Winter chicken coop: how to build

The winter chicken coop should be well insulated and lit, this favors the bird, and it rushes in cold weather. In winter, if the floor is earthen, it is insulated with a litter, which consists of wood shavings and sawdust, dry foliage, you can add straw. Initially, the layer of litter should be at least 15 centimeters. Weekly, you need to add 5 centimeters, while the top layer of the existing litter should be loosened and mixed with a new one. By the beginning of spring, the total thickness of the litter can reach 50 centimeters. Inside the litter of the winter chicken coop can have a temperature of up to 32 degrees Celsius. Ideal is a litter of chips with the addition of 25 percent sawdust. Since the chips quickly absorb moisture and keep the shape. After the onset of warm days, the litter can be used as a fertilizer for the garden.

The winter poultry house for a bird should have a temperature inside the room of about 16 degrees Celsius, and the floor is allowed to drop to 12 degrees Celsius. For optimal control of the microclimate, you should install a thermometer at a height of 50 centimeters from the floor. You can determine the state of the chicken by several external signs. If a bird eats grain well, moves, walks across the entire area of the coop, so everything is normal with the microclimate. If the birds gather in one part of the chicken coop and are ruffled, this means that they are cold. At night, the entrance and windows should be curtained with a dense material that does not allow heat to pass through. The height from floor to ceiling in the house should not be more than 1.8 m. The hen house, both summer and winter, must be built of wood. It is not allowed to build it from concrete and foam blocks. In such structures, the bird is sick and eventually dies.

You can build a chicken coop from almost any wooden material, it can be a bar, log and even a sandwich panel. The most important thing is that the walls are well insulated. When choosing the location of the coop, it is necessary that it be lit by sunlight for at least 2 hours a day. If the climate in the area of your site is wet, then you should put the house on a hill. It is also necessary to provide for the safety of your birds: many predators will gladly take care of your pets.

We build a chicken coop with our own hands: first of all, after choosing the location, we pour the foundation (preferably a belt type). In thickness, it can be about 25-30 centimeters.

Winter chicken coop should be provided with ventilation, but in no case do not allow drafts. It is important to avoid the appearance of cracks and unclosed openings.

Nests for chickens should be located with regard to their availability for you. It is best to build houses with an opening roof for a more comfortable collection of eggs.

Dumplings and bird feeders should be installed at the height of the back of the chicken. Thanks to this installation, the chickens will not be able to spread their food with their feet and will not trample down in the water.

Winter chicken coop should be provided with a secure roof. For this, the roof with a high ramp is the best, but not flat: with this design, it often "sweats."