The health of the chicken stock largely depends on how comfortable the living conditions will be created by the owner. One of the most important aspects is the construction of a warm chicken coop in a convenient, comfortable home. With year-round keeping of chickens, it is necessary to build a warm chicken coop for them, in which the pies can overwinter. It’s no secret that most breeds are very difficult to adapt to frost.
Today on the Internet you can watch videos in which experienced poultry farmers tell in detail how to build a warmed chicken house with their own hands without unnecessary costs. The construction, designed for keeping birds in the winter, should be well insulated, its purpose is to protect the livestock from drafts. The design of a warm building should include a heating system. To ensure the optimum temperature in the chicken coop, two large window openings should be designed on the south side.Such a step will allow chickens to get maximum sunlight.
The optimum temperature in the cold season is at least 12 ° C. It is better to install metal-plastic structures that will close tightly. It is also necessary to make warmed slopes, this will save additional heat.
Requirements
For laying hens, wintering does not require as much space as in summer. Landing density per 1 square. m – 4-5 individuals. From the above data it follows that to maintain a livestock of 20 chickens, it is necessary to build a room with an area of ​​only 5 square meters. m.
The project of a warm chicken coop must include an insulated vestibule. This will help isolate the entrance and reduce the flow of cold air into the room. Housing for chickens should be divided into separate functional zones for:
- sleep;
- feeding;
- watering.
In winter, it is especially necessary to monitor the humidity in the room. At constant temperature jumps, humidity increases accordingly. It is very important to equip the chicken housing with a ventilation system . Straw or sawdust is laid on the floor for heating. When the biomaterial reacts with droppings and begins to decay, heat is released into the air, and with it ammonia vapors, which can negatively affect the health of the layers.
Preparation
When drawing up the drawings, you need to carefully consider the entire structure. One of the most important points in the construction of a warm chicken coop with your own hands is the foundation. Without it, the building will not be able to retain heat. Localization of the building is also important. It is recommended to choose a place on a hill so that when a large amount of precipitation occurs, water does not accumulate, but flows down.
To lay the foundation, dig holes of 70 cm depth and put wooden formwork into them, and then pour concrete. After a few days, when the concrete dries, you can begin construction. On the video you can see how to build a warm chicken coop with your own hands, how to properly lay the foundation, and find out which material is better to use. The building itself is better made of wood: it retains heat better.
Layout
When drawing up drawings, you need to correctly position the functional areas. The internal structure of the chicken coop includes:
- feeders ;
- drinking bowls ;
- poles for sleeping;
- laying nests .
Perches should be located away from the entrance, ideally on the opposite wall. Dimensions will depend on the number of chickens and their dimensions. Nests are located in the most secluded corner, protected from drafts. The number of nests depends on the production orientation of the chickens.
The feeders and the watering system are positioned so that they do not interfere with cleaning and do not stand in the aisle.Separate feeders should be installed for dry feed and wet mixes. From the building you need to make a hole so that the chickens can freely go outside. It should be equipped with a lock so that the paddock is under your control. On frosty days, you should not let the bird out onto the street.
The construction process
Initially, you should sketch the drawings on paper and only then implement the project. The numerous step-by-step photos of the manufacture of chicken coops with their own hands describe in detail the structure of the building. Before laying the foundation, you need to remove the upper turf layer, about 20 cm. Dig holes with a depth of 70 cm in increments of a meter along the entire perimeter of the building. The bottom is covered with gravel, then a brick is placed on it, which is poured with concrete on top. Brick-concrete layers are repeated until the target level is reached. Wooden formwork must be wrapped with roofing material. Next, they build a frame, then lay the floor and make walls. Wall insulation is carried out using mineral wool. Inside the building, a grid is laid in layers, then mineral wool, then again a tree. Then we proceed to the installation of windows and doors. The roof is built with a gable roof, always with an attic.
Ventilation is better to prefer the supply and exhaust type. For its installation you will need two PVC pipes. The supply pipe should be fixed as far as possible from the nests, and the exhaust pipe, on the contrary, as close as possible. To prevent precipitation from getting inside, pipes are covered with umbrellas on top.Flaps are installed inside to control airflow.
Heating system
To keep the chicken coop warm during the cold season, it must be insulated . You can do this by the methods described above. In addition, the room will have to be warmed up in any case. Do this with oil or infrared heaters installed on the ceiling. This method of heating helps maintain the required temperature even in a concrete structure.
Heating can be done using a stand-alone stove made by yourself or purchased in a store. The main thing is not to overdo it with illumination. In winter, daylight hours should be much shorter than in warm periods.
Illumination
A 15 hour light day is enough for the chicken to run normally in winter. The increase in daylight in the winter is achieved through artificial lighting . To do this, you can use fluorescent lamps, LEDs, energy-saving lamps.
Recommended lighting power – 20 lux. The height above the floor is calculated taking into account the selected energy sources. The temperature in the room can be increased using gas discharge lamps, which can completely replace sunlight.
Useful tips
When you start building a warm chicken coop with your own hands, you need to correctly determine the size and the shape of the room. It is recommended to lay the foundation with a margin if it is planned to increase the population.If you planned to keep 20 chickens, but in the end there were 10 and the area is too large, it is necessary to protect the unused corner in order to avoid heat loss. In a long, narrow room, you can make the optimal placement of nests, perches and feeders with drinking bowls. This form of the building contributes to the preservation of heat.
Conclusion
The most important thing in keeping chickens in winter is a warm room with good ventilation. It is very important in the winter to ensure the optimum temperature and humidity in the chicken coop. Constant temperature jumps lead to an increase in humidity, which in turn can provoke an outbreak of infectious diseases among the livestock.
To make the room as comfortable as possible, it is necessary to create a building design where all the data should be laid down, starting from laying the foundation and ending with the inside arrangement. The foundation is the main part of the winter premises, without it the building will not be able to keep warm.
It is recommended to build a chicken coop out of wooden beams. This biomaterial will be much better at keeping heat than bricks. No matter how well the walls, floor, windows and roof are insulated, the house should be equipped with heaters. You can use gas discharge lamps that completely replace sunlight, heat the room.
An equally important part of the arrangement is the ventilation system.The best option for a small area is the supply and exhaust system. Its design consists of two pipes, one of which works to remove air from the room, and the second to inflow. In a winter house, ventilation is needed to remove ammonia vapors resulting from the decomposition of floor litter from biomaterials and litter. All necessary calculations can be done independently or use step-by-step photo videos from the Internet.
Making a chicken coop for wintering birds with your own hands is not at all difficult. The main thing is to correctly make all the calculations and make a plan of the building.
