The main part of the preparation for the maintenance and breeding of chickens is the arrangement of the aviary for poultry.
The quality of this building will depend not only the safety, but also the productivity of the herd.
Small predators and foxes, which cause irreparable damage to livestock, often penetrate into poorly constructed enclosures.
Chickens, like any other poultry, need regular walking. On how to properly organize walking for chickens, read this article.
During a walk in the fresh air, the chicken’s body is not only saturated with oxygen, but also actively produces vitamin D, which is involved in many metabolic processes.
In some cases, the bird is kept in a hen house with a large fenced yard, but this method of keeping is not sufficiently reliable, since foxes or ferrets can enter through the fence.
In addition, birds may suffer from the attack of feathered predators attacking from above. So that nothing threatens the livestock lives, it is enough to build a covered aviary where she can safely spend time in the fresh air.
Choice of location
An open-air cage where chickens will walk should necessarily adjoin the hen house. Therefore, before the construction of the enclosure you need to think about the construction of a chicken coop.
Usually this country house is set up in a very secluded and quiet place where strangers are unlikely to pass and predators cannot penetrate.
A house for poultry is not just four walls under the roof. This building is important and must be built taking into account many factors.
It is advisable to place this structure on a plot enclosed by a fence. This will help create additional protection for the poultry population.
It is known that birds often experience additional stress when people pass by them. Of course, there are more trusting breeds of chickens, but even they can get scared if people walk around the cage.
For this reason, it is necessary place in such a way that the paths where people walk are located far away.
Near the aviary should not grow too thick vegetation. It can cover chickens from sunlight, which is necessary for birds. It is known that a lack of vitamin D leads to serious consequences, such as rickets.
As for protection against rain, it is enough to use sheets of transparent plastic to cover, which can protect birds from excessive moisture. However, birds usually wait for rainy weather in a hen house. Some species of enclosures were initially equipped with a good roof, which protects chickens from precipitation, but does not prevent sunlight from entering.
It is desirable that in the territory of a small open-air cage constantly growing grass, it is important to ensure a balanced diet. For this reason, before building you need to choose the greenest areas of the estate. If there are none, then the grass can be sown upon completion of construction work.
How to determine the area?
At first glance it may seem that chickens will easily survive walking even on the smallest territory, but this is not at all the case. Each chicken should be at least 1 to 2 square meters. m square aviary. And the minimum allowable size of the enclosure is 2x7 meters.
It is not necessary to save the area of the plot under the aviary. In the future, birds may feel discomfort when living too closely. Constant stress and crush near the feeders leads to a decrease in egg productivity.
The organization of feeding and watering chickens is very important for the health of the bird population.
We build the open-air cage for hen the hands
First, let's talk about the simplest type of aviary. It is a spacious room, which consists of a wooden frame covered with a fine metal mesh.
Such a grid should have a cell size of no more than 1.5x1.5 cm. It will not allow small rodents and sparrows to enter the open-air cage, where you can find grain feed.
Before the construction of the enclosure its area is necessarily determined. Based on this, the number of wooden beams that play the role of the frame is selected.
They stick together in a rectangular shape, on which the grid is then stretched. During the construction of the frame it is important to use short nails so that their sharp ends could not injure chickens and a person during the operation of the enclosure.
The boards are always nailed to the back of the wooden frame. They protect the population of chickens from the wind and possible predators. From the top it is covered with a roof, catching rainfall.
Best of all for these purposes fit gable roof. The sediments do not linger on it for a long time, therefore the structure is not subjected to strong pressure.
Aviary simple, from bars and grid
This type of enclosure can be installed only on dry areas where groundwater flows deep underground. It is desirable that the soil on the site was sandy.
If it is clay, then before construction its upper layer is removed (approximately 30 cm of earth). In its place, 2 cm of lime is poured, and the rest of the pit is covered with river sand or small stones.
On the foundation
This type of aviary, it is also called garden, is always installed on a solid foundation. It will protect the structure from the penetration of predators, as well as provide a long service life.
To create a foundation for a future aviary, a ditch is being dug 0.7 m deep. Large logs or stones are laid into it, which are poured with cement mixed with sand.
After hardening, vertical supports are installed on the base, the main task of which is to keep the frame of the aviary.
A small vestibule can be made near the entrance to the aviary.. It is made of planks that prevent birds from flying when a farmer comes in.
Aviary for chickens on the foundation
After completion of the construction, the enclosure is covered with lime inside, and the outside is painted with oil paint. However, it is better to paint the grid used for enclosing the enclosure with paints that do not contain lead.
As a rule, the garden enclosure is always built together with a warmed chicken coop. This allows you to protect the livestock of birds from any colds.
In the hen house, chickens will be able to bask in the cold, as well as hide from the weather. The shed itself, where the birds will spend the night, must have the same height as the aviary. Electric lighting, ventilation, heating should be installed in it, and window openings should be provided.
Travel option
This type of enclosures is often used for rearing under the open sky. As a rule, such an enclosure is designed only for one hen, but not always.
For its construction will need wooden boards, nails and metal mesh with a cell size of 10x10 mm.
It is believed that the optimal size of the enclosure for the young - 200x100x60 cm. At the beginning of construction, the framework is knocked together in size by the size of the future mobile enclosure.
After that, wooden boards are nailed to it, to which a fine mesh is attached. It should be noted that the ends of the net should not damage the chicks and the hen. For ease of transfer, pens are attached on both sides of the enclosure.
More complicated shapes require wheels that allow you to move the structure with ease.
Conclusion
A well-constructed enclosure provides complete safety for both adults and young chickens. Not a single rodent can penetrate through the fine mesh, and a reliable foundation will protect against fox attacks, which prefer to dig.
The roof of the enclosure protects chickens from birds of prey and bad weather, so the owner of the livestock after the construction of the enclosure may stop worrying about the safety of their birds.
