We are building a chicken coop for broilers. We build a chicken coop for broilers with our own hands. A summer house for broilers with our own hands.

Raising meat-type chickens requires creating conditions for the birds under which the production yield will be maximum. A feature of broilers is intensive fattening and rapid weight gain. Therefore, a chicken coop for broilers should be maximally adapted for mass fattening of chickens up to 3–4 months.

Differences in chicken coops for broilers and layers

Broiler chickens gain maximum weight by 3–4 months, after which they are slaughtered.

Therefore, the main features of a chicken coop for broilers are as follows:

availability of natural and artificial lighting;
absence of drafts;
does not require heating (when raising poultry from spring to autumn);
mandatory ventilation;
does not need nests;
You may need space for cages;
when growing in cells - the presence of a feeder and drinker in each cell;
for outdoor cultivation - the presence of an enclosure for walking.

The chicken coop for egg-bearing birds is additionally equipped with nests, and its dimensions take into account the maintenance of small batches of chickens and adult birds.

Where to build on the site

Requirements for the location of the chicken coop on the site:

On the north side, the poultry house should be protected from the wind by trees or another building. Accordingly, there should be free space on the south side.
If the landscape is uneven, then the chicken coop is installed on a hill. In the lowlands there is increased dampness, including from groundwater, so the house will also be damp, and this is harmful for broilers.

Did you know?The ancestors of modern chickens are the Bankev chickens, which live in India. Their natural weight does not exceed 1 kg. Meat breeds bred by humans do not have the same resistance to disease as their wild ancestors, and therefore require mandatory prevention of infectious and other diseases.

Drawing up a project and calculating dimensions

First of all, you need to decide on the method of raising broilers:

floor;
cellular.

With a floor option for 1 sq. m place 3–4 broilers. When placing cages, the cages are installed in several tiers, and then in 1 section there can be from 10 to 30 heads. The minimum number of chickens in a cage is 10.
After determining the growing method, it is necessary to measure the site for construction and find out the maximum possible size of the future poultry house.

General requirements for the premises:

The roof of the poultry house should be gable. Snow does not accumulate on it, and it warms up faster from the sun.
The window should occupy at least 10% of the total wall area to provide sufficient natural light.
The insulation used to cover the walls must be moisture resistant, maintain the indoor air temperature well, and be resistant to rodents and pests.
When rearing in a poultry house year-round, it is advisable to equip a vestibule to limit the exposure of the flock to cold air.
If broilers are raised using the floor method, then you will need to equip an enclosure. It may be completed later.

Calculation of room sizes:

The standard cage height is 50 cm. When placing cages in 3 tiers, taking into account the minimum height from the floor of at least 60 cm, the minimum height of the poultry house is 2.1–2.5 m.
The width of the chicken coop for broilers is at least 2.5 m, taking into account the width of the cages.
The minimum vestibule size is 1.5×1.5×2.1.

If you equip a walking enclosure, then its dimensions are taken into account at the rate of: 4 broilers per 1 sq. m.

How to build a chicken coop for broilers with your own hands

The construction of a chicken coop will consist of:

site preparation;
foundation markings;
performing the foundation;
installing a chicken coop frame;
construction of buildings (floor, walls, roof);
insulation;
installation of lighting, ventilation, water supply systems;
installation of internal poultry house equipment (cages or perches, feeders, drinking bowls).

Did you know?One of the largest meat breeds - gate. Average weight of a rooster of this breed- 7 kg. But there are also individuals of 10–12 kg.

Necessary materials

A poultry house can be built from wood materials, stone or brick. Each material has both advantages and disadvantages.
I would like to note the advantages of structures made from wood materials:

they are much cheaper than brick buildings;
they are easier to install and dismantle.

Regardless of the material chosen, the house still needs to be insulated to create a comfortable microclimate for growing chickens. For construction you will need a variety of materials.

For the foundation:

sand and gravel for the pillow;
pipes and fittings for columnar foundations;
concrete.

For the chicken coop:

beam;
wood boards for cladding;
boards, slats;
insulation;
bitumen mastic.

Tools for work

Tools:

shovels and for transporting materials during foundation construction;
hammer;
roulette;
construction cord, pegs for marking the foundation, brackets for fastening.

Step-by-step instruction

Before you start, prepare the tools for work, materials and check the dimensions on the drawing again. Preparatory work during construction includes clearing space for the chicken coop. The site is marked with pegs and construction cord in accordance with the construction plan.

Did you know?Broilers- These are birds obtained by crossing several breed lines. Initially these were the Cornish (paternal line) and Plymouth Rock (maternal line) breeds.

A layer of soil under the foundation is removed - about 20 cm. The removed soil can be used to create flower beds or be used to fill the beds on the site.

Pouring the foundation and laying the floor

Preparing the foundation consists of making holes for the foundation pipes, installing these pipes and creating a cushion of gravel and sand in the pit between the installed pipes. The thickness of the gravel cushion is 20 cm. The columnar foundation is made up of pipes into which fastening fittings are inserted under the chicken coop posts. The inside of the pipes is filled with concrete. When the concrete hardens, a timber frame for the floor is secured to the reinforcement.
The grounding depth of the pipes is 1 m. The distance between them is at least 0.75 m. The pipe must rise above the level of the gravel-sand cushion by 0.2 m, and the reinforcement for fastening the wall posts must be at least 0.25 m.
To put the timber harness on the reinforcement, groove holes are drilled in it.
Waterproofing is laid on concrete pillars. It can be roofing felt in 2-3 layers.
The timber is fastened with self-tapping screws.

Construction and insulation of walls

Roof construction

The roof is made of hard wood. There are 2 options: with and without a small attic. The attic improves air exchange and helps extend service life wooden elements. For a roof with an attic, the roof deck is made of boards or slabs. Then the ceiling beams are installed and the covering is completed.

For a roof without an attic:

the main frame is mounted on support pillars;
covered with boards and insulation, just like the walls.

The finished roof can be covered with slate or metal tiles. When installing the roof, you also need to install ventilation pipes. The height of the pipes is 2 m, the diameter is at least 20 cm.

Setting up a chicken coop

Internal arrangement begins with the installation of a lighting and heating system for the nursery of small chickens (brooder). For winter breeding of broilers, a heating system is installed.

The walls are treated with lime, and the wooden surfaces are painted. The window is covered with mesh. Ventilation ducts or vents should be equipped with a mosquito net, since insects are the most active carriers of pathogens.

If the birds will be kept in cages, then first form and install the racks, and then the cages. They are equipped with internal or external feeders. Install an automated water supply system. If the birds are kept without cages, then install perches, drinkers, feeders, and also equip a tray for ash baths.

Important!Plastic and materials that are not resistant to moisture should not be used for lining poultry houses. By accumulating dampness, such material will serve as a basis for the development of mold and other fungi.

A manger for chickens (brooder) with air heating to +35 °C is installed separately. The air temperature in the rest of the chicken coop should not fall below +12 °C. If the temperature is too low, the broiler will spend the energy received from the feed on maintaining body temperature rather than on growth.

Video: practical tips for arranging a chicken coop

Installation of cages

When keeping poultry in cages, it is necessary to create racks for cage sections. Cages can be ready-made, purchased, or made from mesh. The cages are placed on metal or wooden racks in several tiers.

The minimum height of the cage is 50 cm. Increasing the height will provide the birds with a large volume of fresh air, which is important for the prevention of diseases.

Feeders and drinkers

It would be optimal to place feeders on the outside of the cages on special mounts. Feeders are made from polypropylene pipes or other material. The size of the mesh cells near the feeder should be 14x14 cm - this will provide broilers with more comfortable access to food.

Important!Nipple drinkers for day-old chicks are equipped with a 3600 nipple, which can move in any direction, and for older ones - with a 1800 nipple.

An automated system with drinkers is installed on the inside of the cage. Instead, you can equip vacuum drinkers, but they will need to be installed in each cage.
Number of nipple drinkers - 1 pc. per cage of 10 broilers. The pressure throughout the water supply line must be the same.

Litter

Litter is a natural insulator that keeps the chick comfortable.

May consist of:

straw;
sawdust;
husks;
peat

Requirements for bedding are good moisture absorption, low risk of injury. The litter provides natural occupation for the bird and the implementation of natural reflexes - loosening and digging the soil. The thickness of the litter is at least 20 cm.

What else should you take care of?

To obtain the most productive indicators, it is necessary to observe the temperature, humidity and air exchange regimes in the room. To do this, artificial lighting, a ventilation system and a heating system are installed in the chicken coop.

Lighting

The lamps should illuminate the poultry house evenly. According to sanitary standards, per 1 sq. m area should account for 4 W of light. You can install regular lamps, LED or energy-saving ones. Whatever lamps you install, the important indicator will be the duration of illumination, not the type of lamps.

Ventilation

Ventilation system capacity - 6 cubic meters. m per 1 kg of live weight. Ventilation can be done in the form of supply and exhaust pipes or using a fan.

Lack of oxygen can provoke disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system of chickens and lead to a decrease in the productive qualities of broilers. Air currents should not occur at the level where the chicks are housed - this can cause colds.

Video: ventilation in the chicken coop Anyone can build a chicken coop for broilers with their own hands. The selection of materials for construction depends on your preferences, while high-quality building materials are found in a fairly wide price range.

Did you know? According to research by Aviagen and Cobb, lighting color does not have any significant effect on weight gain in broilers.

Comfortable conditions for broilers will ensure high productivity of your livestock.

Was this article helpful?

Thank you for your opinion!

Write in the comments what questions you have not received an answer to, we will definitely respond!

15 once already
helped

An example of a fairly profitable modern farming business is the breeding of meat chicken breeds. Many poultry farmers choose broilers. This breed of chicken can gain a lot of weight if fed well. However, in addition to intensive nutrition, it is important to maintain the correct conditions for keeping poultry, taking into account some of the specifics of their rearing, fattening and stocking density. To do this, you need to understand in detail how to build a chicken coop for broilers.

First, you need to understand what distinguishes a broiler chicken coop from buildings for ordinary laying hens. It is important to understand that, first of all, the distinctive features are based on the different process of keeping laying hens and broilers. Laying hens are more restless birds than broilers, and the latter are more voracious. They also do not need to be allowed to go for walks. In addition, ordinary chickens are bred mainly for their eggs and kept for a long time; broilers are slaughtered within 2-3 months, so they do not need places for nests, which is the first and one of the main distinguishing features of such chicken coops.

Specific features of broiler chicken coops

do not require nesting sites;
minimum space requirements;
warm structure;
ventilation of the room and absence of drafts;
lighting of natural and artificial types;
comfortable floors;
places for cells.

Advice! Feeders in broiler coops and drinking bowls should be placed in different corners of the building.

Video - Chicken coop for broilers

Methods of breeding broilers in chicken coops

There are two ways to keep broiler chickens in chicken coops:

cellular;
floor

The choice of method depends on the number of future poultry. Due to low costs, floor housing is preferable for large numbers of birds in private farming. In large-scale industrial poultry farming, cage breeding is now increasingly gaining popularity.

Benefits of Cell Breeding

Keeping broilers in cages significantly saves space in the room. Consequently, the cost of electricity used to heat the chicken coop, its lighting, and ventilation is reduced. Due to limited contact of birds with each other (neighborly contact), the risk of infectious diseases is reduced. Rational consumption of feed leads to savings due to the fact that the bird does not scatter it on the litter. Restriction of movement leads to accelerated growth of the bird's weight.

On a note! Keeping them in a cage speeds up fattening by 3-5 days.

Advantages of outdoor breeding

The main advantage is that there is no need to buy cages and equipment for them. This method also allows you not to remove poultry droppings on a daily basis, but to do it less often due to floor bedding. There are no problems with the paws, which develop when kept in cages. The quality of chicken meat is higher.

Broiler chickens are placed in a special box - a brooder, where they feed and receive the necessary heating and lighting.

A newly born chick needs a warm, bright atmosphere and regular feeding. In the natural environment, this is facilitated by chicken, and when kept at home, it is recommended to use a special room for birds - a brooder. It is very easy to build it yourself: at home or on a livestock farm. In this article we will take a closer look at how to make a brooder for chickens with your own hands.

How to choose a suitable place?

The choice of area for construction should be based on the following key points:

The chicken coop should be located away from noisy roads.
It is better to erect the structure on a dry, elevated place.
The shadow of trees and nearby buildings should not fall on the windows of the chicken coop and its southern part.
The building should be tilted slightly in a southeast direction.

Let us explain the reasons for these recommendations. Many meat breeds are sensitive to loud noises and nearby traffic will make broilers nervous, which will reduce weight gain. An elevated place will help keep the room dry. In low-lying areas, water from rain and melting snow can accumulate, which will increase the dampness inside the chicken coop and contribute to the formation of mold, the growth of bacteria, and increased illness in chickens. The best option is sandy soil. If your site is swampy or clayey, then before construction it should be dried and sprinkled with a layer of sand. The shade from the trees will block the light and reduce the temperature balance inside the coop. Tilting the building to the southeast will make it more exposed to sunlight.

Advice! If there are strong winds on your site, then it is worth building a fence or planting a hedge of weaving plants on the side of the wind so that there are no drafts in the chicken coop.

During installation in practice, much fewer problems arise than at the design stage. An error in the design can make the process significantly more complicated. However, if the project is designed correctly, the correct drawings are selected and purchased good materials, then it can be accomplished in a relatively short time with little money.

Do-it-yourself installation has a number of advantages:

Only you are responsible for quality installation work, doing everything conscientiously and firmly.
You save on installation costs and gain experience that will help you in the future operation of the structure.
During the installation process, you can refine the design data based on your new ideas.

At the design stage of the chicken coop, it is important not to make those gross mistakes that may require reworking the entire structure of the building or create additional installation problems. Let's look at the most important design mistakes in broiler chicken coops.

Lack of rodent protection

When designing, you must take into account that the chicken coop must be raised at a distance from the ground. The insulation layer must not be allowed to come into contact with the ground. This can lead to a threat from rats, which are able to chew through the tree and climb inside. It is recommended to fill the lower zone between the insulation and the soil with broken glass. Mice simply will not be able to dig close. Also, direct contact with the ground can pose a risk of flooding.

The appearance of rats near the chicken coop becomes big problem. Gnawed holes and stolen eggs are not the biggest troubles from their neighborhood. Many farmers are interested in the question: how to deal with rats in a chicken coop? In this article you will find the most effective ways to get rid of rodents.

Prices for rodent protection

Rat protection

Using unsuitable materials

Experts do not recommend using isoplats, plasterboard sheets, PVC plastic, or chipboard for cladding. They have the ability to accumulate moisture, which makes them easily destructible materials during heavy rainfall. At the same time, they can release toxic substances that are dangerous to birds. Mold can also form, making chickens sick.

What you should pay attention to when installing a broiler chicken coop:

The chicken coop must be safe - protected from rain, hail, snow, and predators.
Have a good foundation.
Be fireproof.
Be built from environmentally friendly materials.
Well insulated.
Have a ventilation or ventilation system.
Do not have drafts or cracks.
Heat with combi or wood stoves.
Be well lit.
Sit on a hill.

On a note! You can often hear that a broiler can grow in 1.5 months. up to 1.5 kg. This is not entirely true if you intend to raise birds at home. This growth can be achieved in factory-farmed poultry farming using antibiotics and growth hormones. In fact, broiler chicken for 1.5 months. reaches approximately 800 gr.

Necessary materials and tools for construction

To build a wooden insulated chicken coop you need to have the following approximate list of materials:

wooden beam 100x50 and 100x100 mm;
insulation;
roofing felt;
cement;
brick;
nails;
pebbles;
crushed stone;
board 20 mm;
construction resin;
metallic profile;
mineral wool;
staples;
self-tapping screws;
roulette;
building level;
saw;
screwdriver;
drill;
hammer.

Prices for timber

Wood, plywood and brick are usually used to construct wall coverings. The foundation requires sand, slag, cement and wood formwork. Roofing material and slate are used for the roof. Wood slats are used for partitions and rafters.

Video - DIY chicken coop

Chicken coop drawings for broilers

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the most interesting drawings of chicken coops for breeding broiler chickens.

The first option involves a large spacious enclosure, a place for perches and a vestibule.

In the second picture you can see the calculation drawing for a broiler cage with a feeder.

The following drawing is made in projection and also assumes a large closed enclosure.

If you plan to seriously engage in broiler poultry farming, then the version of the drawing for two tens of thousands of birds will be interesting.

For many farmers, a drawing for making a multi-tiered version of cages will be extremely useful.

In the last picture you can see a detailed detailed drawing of a broiler chicken coop.

Drawing No. 6 - Detailed design of a chicken coop

How to make a chicken coop for broilers with your own hands: tips for beginners

Flooring It is better to do it in the form of a concrete or clay concrete screed. Before pouring it, you should sprinkle the perimeter of the future building with a mixture of broken glass, sawdust or shavings.
Water barrier film helps to insulate the roof and keep the chicken coop free from moisture.
In northern latitudes, the thickness of the main walls of the chicken coop should be from 20 cm.
Don't forget to make windows in the chicken coop. Good ventilation will help keep your bird healthy. You should also take into account that the size of the windows should be at least 1/12 of the base area of the chicken coop.
Take the time to put mosquito nets on the windows and vents. Midges and mosquitoes are very attracted to smells chicken manure. For chickens, they pose a mortal danger because they can get into the nostrils, which can cause the bird to suffocate.
The bird develops better under yellow lighting, which is characteristic of sunlight in nature. Regular incandescent light bulbs meet this requirement.
Make ventilation holes in the walls (20 cm from the floor) and ceiling. This will significantly reduce unpleasant odors indoors and increase air circulation. In winter, they are closed to maintain a constant temperature inside.

Instructions for building a chicken coop for broilers

Drafting

The first step at this stage is to determine the size of the planned structure. It is necessary to take into account the number of birds that will live in the chicken coop, and the characteristics of the building materials used during the construction process.

If the area for construction is limited, the requirements for the bird landing area should be taken into account. This breed of chickens does not need a lot of space to roam.

When planning a site for construction, you can use these recommendations for planting birds. In addition, a multi-tiered cage system can be used to save space. In this case, the upper tier should not be raised from the floor by more than 1.5 m.

Pouring the foundation and laying the floor

Before pouring, we dig a pit to a depth of 40 cm. Next, we lay supporting horizontal beams made of 100x100 wooden beams at a distance from each other in the formwork of 20 cm and fill them with sand-cement mixture. If you plan to use it exclusively in the spring-autumn period, then an option with a depth of 20 cm is allowed.

Prices for cement and basic mixtures

Cement and base mixtures

Our foundation should rest for 3 days. After they have passed, we check how dry it is. It may take some more time. Once you are sure that the foundation is dry, you can begin installing the floor.

The most suitable flooring material is wood, since it can retain heat for a long time and protects against sudden temperature changes. For waterproofing purposes, before installing a wooden floor, we lay sheets of roofing felt around the entire perimeter. We place the first crown, aligning the ends of the beams. Then every half meter we place logs on the edge. The space between them must be filled with insulation. Then we install the floorboards using the tongue-and-groove method.

You can insulate the floor using a bedding of hay mixed with peat or sawdust. The thickness of such litter should be up to 40 cm. It is important to remember that this type of litter contributes to the accumulation of ammonia vapors that are released from the droppings. These fumes are poisonous and the chicken coop must have a ventilation system.

Advice! A slightly sloping floor will help with cleaning the coop as water will drain into one corner along with dirt.

Video - Arrangement of a chicken coop for broilers

Construction of walls

The next step is building the walls. An important role of walls is to retain heat. It is recommended to make them from a frame made of beams. We install the walls at a height according to your drawing, leaving openings for windows and ventilation. Upon completion of fixing the beams, it is necessary to cover them on both sides with boards or plywood.

Advice! For normal brightness of natural light, the windows in the chicken coop should be equal in area to a tenth of the entire floor area.

The walls can be not only wooden, but also made of brick or concrete. In this case, their insulation is even more important.

Insulating walls in a chicken coop

Before starting work on upholstering the wall frame with plywood or boards, you should understand which side the insulation layer will be attached to. It is better if it is on the outside, as this will protect the walls of the chicken coop from freezing, and they themselves will not become a cold accumulator. Insulation with a thickness of at least 5 cm is laid between the frame beams.

To all year round Before eating fresh eggs and poultry, it is necessary to properly insulate the house for laying hens, providing them with a comfortable winter. In our article you will find step by step instructions for insulation of walls, floors and roofs. And also everything about installing a heating system in a chicken coop.

Thermal insulation material used for wall insulation:

sawdust and shavings;
straw;
mineral wool;
Styrofoam;
polymer filler;
foam rubber

Prices for mineral wool

Rockwool mineral wool

The most commonly used is mineral wool. The choice is determined by its high elasticity, which allows you to seal all the cracks. To avoid moisture ingress, it is covered with a vapor barrier and windproof film, secured with a construction stapler and slats are stuffed on top. For external decorative upholstery, you can use boards or siding.

Cheap and effective materials are moss and pine sawdust. The first one perfectly absorbs moisture and fights unpleasant odors. In the second case, the disinfectant and insecticidal properties are enhanced. Of the two options, we recommend choosing the latter. Sawdust is close to mineral wool in its thermal insulation properties. To slow down the decay process and reduce the risk of fire, they are mixed with copper sulfate, slaked lime and boric acid. The thermal insulation mixture is laid between two layers of boards, which are installed at the stage of wall construction. A factory analogue of this method of insulation can be a wood block.

Roof structure

When our walls are erected, we begin to build the roof. We make the roof from hard wood and lay roofing material around the perimeter. Do not forget to treat wooden structures so that insects cannot settle in them and increase their moisture resistance.

First we lay the flooring, then we attach the ceiling beams of the gable roof at an angle. The design of the gable roof makes it possible to avoid the accumulation of snow and rain, which additionally protects from high humidity in room. The flooring must be insulated. There's nothing complicated about it. Expanded clay or ordinary coal slag can serve as insulation. We attach roofing felt sheets to the beams, then cover everything with slate or similar roofing material.

An important element in the roof of a chicken coop is the ventilation pipe. Its diameter is usually 20 cm. The length of the pipe must be at least 2 meters. We make a hole in the roof of the required diameter into which the pipe is inserted. In the chicken coop it is recommended that she protrude 20 cm.

On a note! The optimal air humidity should be 60-70%, and the temperature 12°C -16°C.

Interior work

The chicken coop construction process is almost complete. The final step is to complete interior work, such as laying electricity, installing a heating system, if required, installing cages for broilers, feeders, drinkers, laying out bedding.

A Buleryan stove, electric heating, or even pyrolysis boiler equipment can be used for heating. It is recommended to plaster the walls and cover them with lime. In the future, whitewashing should be done when replacing a batch of birds. Rodents and dangerous predators often sneak through cracks and uneven areas in floors. Check and be sure to seal with cement-sand mortar anything that poses such a threat.

Feeders are available in two types: hanging and floor-mounted. If in the first case only a few chickens can feed from one feeder, then the second type allows many birds to feed at the same time.

On a note! For normal intensity of artificial lighting, it is better to hang lamps at a height of 1.5-2 m from the floor, based on the calculation of 3-5 W per 1 sq.m of floor area.

Inside the chicken coop should be equipped with special baths with sand (or fine clay) and ash. Chickens can swim in them. This is necessary to maintain their feathers in normal condition and protect them from ticks and other insects. The baths can be made from ordinary plywood or any container with a wall height of 15-20 cm can be used. You can add a little garden lime to the mixture.

Before starting chickens, the floors can be sprinkled with fluff lime. 0.5 kg of lime is enough for 1 sq.m. The bedding is placed on top with a thickness of about 5 cm.

How to make your own feeder for broiler chickens

We will need a large diameter polyvinyl chloride pipe. Prepare a tee, plugs and your tool with which you will cut the pipe. First, we cut it into pieces: 70, 20, 10 cm. We put a plug on a 20-centimeter piece, which will become the lower end of our feeder.

We put the tee on the top with its side. We insert the longest pipe and close it with a plug. We insert a 10-centimeter section into the remaining part of the tee. We attach the made device to the cage with the bird and pour food into it.

How to make drinking bowls for broiler chickens yourself

It is not at all necessary to buy store-bought drinking bowls. Let's try to make a nipple on our own in a few minutes. We will need: a plug, a plastic pipe - 1 m, a nipple.

First of all, we will drill small holes in the pipe at intervals of up to 25 cm. As a result, you should get at least 4 drinkers. We make a thread in the pipe by screwing a thread-cutting tool into it. We connect the two parts of the pipe. We place a prepared plug on one end to prevent water from draining. On the other we place a knee at an angle of 90°. The reservoir will be a small piece of pipe, which we will connect to the unoccupied end of the elbow.

Broiler drinker

We wrap the nipple well with a sealant and screw it in to the edge. This completes the creation of the drinking bowl. All that remains is to test the structure for possible water leaks and seal them.

Broilers are considered the most popular bird among poultry farmers. Such chickens differ from ordinary breeds in their accelerated growth and active weight gain. Before you start raising such birds, you need to make a chicken coop for broilers with your own hands.

Before building a structure for breeding birds, you need to understand the main features of such chicken coops and their difference from structures for keeping laying hens. The process of keeping regular and meat chickens is different and therefore chicken coops also have certain differences.

Common specific features include the following:

lack of nests for hatching eggs;
compactness;
insulated walls;
additional lighting.

Also, the barn for keeping broiler birds should not have drafts, which could cause the chickens to get sick.

Broiler breeding methods

There are two common methods of raising broiler chickens that you should be familiar with.

Cell method

Some poultry farmers prefer to use cage-based poultry breeding. The main advantage of this method is considered to be the saving of free space in the chicken coop. Thanks to this, it is possible to save electricity spent on lighting and heating the room.

Raising birds in cages limits their contact with each other. This prevents the emergence and development of infectious diseases. Cages also restrict the movement of broiler chickens, allowing them to gain body weight faster.

Outdoor breeding

Sometimes people decide not to use cages and raise their chickens on the floor. In this case, you will not have to arrange the room and equip it with special cages for birds.

Floor breeding has many advantages, which is why many poultry farmers are starting to use it. Using this method, you do not have to clean up bird droppings every day. Instead, replacing the straw floor mat once a week is sufficient. When breeding birds using the floor method, there are no marks or marks left on the legs.

Choosing a suitable location

the poultry house should be located away from noisy places;
the structure should be built on hills with solid soil;
The chicken coop should not be located in shaded areas near tall trees;
It is recommended that the building be located so that its windows are on the southeast side.

Materials and tools for construction

When constructing a chicken coop for broiler birds, special tools and materials are used, which include the following:

Brick. It is considered the main building material used in the construction of structural walls.
Cement. It is used to create a solid foundation, walls, and flooring.
Boards. Strong boards may be needed to make a wooden roof frame.
Ruberoid. The main waterproofing material that prevents roof leaks.

Calculations and dimensions

Before you build a summer chicken coop for 10 chickens, you need to make all the measurements with calculations. For three small broilers you will need a square meter of free space. Therefore, if the pen consists of ten birds, the size of the chicken coop is made at least 2 x 2 meters. If there are ten more chickens, you will have to build a structure measuring 3 x 3 meters.

Having decided on the dimensions, be sure to make a drawing. It indicates the size of the poultry house, its height and the length of the walls. An aviary is also marked on the diagram if the chickens will be walked outside.

How to build a chicken coop for broilers with your own hands

The construction of a poultry house is carried out in several successive stages.

Pouring the foundation and laying the floor

To build a solid foundation, dig a trench 40-50 centimeters deep. Then horizontal beams are laid inside the pit at a distance of 15 centimeters from each other. The created structure is filled with cement and sand.

Once the foundation has hardened, you can start laying the floor. The flooring is made of wood, as it retains heat well and protects the room from temperature changes.

The boards must be laid on roofing felt, which will protect the chicken coop from moisture.
Construction and insulation of walls
After creating the foundation with the floor, they begin to build the walls. The frame is made of high-strength wooden beams. When installing them, you need to leave small openings for windows through which sunlight will enter. When the beams are installed, they are covered on both sides with plywood sheets or boards.
The inside of the walls must be insulated with foam rubber or mineral wool. Some use foam and wood shavings as insulation.
The final stage of construction is the construction of the roof. Experts recommend creating it from hard and durable types of wood. Before laying, all wood is treated with special compounds to improve the moisture resistance of the material. The roof surface is covered with roofing felt or any other waterproofing material.
Lighting
There should be enough light inside the chicken coop and therefore it is recommended to think about lighting the room in advance. For better access to natural light, 1-2 small windows are made on the south side of the house.
If you need to illuminate the chicken coop in the evening or at night, additional lighting lamps are installed. In this case, they must be hung at a height of one and a half meters from the floor surface.
Ventilation
Any chicken coop should be equipped with a good ventilation system that will ensure air circulation inside. To do this, several small windows are made.
Interior arrangement of a broiler house
The arrangement of the broiler chicken coop inside is carried out in three stages.
If broilers are raised using the cage method, cages will have to be installed inside the house. They must be installed in such a way that they are located at a distance of 15-20 centimeters from the walls. The cages are placed in several rows 100-120 centimeters high.
Feeders and drinkers
You can make your own bird feeder. An ordinary water pipe made of polyvinyl chloride is suitable for this. Cuts are made in its walls 20 centimeters long and 10-15 centimeters wide. Then the structure is attached to the wall with screws and filled with feed.
You can use ordinary metal toes or unnecessary plates as drinking bowls.
Litter
The floor inside the chicken coop can be covered with the following materials:
Sawdust. Often the floor surface is covered with sawdust obtained from larch, spruce or pine. This bedding has excellent moisture absorption.
Straw. The distinctive features of this material include its warming properties. Straw also absorbs moisture well.

Possible design errors
People who are building a chicken coop for the first time may make some mistakes.
Lack of rodent protection
When constructing a poultry house, care must be taken to ensure that the structure is raised from the soil at a distance of 5-10 centimeters. If the insulation comes into contact with the ground, rodents will grow inside. They chew wood, insulation and infect chickens with diseases.
Using unsuitable materials
Some poultry farmers use the wrong materials when building chicken coops. These include PVC, chipboard and plasterboard sheets. All these building materials quickly collapse due to the fact that they absorb a lot of moisture.
Conclusion
Before breeding broilers, you need to build a suitable chicken coop. It is recommended to understand in advance the features of creating a poultry house and its internal arrangement.

Kira Stoletova

Broilers are one of the most popular birds among poultry farmers. This species is characterized by active weight gain and large dimensions. Before you start breeding broilers, you need to arrange a place for them to live. The main advantage is that a large area is not required to keep birds. It’s quite easy to construct a chicken coop for broilers with your own hands if you follow all the recommendations, especially since in our age of advanced technology you can use a video in which everything is described in detail.

What should the building be like?

A do-it-yourself chicken coop for broilers has many advantages over purchased housing for birds. Firstly, this can significantly reduce construction costs. Secondly, the room will be adapted for a certain number of birds, and thirdly, self-built housing for chickens is much stronger than store-bought counterparts.

Standard housing requirements:

small size;
high quality illumination;
optimal sizes for convenient placement of cells;
reliable protection against the penetration of rodents and predators.

Containers for food and drink should be located in different parts of the chicken coop (in no case in one). To ensure appropriate temperature regime In winter it is necessary to install electric lamps. One of the important nuances in building a chicken coop with your own hands is the location. It is advisable to install the room on dry, sandy soil. If the soil is wet, it must be covered with sand after drying.

In addition to artificial lighting, the room must have a sufficient number of windows to provide access to sunlight. Optimal natural light is the key to broiler health. To protect chicken housing from drafts, some people plant hedges along the walls. It is better to build a chicken coop on a hill so that after precipitation, moisture does not accumulate, but flows down.

Calculations and diagrams

An important point on how to make a chicken coop for broilers with your own hands is drawing up a construction diagram. Before drawing up a project, you should decide on the number of chickens. Unlike laying hens, broilers are kept in small rooms. Planting density per 1 sq. m is 50 chickens or 5 adult chickens. Based on these parameters, you can do accurate calculations and make drawings.

It is recommended to install in 2 tiers to save space. The bottom row should be located no higher than 1.5 m from the flooring. The chicken coop can be of any shape, depending on personal preference. It is possible to build a chicken coop for broiler chickens from wood or use brick for construction, then the structure will be more durable and frost-resistant.

Before building a chicken coop for farm broilers, it is necessary to prepare all materials for construction in advance. The walls and roof must be insulated. Also at the building planning stage, it is necessary to outline the location of the ventilation system and decide on its type. The ventilation system can be of 3 types:

natural;
supply and exhaust;
automatic.

The room will be small, so a natural ventilation system will suffice. This system involves ventilation by opening the door and dormer window. It is very important to position it correctly so that the chickens do not get caught in a draft, so you should make a note right away in the planogram. The location of the window will depend on the location of the cells. It can be located on the roof or above the front door.

Laying the foundation

First of all, after all the drawings have been sketched and the project has been drawn up, it is necessary to make a foundation. It is he who will protect the room from penetration that spread infection and all kinds of predators. To do this, dig holes 300 cm deep and install wooden formwork, then pour concrete and wait until it dries completely.

A plank floor is laid on top of the concrete foundation. For waterproofing, you can use roofing felt. A simpler option is possible, without a foundation, but it is only suitable for keeping chickens in the summer. To make a wooden building warmer, it must be lined with iron sheets on the outside.

Requirements for arrangement after construction

Building the structure itself is only half the battle; it is also necessary to process it correctly. The walls need to be disinfected. Processing can be done using:

lime;
weak solution of potassium permanganate;
special disinfectant composition.

In winter, it will help to ventilate the room from ammonia fumes that accumulate during the overheating of litter and droppings. In winter, it is important to provide the chickens with good lighting; for this, fluorescent or LED lamps should be installed in the chicken coop. It is advisable to make the roof gable. Another important rule regarding how to build a chicken coop with your own hands for broilers is that you need to insulate it to the maximum, then the chicken population will enjoy good production indicators in any season.

A simple budget chicken coop for broilers in the country, do it yourself.

DIY broiler cages

Aviary for broilers. Contents on litter.

How to build a do-it-yourself chicken coop for broilers and laying hens

Chicken coop for broilers

Internal works on arrangement

The next stage is to improve the poultry house with your own hands from the inside. Initially, illumination is made. The optimal placement of LED lamps is 1 lamp per area of 3 x 2 m. Basically, broilers are kept in tiered cages equipped with trays for collecting feces, feeders and nipple drinkers, which can be attached both outside and inside. The cage sizes should be larger than for laying hens.

The floor is insulated using a bedding of straw or sawdust. In the future, such bedding will become excellent. The litter is periodically changed in the summer, and in the winter, 8 cm of sawdust or other biomaterial is placed and gradually added as needed. Ultimately, by spring its height reaches 30 cm. In the cages, the floor and trays for collecting feces are made at a slight slope.

Walking area

Broilers are mostly kept in semi-dark rooms, however, if you provide them with free-range space in the summer, you can improve the quality of the meat and reduce feed costs. To do this, a hole is made from the poultry house right in the front door. Dimensions are calculated based on the largest individuals. In winter, walking should be limited, so it is important to equip the hole with a lock.

The walking area should be surrounded by a fence so that chickens are not attacked by predators and do not share the same area with other domestic animals. You need to make a canopy on top that will protect the bird from rain and heat. The walking area can be equipped with portable feeders and drinking bowls.

Feeders and drinkers

It is also possible to build feeders and drinking bowls with your own hands from scrap materials. Designs are best made automatic type. Broilers need a sufficient amount of feed, so you need to constantly ensure that the feeders are filled. This is not very convenient, especially if you have a large farm and a lot of things to do. Also, chickens have a habit of getting into the feeders with their paws and scattering the feed, which makes it unusable and is quite a loss to your pocket, so a feeding hopper system is an ideal option.

Depending on the size, such a feeder can hold an amount of food that is enough for at least knocking. It's profitable to bet. This allows the chickens to have free access to water and maintain its purity. It is very easy to construct such a system with your own hands. From a large plastic tank, water is supplied to flexible hoses, and from them flows into nipples, after which into drip trays. In winter, you can put a regular boiler in the water tank to heat the water.

Final part

It is not difficult to build a chicken coop for broiler chickens with your own hands. The main thing is to make a plan in advance, make drawings and a design, and decide on the dimensions. You can use step-by-step photos with instructions. All sizes will depend on the number of chickens. Unlike egg-oriented parrots, broilers do not require a large room. One of the most important nuances is the arrangement of the bird's house from the inside. You should consider the placement and type of ventilation system in advance. Its location will depend on the location of the cellular batteries. You can clearly see exactly what a house for chickens should look like by looking at numerous photos on the Internet.

A self-built house for pests will cost much less than a purchased one. It is quite possible to independently calculate the optimal sizes suitable for the livestock. Another plus is the reliability of the design, because in stores you can often get Chinese fakes. The safety of such structures is highly questionable.

Independent breeding of broilers should begin with creating conditions in which the birds will be comfortable. Therefore, novice breeders often have the question of how to independently build a poultry house, in which all the necessary amenities will be created for broilers.

Construction of a house for broilers

Poultry houses for keeping chickens or adults are built according to the following algorithm:

Pouring the foundation.
Construction of chicken coop walls.
Pouring concrete or clay concrete screed.
Roof installation.
Interior wall decoration using lime mortar. This will further protect the birds from germs.
Attaching perches and cages for broilers. They are relevant for large populations. One adult requires at least 30 cm of perch.

For many, building a broiler house with your own hands will be a more optimal solution compared to buying a ready-made option. By doing the construction yourself, you can save on material costs, monitor the poultry house’s compliance with the required conditions, and accurately calculate the size of the structure in accordance with the planned livestock.

A novice farmer who has decided to build a chicken coop for the first time will find the following recommendations useful.

The roof of the chicken coop is insulated and protected from moisture penetration using a waterproofing film.
Every poultry house needs ventilation, so vents must be included in the drawings of a chicken coop for breeding broilers. The minimum permissible window size is 1/12 of the building’s base area.
The floor is poured with a concrete-based screed in its pure form or with the addition of clay. Before pouring, shavings, glass shards or sawdust should be poured around the perimeter of the future building to protect the chicken coop population from rodents and small predators digging underground passages.
Sometimes breeders want to build chicken coops for broilers in northern regions with a cold climate. For such a structure, capital walls with a thickness of at least 20 cm are required.
For lighting inside the poultry house, professionals recommend using incandescent lamps. They are more effective than energy-saving lamps because they release additional heat into the air. Chickens also grow better if they are raised under yellow light, similar to sunlight.
As a useful addition in the summer, it is better to install mosquito nets on windows and vents. Small insects can get into the nostrils of chickens, which is why the latter often suffocate.
Holes in the walls at a distance of 15-20 cm from the floor act as an additional source of ventilation. This reduces the amount of unpleasant odors. During the winter season they are closed to maintain the required temperature inside the house.

Chicken coop requirements

A chicken coop designed for broiler breeding has a number of differences from other types of poultry houses. If you take them into account, even a novice farmer will be able to build the right type of housing for birds and equip it in accordance with veterinary requirements.

Characteristics chicken coops for raising broilers:

They require less space, due to which this type of chicken can be raised even in a small summer cottage.
Whether you're building a chicken coop from scratch or a converted barn, you need adequate lighting. If you use incandescent lamps, then in addition to lighting you can obtain partial heating of the air.
A broiler coop should have adequate ventilation but retain heat. For this, experts recommend using special heaters.
According to the key requirements for breeding birds, the feeder and drinker cannot be placed next to each other; it is better to place them in different corners.

The main difference between broilers and regular laying hens is their short life span. They are slaughtered after 2-3 months of breeding. Therefore, there is no need to create nesting sites and allocate large space for walking. Instead, it is better to install suitable cages.

Calculate the size of the chicken coop

The size of the poultry house is determined by the number of birds that the farmer plans to keep. If the chickens cannot walk freely around the yard, and the breeder wants to protect the broilers from predators, in addition to the main chicken coop, he builds a pen for the broilers with his own hands.

Correct calculations are required here to ensure that the birds have enough space.

A standard guideline for calculating the required area of a chicken coop:

Up to 10 adult individuals and up to 50 chicks live comfortably in a 1m*1m square. To save space when breeding a large number of chickens, multi-level chicken coops are made.
The optimal height between levels is 1.5 meters.

Tools for building a chicken coop with your own hands

Quality is the main criterion when choosing materials for construction. Ignoring it will have a negative impact on the poultry house and lead to losses.

Depending on the climate, the walls can be made of brick, wood, sheet plywood, gas blocks, etc.
The foundation is built from slag, wooden formwork and a mixture of sand and cement.
Most drawings for a chicken coop assume the presence of dividing partitions and rafters, for which it is optimal to use wood.
Convenient pallets are made from metal sheets or plates.
Suitable roofing materials include tiles, slate, plywood or roofing felt.
Additional accessories: fasteners for certain parts and brackets for securing drinkers and feeders.