop, and the space between them is covered with a mesh.

IN summer time chickens spend most of their time outside and easily find food for themselves.

Internal structure of the chicken coop

Having finished with construction, it is worth thinking about internal equipment. After all, birds need to create the most comfortable conditions for their life.

Need to install feeders and drinkers. It is best to place them on the side of the coop opposite the roosts. The number of feeders depends on the number of birds.

The main thing is that every chicken can come up for food without any problems. Each bird should have at least 15 cm feeder length.

To rest, birds need to install perches. They are made from a wooden block, the sharp corners of which must be smoothed with a plane. This precaution is necessary to prevent the birds from injuring their paws.

The length of the perch depends on the number of chickens. For example, for 10 laying hens a block of length is enough 3m. The perch is installed at a height 50 cm from the floor and at a distance 35 cm from the wall.

You need to install electric lamps. The length of daylight hours for chickens should be approx. 15 hours. Lamps with shades are better suited for this.

When installing lighting, remember that for every square meter of area there should be at least 5 Watts of electricity. It is better to place the lamps in such a way that the light falls not on the perches, but on the feeders.

Don't forget about nests for laying hens. For ten chickens you will need 2-3 slots. You can make them from ordinary wooden boxes.

The dimensions should be as follows: drawer height 40 centimeters, width and depth approx. 30 cm. They can be placed in any shaded area of ​​the chicken coop. As bedding, the bottom of the box is lined with straw.

Where to buy a ready-made chicken coop

If you do not have the opportunity to build a chicken coop yourself, you can purchase one already finished design. To do this, you can turn to the Internet for help.

There are companies specializing in the production houses for poultry. You can order not only a chicken coop, but also cages for breeding quails, rooms for keeping geese or turkeys.

You can purchase ready-made models or order a chicken coop for an individual project. A typical building for keeping chickens will cost you approximately 10000-15000 rubles.

The cost will depend on the size and material of manufacture. Custom chicken coops will cost much more expensive.

Therefore, many novice farmers prefer to build chicken coops with your own hands. Firstly, it is inexpensive, and secondly, you can make a room for chickens of any design and size. Everything will depend on your imagination.

A clear example of a chicken coop built with your own hands and its dimensions, you can watch in this video.

Many people who run households raise chickens. This is not only a good opportunity to always have fresh meat, but also a great way to make money selling eggs.

In order for chickens to lay a sufficient number of quality eggs, they must feel comfortable. A chicken coop will help maintain the health of laying hens and create favorable conditions. In this article you will learn how to build a chicken coop with your own hands for 10-20 chickens.

Description of the chicken coop design

It may seem that a chicken coop is just a fad and having one is not that important. But this is not at all true; a chicken coop is extremely important for obtaining a quality product. It is very important for a chicken to feel safe in order to reproduce, just like for any living creature. In a chicken coop, a laying hen can sleep peacefully and lay eggs in a safe, secluded place that will hide her from “prying eyes.” From all this it follows that the chicken coop should protect birds from:

• predators;
• bad weather;
• rodents

To build a chicken coop, it is important to know what the birds need to live. In their shelter, the birds will eat, walk, sleep and lay eggs. Therefore, the chicken coop must have the following zones:

To prevent chickens from getting sick, it is necessary to maintain a certain climate in the chicken coop. It is important to have a satisfactory amount of sunlight and fresh air. Therefore, you should take care of ventilation and windows before construction.

It is also important to note that the chicken coop requires regular cleaning. You should also think about this before starting construction. Consider the height of the building so that cleaning the room does not create additional problems.

To make a chicken coop with your own hands for 10-20 chickens, you need a drawing. Building it yourself will not pose any problems; it is only important to take into account some features that will create comfort not only for the chickens, but also for you. If you want to build a chicken coop, many different plans can be found on the Internet. The main thing is that the idea reflects the important features of the building:

• doors should be designed so that they open freely into the chicken coop;
• The floor of the room should be made with a slight slope to make cleaning from dirt easier and faster.

How large the chicken coop will be depends directly on the number of chickens that are planned to be housed in it. It makes no sense to make it larger than necessary if replenishment of hens is not expected. After all, no one needs to take up extra space, which is always useful in the household.

There are two types of chicken coops: summer and winter. The differences in their design are quite significant, so you should immediately decide which one is right for you.

1. First, we build a frame using wooden beams, with a thickness, as already mentioned, of at least 5 centimeters.
2. Install walls made of treated timber on the frame. If necessary, lay a layer of insulation.
3. Seal any gaps with thermal insulation.

The final stage will be installing the roof.

1. Build a beam frame for the roof, making sure to insulate it.
2. Lay sheets of plywood on the frame.
3. Cover everything with a roof on top.
   

Of course, you can always purchase a ready-made chicken coop. But if you build it yourself, you can be sure that everything necessary for the health and comfort of the chickens is provided, and the work is done efficiently. You can clearly see all the intricacies of how to build a chicken coop with your own hands in the video.