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Regardless of the purpose for which you plan to raise poultry - for the family or for sale, you need to make a suitable chicken barn. If you lock laying hens in a dark, cold room, it is not worth it, hopefully you will get more benefit from them. In such a room for chickens there are no conditions conducive to the normal process of their development.
It is for this reason that you need to weigh everything in advance, think about it and turn your ideas into reality. It is worth noting that this structure can be built by qualified craftsmen, or you can do this work yourself. Some may argue that it is almost impossible to make a chicken shed with your own hands. However, from this article you will learn that such work is done very simply and much cheaper than using the services of specialists.
Tools and materials
In order to decide on materials, you need to decide what kind of shed you want to build. In this matter, you must be guided by your financial capabilities and personal beliefs. For example, by building a wooden shed, you will be able to save on the construction of walls, because building a barn made of bricks or blocks would cost you a little more. However, for some owners, a wooden barn is not a quality home for chickens.In any case, you need to calculate all the costs and decide whether they are worthwhile.
A barn on a columnar foundation is very popular these days. The advantage of such a shed is that it will provide reliable protection from heavy rains, predators and rodents. For this design you will need the materials listed below:
- nails and hammer;
- sand;
- cement;
- brick or concrete blocks;
- shovel;
- rope;
- iron mesh;
- bitumen;
- gravel;
- coal slag or expanded clay;
- roofing materials.
Choosing a site for construction
It is important to remember that areas such as chicken coops and other barns where animals live always carry with them unpleasant odors from droppings. Due to such circumstances, it is strongly recommended not to build this room near a residential building. This way, you can avoid discomfort associated not only with an unpleasant odor, but also with pollution near your home. It is best to build a shed behind the house. However, you should not allocate a place for the shed away from the house, because it can be robbed, and there is also a risk of attack by predatory animals.
Do not build a barn in a low area, as during the seasonal rains the barn may flood, although this may not lead to the death of the birds, however, it may damage the structure itself. Therefore, we advise you to arrange your shed at a height.
Drawings and plans
How to make a barn for chickens? The first thing you need to do is make sketches according to which the work will be carried out. This sketch is of great benefit, because thanks to it you won’t buy unnecessary materials that you won’t have anywhere to use later. What should such drawings look like? The drawings must contain the dimensions of all parts.Thanks to this, immediately after purchase you will be able to cut parts to the appropriate size and equip the shed.
Remember that your drawings should include not only parts for the barn itself, but also materials for the cage that will serve as a walking area for chickens. This area should be fenced with an iron mesh with small holes. The lower part of the mesh will need to be dug in, thanks to this the chickens will not be able to get out, and predators will not be able to get inside. The drawing for the roof is also important; it is recommended to make it gable, because in this way you will have additional storage for food and other things. Moreover, a gable roof will contribute to normal ventilation in the barn.
It is necessary to plan how the droppings will be removed and where to put them. Then the barn will always have a clean and pleasant appearance, in addition, an unpleasant odor will not stagnate in the room. To make it easier to clean the shed, you can indicate on the drawing that the floor will be made at a slight slope, making it easier for you to clean it.
Stages of work
It is very important to perform the work in the correct sequence, because construction is a process where, after finishing one job, you immediately need to complete the next one. As a rule, to erect any building or utility block, it is necessary to make a foundation, namely a foundation, then you can make a floor, walls and roof. Let's take a closer look at each of the upcoming stages of work when building a barn for chickens.
- Foundation. Usually the foundation is made when a major construction is being carried out for a large number of birds.If you plan to raise a few chickens, then you may not need a foundation, however, you will still need to make protection from predators, for this you need to securely install iron pegs around the entire perimeter, burying them in the ground. After they are attached to them at a certain height, you need to weld the base for the walls and floor. However, if your financial capabilities allow you, then the best option would be to make a columnar foundation. In order to make it, you need to dig small square holes on each wall, parallel to each other, half a meter wide and also half a meter deep. Next, you need to fill the holes with a solution of cement, sand and crushed stone, and then build up the columns using bricks or blocks.
- Floor. If the owners decide to keep chickens in the winter, then they must remember that the floor must be warm. Otherwise, the birds will be uncomfortable and this may affect their development. A great option would be to make a wooden floor, namely the subfloor and the main one. The first row of inexpensive boards is laid on the foundation; later you need to install beams that will support the entire structure. You should have a small distance between the beams, which you need to fill with insulation. This way you can achieve high-quality thermal insulation. On top of the beams you need to nail boards of medium thickness, which will serve as the base of the floor.
- Walls. To avoid large heat losses, we advise you not to make the walls entirely filled with layers; it is best to make them from timber. A warm barn for chickens is one of the most important requirements. Don't neglect them.In order to have normal ventilation in the barn, it is necessary to make windows that will contribute not only to regular ventilation of the room, but also to good lighting both in winter and in summer. Some may be wondering how you can insulate a barn for chickens? Insulation of the barn it is carried out as follows: to the base, that is, to the bars you need to nail or screw the boards onto the screws, after which insulation is added to the openings between the bars. The height of the walls should be no more than 180 cm.
- Roof. As mentioned above, the best option for a barn would be to build a gable roof. Such a roof will effectively protect the room from moisture and snow. And, what is even more important is that such a roof will be an excellent place to store various things. Some craftsmen build a second chicken coop on such a roof. The ceiling of the barn must be well insulated. To do this, you need to install the flooring, fasten the beams on the ceiling, after which you need to insulate the flooring using insulation. Due to the fact that the room will be insulated on all sides, the chicken barn will not be cold in the winter and will not be hot on warm summer days.
Lighting and heating of the barn
Many farmers know that poultry lay eggs only in areas with normal lighting. Therefore, window lighting may not be enough for poultry to perform well. Also, most chickens lay eggs at night, which is why those who decide to make their own chicken coop need to think carefully about how this room will be lit. The easiest way is to wire an electrician into the shed and hang a light bulb in it, which will not only illuminate the shed, but also emit a small amount of heat.The great advantage of building a barn on the territory of your home is that you can easily install lighting in the chicken coop. After all, running an additional wire from your home will be much easier and cheaper than installing individual lighting from electric poles.
By the way, about heating the room. Remember that chickens can get sick if the room is not warm enough. Due to such circumstances, chickens may develop incorrectly or even die. There are several options for heating a shed, namely:
- Natural heating.
- Electric.
- Gas.
- Stove heating.
- Infrared heaters.
Each of the heating options listed above has pros and cons. The choice is up to you.
Conclusion
We are confident that the tips in this article will be practical for you. In this article you learned how to make chicken sheds with your own hands. By applying the tips you have read here, your barn will be a reliable and long-lasting home for your poultry, which is what we want for you.
