How To Build A Chicken Coop

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Leafing through notebooks and papers, in which the most significant events of my shabashnik's life are recorded, I came across my notes and drawings made by an unfamiliar hand, and drawings made by me. Starting to read, I remembered my youth … Back in Soviet times, I once had a chance to work as part of a brigade of shabashniks in the Kostroma region in the then state farm. We erected various structures, but that time I was engaged in the construction of chicken coops.

Unlike the construction of many previous bird "apartments" in other places, when the customer, as a rule, provided only general sketches, this time the state farm zootechnician presented us with very detailed, accurate drawings of all the premises for the birds. Moreover, he constantly monitored all stages of construction, meticulously delving into all the little things. Frankly, sometimes I was annoyed by such pickiness, but I put up with it, knowing full well that his corrosiveness is a reliable guarantee of high quality work. Although I must admit without false modesty, we have never cheated and have always tried to build conscientiously.

Along the way, he was quite detailed, and, it seems to me, he was interested in talking about both the habits of chickens and their maintenance. We learned many interesting and instructive things from him. It is clear that I am not a poultry farmer, but a builder, therefore I do not presume to judge the correctness of the ideas and reasoning of the state farm specialist. However, it seems to me that the practical implementation of his ideas and calculations gives a lot of useful things for summer residents, gardeners who keep or want to acquire chickens. Everyone can choose and use what they consider suitable for their household.

Of course, over the years, I have forgotten something, removed something, considering it not so significant. He added something, having studied special literature, in particular, drawings of poultry houses. But they in no way distorted the essence of the judgments of the state farm zootechnician about the "chicken" problems. It is quite natural that I will express all this in my own words, trying to be as close to the author as possible. Only here and there I will allow myself to insert remarks to clarify or supplement the text. Before starting the story, I will make a small, but, in my opinion, a necessary digression. Preparing this material, I looked through many books, catalogs, reference books on home building and was surprised to find that there are no chicken coop projects anywhere. No, they, of course, are, however, the content of chickens must be combined with someone else.

For example, with a pig (Fig. 1), with rabbits (Fig. 2), and even a very strange association - under one roof of several rooms, among which there is a poultry house (Fig. 3). A toilet and a poultry house next to a shower? … But there are no projects of purely individual, separately located buildings of poultry houses (especially chicken coops). And all the more valuable, it seems to me, are the ideas of the zootechnician, which we have put into practice.

Since ancient times in Russia, there is a persistent belief that the chicken is an extremely primitive creature that does not require care and attention at all. And this was reflected in such expressions, quite widespread even in our enlightened time, such as "The chicken is not a bird, and a cancer is not a fish", "A chicken is not a bird, and a woman is not a man." Or in absurdities, like "Chickens laughing" (as if chickens can laugh ?!).

And numerous, often completely meaningless advice and signs … "If you weigh the roost with broken jugs, the chickens will run well." "If you find a stone with a hole and hang it in the chicken coop, the chickens will be safe." True, it is not entirely clear what the birds will be protected from: either from diseases, or from thieves. There are even some rather exotic signs. For example: "The first egg from the black hen saves the cattle in the field from the wolves." And here it is not entirely clear how to proceed. Maybe give such an egg to the wolves, and they, doing it, will leave the livestock alone? Maybe we should throw an egg at the wolves, and they, frightened, will run away ?! Or put an egg in their path?

And one more masterpiece of folk art: "A straw stuck to the tail of a chicken - there will be a dead man." What if there were three or four such straws - what is that, there will be so many dead? In a word, at all times the attitude of people to the chicken family was rather disdainful. Most summer residents and gardeners who keep chickens treat these (after all) birds in a similar way. Threw in a handful in the evening, another grain or compound feed - and order. And the rest of the food, they say, they themselves will find.

In addition, chickens usually huddle somewhere in a cubbyhole or in the far corner of the barn, where they are both cold and hungry. It is not surprising that with such a content, they rush only for a few months, and even then only in the summer. All the rest of the year, they are the real dependents.

But with proper care, especially with sufficient feeding, the egg production of chickens increases significantly. But for this you need to know a lot about these birds, and most importantly, be able to properly care for them.

The main thing is that the chickens must be fed their fill all year round. And not only with grain or mixed feed. Moreover, even grain must be periodically diversified: today, let's say, corn, tomorrow - millet, after-tomorrow - mixed feed, and so on.

The daily diet should include finely chopped hay or hay dust, boiled potatoes, cabbage waste. You can use brooms with leaves instead of hay. In winter, they should be hung in the coop at such a height that the birds can freely reach the leaves. It is very useful to feed crushed charcoal. It must be added to the feed at the rate of one tablespoon for 5-6 chickens two to three times a week. Charcoal keeps appetite, protects bird stomachs from digestive upset. This can be seen from the droppings: it will never be liquid.

It's good to "treat" chickens with apples from time to time. Of course, not selective, but those that are worse, and even waste.

Vegetables, especially beets and carrots, are good vitamins. With a lack of vitamins, birds often become lethargic, get sick, their plumage grows dull, they rush badly.

Sometimes you can see how chickens peck eggs and pluck each other's feathers. Or they lay eggs in soft shells without shells. This is a sure sign that their body lacks protein, minerals and especially calcium. To prevent birds from suffering from this, it is necessary to add finely crushed shells, chalk, wood ash, bone meal to the feed.

Chickens can often be observed standing or walking slowly in winter. And to raise their tone to the required level, they need to actively move. In such a case, this option is very effective: hang cabbage heads from the crossbar or from the ceiling. And at such a height that, jumping up, the birds could peck at them.

It is very important that the chickens walk a lot, especially on sunny days. It is common knowledge that the sun is the best healer. Under the influence of its rays, vitamin D is produced, which is called the growth and health vitamin.

It is not at all easy, as it may seem at first glance, the task of arranging nests for layers. The chicken chooses a certain, one might say, favorite nest and tries to lay eggs in it. If it is occupied at the time of laying, it is capable of not rushing at all!

When keeping chickens, it is necessary to take into account such an important circumstance as the chicken hierarchy. Among chickens, it exists and will continue to exist. It would be nice to monitor this phenomenon and, if possible, regulate it. And that's why.

Among the chickens, there are sure to be the strongest, most cocky birds who rule the group. They get the best places at the trough, the most convenient places on the perch. Etc. For example, chicken number one can push all the other mates around as it pleases. Chicken number two can do the same with the rest, except for chicken number one. Chicken number three can "bully" the rest, except for hens number one and two.

It so happens that a low-grade hen acquires chickens. In this case, her status rises significantly, up to number two. This is probably due to the fact that care and responsibility for the offspring dramatically move her up the hierarchical ladder. If the chicken did not grow from the chick age in this group, but appeared as an adult from the outside, then it will always be an outcast. She will be offended by all other birds.

It has been noticed that hens of higher ranks do not lay well. This is due to the fact that in order to maintain their superiority, they have to constantly monitor so that no one encroaches on their power, since there will always be those who want to take a privileged position. But if, for example, the main hen is placed in a separate room, then it will be better to rush.

True, among the remaining chickens, one will still become the main one instead of the retired leader. This means that her egg production will inevitably decrease.

In contrast to the grandees of the chicken kingdom, the chickens of the lower ranks are not at all burdened with the struggle for power, since they know that they will never get to the upper steps, which means that there is nothing to strive for. Therefore, they rush and rush. These hens are the best layers.

Besides feeding, it is important to know how to properly water the chickens. Especially in winter. Among those who keep chickens, there is a mistaken belief that, they say, a bird will bite the snow and thereby quench its thirst. No and no!

- Do not be lazy, watch early in the morning when the chickens fly off their roost, - the zootechnician advised us, - first they must rush to the feeding trough to check if there is anything edible there. And then they go to the water and drink.

Therefore, it is best to pour water into the drinking bowl in the evening (if the chicken coop is warm) or early in the morning (if the coop is cold). It is known for certain that chickens that quench their thirst with water, not snow, begin to rush earlier. When installing a drinking bowl in a hen house, one must take into account the following moment: if you put it on the floor, then the birds, rummaging in the litter, will rake garbage into the drinking bowl and quickly contaminate it. To avoid this, the drinker should be placed on a stand. Its height is circular at one level in the form of a platform so that chickens can easily jump on it and get to the water without any problems (Fig. 4).

In order to prevent birds from scattering food, the feeder is loaded no more than a third of the depth. And so that the chickens do not climb into the feeder, rotating slats or rounds can be built above it.

These are (which I have outlined in brief) considerations for keeping chickens shared with us by a state farm zootechnician. From my point of view, there is every reason to believe that he knew what he was talking about.

I will return to what I had to do - directly to the construction of chicken coops. Looking at the current chicken coops, I am more and more convinced of the idea that every summer resident, gardener builds them according to his own understanding. More precisely, without any idea of what it should actually be, since many factors that significantly affect the maintenance of poultry, and therefore their productivity, are very often completely ignored during construction. That is why chicken coops built according to the drawings of a specialist, as it seems to me, have many obvious advantages over unauthorized construction.

The place for the chicken coop, according to the zootechnician, must be dry, preferably higher, and the entrance must be from the south. If there is no such natural site, it is necessary to make an artificial one. It can be built from brick chips, crushed stone, gravel, small stones. A dense layer of clay mixed with broken glass is laid on top to protect against rodents. And already on it sand is poured with a thickness of 12-16 centimeters.

It is on such a "pillow" that the foundation is laid. Most of the chicken coops I saw in gardening and summer cottages were built without it. It goes without saying that it is much easier and faster to build without a foundation, but then there is no main thing - reliability. The floors can be any: earthen, adobe, brick, cement. But still, the best of them, of course, are densely knit - planks. Moreover, in the climatic conditions of the North-West, the floors, regardless of the materials, must be necessarily insulated in order to exclude any penetration of cold into the chicken coop from below.

If, again, the birdhouse was built without a foundation, then to protect it from everywhere penetrating rodents, especially rats, the lower part should be upholstered with iron sheets, deepening them into the ground by at least 30 centimeters. Always remember that where there are animals, birds, and therefore food, there will always be rats. And these very dangerous rodents not only eat food and spread all kinds of infections, but also attack chickens.

The floor area is calculated as follows: three to four hens are placed on one square meter. If there are not many of them at the time of construction, then still build a room with a margin, and suddenly there will be more birds over time.

For the construction of the walls of the chicken coop, you can use any available building material: bricks, logs, slabs, boards, lightweight concrete blocks. The most practical are frame poultry houses. They are sheathed with boards on both sides, and insulation is laid between them - be it sawdust mixed with sand and cement or thermal insulation materials.

In addition to frame houses, there are poultry houses in the form of a bulk cellar (Fig. 5). Their advantage is that such a structure does not require large costs and materials. The roof, which also serves as walls, is laid out with sod. In order for it to hold well and the grass grows quickly, it is laid in several rows 18-26 centimeters thick. The top layer is nailed to the bottom with pegs. Before laying the sod, the plank frame is covered with bitumen or an antiseptic. You can, as they say, for lack of anything better, upholstery with roofing material. This measure is necessary in order to protect the wood from decay. Let's not forget, again, to protect the chicken coop from rats, mice, moles. But such a poultry house is permissible to build only where groundwater is deep from the surface.

However, I think the most successful chicken coop is shown in figure 6. It is especially good in small areas, as it does not require a shed or yard for walking. In bad weather, the birds will hide in a shelter under their own dwelling. And for poultry farmers keeping different types of chickens and wishing to preserve the purity of their breed, we can recommend a chicken coop of a very original design, shown in Figure 7. With separate rooms and walks. However, no matter what material the walls are erected from, they must be plastered and whitewashed inside. Which, as I have noticed, practically nobody does in our area. From time to time, the whitewash must be refurbished in order to destroy the parasites that have settled in the hen house and to prevent the appearance of infections. The roof can be made both from traditional materials: iron, slate, roofing material, and from more modern materials. But all of them in our climatic conditions require insulation.

Chickens need light. On long light days, there are enough windows. It is desirable to make them with double frames, and carefully caulk the cracks. This is necessary for insulation. On short days of light, when natural light is clearly insufficient, it should be supplemented with electric light. (True, here it should be noted that if in Soviet times we cared little about saving electricity, then in the current conditions, when each kilowatt costs a lot of money, and keep not very many chickens, their maintenance may turn out to be unprofitable).

Now, when we assume that the "hut on chicken legs" is ready, it was very curious to follow some of the instructions and requirements of the zootechnician for equipping their interior design. The first thing we did was to install the ventilation riser (Fig. 5), as the customer considered it a top priority.

- If you enter a makeshift chicken coop without ventilation, especially in winter, - explained the zootechnician, - then a stinking smell will immediately enter your nose. And this directly affects the health of birds. And so that there is always fresh air in the chicken coop, ventilation is necessary. Moreover, it must be arranged away from the perches in order to avoid hypothermia of the birds.

By the way, about the perches. It turns out that chickens spend almost half of their lives on them.

“Look in the morning,” the zootechnician suggested, “how, flying off their perches, the chickens sit motionless for a long time, as if they had injured their legs. This is because the perches are too uncomfortable for them. On thin poles, in order not to fall off, the birds sit, clasping them tenaciously with their claws. Naturally, the legs get tired from the strong tension and, flying off, the chickens hit the floor, and then they cannot recover for a long time. It is best to make perches not round, but four-sided, with a section of four by six centimeters.

One chicken needs 15-20 centimeters of perch. One perch from another is located no closer than 35 centimeters. By no means one over the other. Because everyone will strive to occupy the topmost perch. The height of the perch from the floor is 60-80 centimeters. It is advisable to place a removable pallet under the perch, which will greatly facilitate cleaning the room, since the droppings will not stick to the floor. Of course, you can build and equip a chicken coop in different ways. The main thing is that the birds are comfortable there. After all, their productivity largely depends on this, and therefore, to some extent, your well-being.