Heated floor in the chicken coop. The most suitable floor for a chicken coop. How much does it cost to make a floor

Material selection

The choice of means for warming depends on the climatic conditions of the region of residence, but an indispensable condition is the creation of a temperature regime that is kept at the level of 10-15 ° C. Among the frequently used natural ingredients that allow you to make a warm floor in a chicken coop with your own hands, includes dry grass and wood shavings, which, when arranging a chicken coop, act as an additional method of warming.

Properly selected and equipped underfloor heating for the chicken coop is the key to the health of poultry. In winter, it retains heat, protecting chickens from colds and pneumonia. In summer, it maintains the optimum temperature, providing comfort to the layers.

It is possible to insulate the floor in the chicken coop using concrete, wood or soil, as well as good option is electric heating.

ground cover

most economical and simple option is the arrangement of an earthen cover, which is compacted soil or gravel. However, it has several disadvantages:

Clay coating when arranging an earthen floor in a chicken coop gives it durability and practicality, its layer should be from 10 cm or more.

concrete pavement

Concrete floor provides reliable protection against predators and rodents, is resistant to moisture and chemicals, its service life is up to 25 years, it is easy to clean, but it retains heat poorly. Eliminate this drawback with the help of additional bedding made of natural material and drainage mesh.

wooden flooring

Warm wood flooring is suitable for keeping adult broilers and chickens, because. natural material retains heat well and practically does not need additional insulation. Mesh cages are installed on the boards or mesh perches are equipped. The minimum thickness of the boards that are laid so that the flooring does not freeze through is 20 mm.

Important conditions for the equipment of a wooden floor are sanded boards and the absence of protruding nails.

Among the disadvantages are flammability and susceptibility to fungi and pests that destroy the wood structure. To maintain it, processing is required, often lime is used for this. To simplify the cleaning of the wooden floor allows the arrangement of the flooring at an angle.

To prevent rotting processes, the wooden floor for the chicken coop is treated with water-repellent agents.

Floor Equipment Technology

Do-it-yourself floor insulation in a chicken coop usually begins with pouring the foundation, which many people prefer to be columnar, it raises the flooring above the soil surface. Such a foundation increases the life of the flooring. The foundation is not necessary when it is made of concrete, as well as when arranging a ground cover in structures built on beams.

For a small chicken coop, soil flooring is suitable, for a larger one, made of wood. Plastic decks and nets emit toxic phenols and mold, so PVC is not suitable for decking.

The foundation pillars should be laid with lags so that they lie parallel, the space between them is filled with insulation. The optimal distance between the lags is no more than 0.6 m, which avoids deflection of the beams. To prevent heat from leaving, use a heat-insulating layer. Planks are laid on top.

Heated chicken coop in winter- a tricky business. In sub-zero temperatures, the egg production of a bird is critically reduced, and the birds themselves get sick more often. How to avoid such troubles?

Chicken coop heating options

Underfloor heating, namely infrared film, surely becomes a good help in farms Oh. Its cost has become very affordable, and the assortment generosity allows you to choose the most suitable option for a variety of purposes. And the installation of the film in cages for hens, flocks and any premises where immature young and adult birds are kept is quite quick and easy. That's why infrared heating and fell in love with poultry farmers.

Floors on the ceiling

Infrared floor heating in a chicken coop is not quite a floor. The film is mounted on a wall or ceiling, therefore, it is possible to prevent contact of the heating system with the bird. It does not warm the air, but the walls, the floor, the perches and the chickens themselves. And objects are already giving off heat into the air by convection. Therefore, the heating of the room occurs evenly, without dust whirlwinds and oxygen combustion. The warm floor in the chicken coop is fireproof, it does not make noise, its operation does not require constant monitoring. And yet, infrared heating allows you to reduce the humidity of the air, thereby relieving the chicken coop from fungus and mold. Thus, winter heating chicken coop with IR film allows you to achieve the microclimate necessary for the healthy life of birds.

How to calculate and mount

We present the calculation of the film for an unheated wooden room.

Initial data 1:

The size of the chicken coop is 10 sq.m., 3 external load-bearing walls (100x100 timber insulated with mineral wool), wall height 2000 mm, window 500x500 mm, wooden frames, double, insulated door 600x1200 mm, earthen floor (from below waterproofed with roofing material). Region: Krasnoyarsk (winter temperatures -20 ... -35). The required indoor temperature in winter is -5 ... +5.

Calculation of a warm floor in a chicken coop for Krasnoyarsk

Based on the fact that the minimum temperatures in the Krasnoyarsk Territory can reach -42°C, the total heat loss of this room will be about 0.65 kW. We summarize the heat losses of the front door - 250 W and the windows - 100 W with the heat losses of the room, obtaining a total heat loss of 1000 W. To maintain the required temperature and compensate for heat losses, we calculate the heating power per cubic meter of the room:

The total volume of the room (hen house) is 10 sq.m x 2 m = 20 cubic meters.

Required power per cubic meter 650 W / 20 cubic meters = 32.5 W / cubic meters. Summing up the additional heat losses, we get 650 W + 250 W + 100 W = 1000 W - the total power of the required heating system.

A standard infrared film has a power of 0.22 kW/sq.m, hence for space heating 1000 W / 220 W / sq.m. will be required. = 4.55 sq. m of film.

Initial data 2:

Chicken coop size - 10 sq.m, 3 external load-bearing walls (100x50 timber insulated with mineral wool), wall height 2000 mm, window 500x500 mm, wooden frames, single, door 600x1200 mm, earthen floor (from below waterproofed with roofing material). Region: Moscow region (winter temperatures -8 ... -15). The required indoor temperature in winter is 0 ... +5.

Calculation of a warm floor in a chicken coop for Moscow

The total volume of the room (hen house) is 10 sq. m x 2m = 20 cubic meters

Required power per cubic meter 550 W / 20 cubic meters = 27.5 W / cubic meters. Summing up additional heat losses, we get 550 W + 175 W + 75 W = 800 W - the total power of the required heating.

A standard infrared film has a power of 0.22 kW/sq.m, hence for space heating 800 W / 220 W / sq.m. will be required. = 3.64 sq. m. film.

Mounting

The design itself looks like this:

We fix a sheet of plywood on the wall with self-tapping screws, to which we then attach a reflective substrate with double-sided tape. We fix the structure with planks. Then we prepare the infrared film for installation. To do this, we fix the clamps for the supply of electricity on the current-carrying busbars of the film, crimp the clamps with the supply wires of the power cable and isolate them at the place of fastening with a bitumen gasket. Then, with the same bituminous gasket, we attach thermal sensors to the surface of the film, and isolate them. Thermal sensors should not be superimposed on the radiating element, it is attached between the emitter strips on the film surface. At the next stage, we attach the infrared film ready for use to the wall of the chicken coop. First, we cut out a window in the reflective film - in the place where the fragment of the film with the temperature sensor will be located. We attach the film to the substrate with double-sided tape, with the tire up. We fix the wires on the substrate with ordinary adhesive tape, sheathe the entire structure with a sheet of plywood on top (to prevent the bird from pecking at the film) and fix the plywood with self-tapping screws. When installing an infrared heated floor in a chicken coop, it is necessary to ensure that screws do not get into the contact busbars and radiating elements. To do this, we outline the contour of the fasteners with self-tapping screws on plywood. We place the thermostat in an area inaccessible to birds and close the appropriate signal and power cables with corrugated pipes. That's all, chicken coop ready for winter.

Which film to choose

For farmers with little experience and beginners who decide to breed chickens for their own use, it will be useful to read the information on the proper arrangement of the chicken coop. It is necessary to take into account the fact that the breeding of a household requires a lot of time and effort. This consists not only in providing birds with food and care, but also in arranging the premises for their habitat. Together, these factors have a significant impact on the performance of chickens. Every poultry farmer soon begins to think about how to make a chicken coop.

The construction of housing is the main part for breeding birds, because it helps to protect chickens from unwanted weather conditions. The floor in the chicken coop is the most important part, as it helps to maintain temperature regime, which will allow even during the winter period to ensure a decent level of egg production, and is also responsible for the sanitary conditions in the room. Let's consider what is better to use for erecting a floor and how to do it correctly.

Almost every chicken coop is an ordinary unheated barn: a small amount of finance is invested in such buildings. Among the popular raw materials in the construction of poultry houses, wood is distinguished. However, in this room it is necessary to maintain the air temperature in the range from 10 to 15 ° C, it is for this reason that the chicken coop needs additional insulation. For these purposes, cheap materials of natural origin, wood chips, dry grass are used. Depending on the climate and weather conditions, everyone must choose the degree of insulation for themselves.

What should be the floor in the chicken coop

It is the floor that provides protection for birds from adverse weather and predators, which are a potential danger to the household, and, thanks to it, you can significantly affect the sanitary condition of the chicken coop. If the floor is properly installed, it will be possible not only to keep the heat in the chicken coop during the cold season and ensure an acceptable temperature in the summer, but also to improve the habitat of the chickens.

A warm and relatively soft floor in a chicken coop for the winter will protect birds from pneumonia and freezing of their paws. If there are chicks in the chicken coop, it is best to cover one corner with rubber and cover it with soft hay or straw. Such bedding effectively retains heat, and it is quite easy to change it for fresh.

On the this moment Three types of materials for laying floors are known: earth, concrete, wood. Each of these forms has its advantages and disadvantages, they have many differences both in the time spent on construction, structure, and in their cost in case you decide to lay a warm floor in the chicken coop with your own hands.

Detailed description of different types of floors

For more detailed information about which floor will be optimal for the chicken coop, you need to consider them general characteristics as well as pros and cons:

earthen floor

After analyzing the information, we can conclude that this coating does not cope with its main tasks, but additional strengthening with plastic clay will help improve the situation. Due to its characteristics, it will provide good absorption of moisture and will be more and more compacted every day, so that the floor will become more durable and its service life will increase. In this case, the thickness of the clay layer should be at least 10 cm, which will provide the necessary waterproofing in the chicken coop. You also need to consider how many birds will inhabit the barn: the more heads, the denser the earthen floor should be.

Concrete floor

Concrete is also one of the favorites, because the technology of such a coating is also simple and does not require spending a lot of time, so even the most inexperienced farmer can make a concrete floor. The concrete floor gives a 100% guarantee of protection against predatory animals, but is distinguished by maintaining a low air temperature in the room, despite the season. This problem can be easily solved. To do this, you need to cover the floor with an additional layer of bedding made of synthetic or natural materials, due to which the process of cooling the room is several times slower, but such a floor must also be of high quality, drainage mesh and earthen compactor as a base will not interfere.

In addition, among the undeniable advantages are its resistance to water and alkalis, non-flammability, as well as its durability. This type of coating, when properly erected, can last 25 years, which can not boast of any of the floors made from other materials. If the choice fell on such a floor, remember that the bedding should be soft and retain heat well.

Wooden floor

This option is the most rational way to cover the floors in the chicken coop, because it provides the necessary temperature conditions and does not require additional insulation. The boards do not freeze in winter, which is the main advantage for the winter floor, you can put caged sitting on it. This material is characterized by high environmental friendliness and ease of construction.

In order to reduce the influence of microorganisms on the structure of the material, a solution of lime is used. The solution needs to do a kind of processing, covering the surface with it. Many people use wood to insulate the house, they also recommend installing the floor at a slight degree, in order to further clean the room from broiler waste was easier. A net perch in a brooder can help with sleeping quarters for birds.

How to lay the floor with your own hands

In case you have already made a decision regarding the material for manufacturing floor covering, you should familiarize yourself with the basics of its construction. Due to the fact that you can make the floor with your own hands, the costs are significantly reduced, since only materials require costs. For large chicken coops, wooden floors are recommended, and for small ones, earthen floors are allowed.

If there is no foundation, it will need to be built.

A columnar foundation is more suitable for a chicken coop, since the flooring surface in this case is located at a certain distance from the ground, which increases the service life of the wooden coating.

To make a wooden floor, you need to have only the following materials:

• board;
• bars;
• nails;
• cement mortar;
• saw;
• a hammer;
• brick.

To build the foundation, it is necessary to lay out bricks in the form of pedestals about 20 cm high every 0.5 m, however, the foundation is not needed if a concrete floor has been made before: it can be the foundation.

It must be remembered that in order to simplify cleaning in the future, it is recommended to make the floor at a slight slope.

Sometimes the distance between the lags is recommended to be laid with heaters. Silk seals work best. Boards are laid at right angles to the joists. It is necessary to cut the boards so that the joint falls in the middle of the log. For each of the logs, it is necessary to allocate 2 nails in order to be able to nail the boards later. It is important to pay attention to their direction, as the boards must be joined, forming an angle. There are many different videos on the Internet resources dedicated to this topic, where the construction of a chicken coop is described in more detail.

How to insulate the floor

In the cold season, many people ask themselves the question: “How to insulate a chicken coop?” Because, regardless of the season, chickens need comfortable conditions. The wooden floor itself is warm, but if severe frosts are expected, this will not be enough. Warming occurs through the use of bedding, among which there are two types: deep and shallow. They help to keep the air temperature in the poultry house even in winter in the range of up to 26°C without the use of additional heating equipment.

To insulate the floor in the chicken coop, it is not recommended to use modern heat-saving raw materials. It is recommended to use materials of natural origin, such as sawdust, straw, peat. A large layer of insulation is laid and added in the future, the frequency of replacement depends on the degree of pollution.

Moss peat insulation is considered the best option for floor insulation in a poultry house, because it not only does its job remarkably well, preventing the room from cooling down, but also absorbs moisture well, eliminating the fetid odor.

If you decide to insulate the chicken coop using sawdust, then shavings from coniferous trees are ideal for this, since they are characterized by a bactericidal effect. They also absorb excess liquid and do not have the property of caking. Chopped straw and dried grass cope with the tasks no worse, because these materials help to keep warm for a long time.

Conclusion

Everyone can do the floor in the chicken coop with their own hands, for this you need to make some efforts and know what material is best to use for these purposes and how to do it correctly for its durability and rationality. Everyone has the right to choose what is best to make the floor, but you should carefully study all the advantages and disadvantages of each of the proposed options to achieve the desired result. In favorable conditions in a room where it is warm and dry, chickens are less susceptible to various kinds of diseases and infections. Having made the right base, you can start breeding chicks.

If the floor manufacturing technology is correctly implemented, chickens will be comfortable regardless of the season, which will have a beneficial effect on their egg production.

When building a poultry house, you need to decide in advance one of the most important questions: what materials to make the floor in the chicken coop from and whether it is possible to organize it yourself. There are several options for performing this task, the practicality and efficiency of which have been proven by many years of practice of farmers and summer residents.

• earthen;
• wooden;
• concrete;
• from improvised materials: slate, sand, corrugated board.

Basic requirements for flooring:

• strength to prevent the entry of predators;
• non-hygroscopicity, which guarantees the absence of decay processes;
• low thermal conductivity;
• ecological cleanliness;
• safety for the health and movement of chickens;
• ease of cleaning and cleaning.

How to make floors in a chicken coop and what is more suitable, the experience and advice of Russian and foreign poultry farmers will tell you. When choosing the option for arranging the lower floor, they are guided not only by their financial situation, but also by the climatic conditions of the region of residence.

When deciding how to make the floor in the chicken coop, take into account the intended method of heating the room in the winter. If the heating is from the mains, any type of lower ceiling will do. With brick or metal ovens, it is recommended to pour a layer of concrete. This will greatly reduce the risk of a fire.

Method 1

For the seasonal keeping of chickens, which is often practiced in country cottages, you can build a simple building with a lightweight foundation. For its device, a concrete tape is poured (30–35 cm deep and 10 cm wide) around the perimeter of the house. It will block the possibility of penetration of predators and will serve as a base for the walls.

Method 2

If there is no desire or opportunity to knead and pour a cement-sand mortar, they dig a pit to a depth of 30–40 cm. Its bottom and walls are leveled and compacted in any convenient way. Then a metal mesh with a fine mesh is stretched so that it is located not only over the floor area, but also covers the built earthen walls.

• arrange a thick layer of bedding of sand and / or sawdust;
• pour a thin (5–7 cm) layer of concrete along the grid.

The soil floor in the poultry house has an important advantage: it absorbs moisture well, so the litter remains dry for a long time and does not rot. But there are also disadvantages:

• fragility;
• freezing;
• the possibility of germination of plants and raking the soil by chickens.

Construction stages

To create a floor covering, there is the following algorithm:

1. Pit formation. On the plot of land chosen for the construction of the chicken coop, markings are made, determining the corner points of the future structure. Draw straight lines between them and take out the soil to a depth of 40–50 cm within the marked area. It is important that the entire plant layer is removed.
2. Leveling the bottom and walls of the pit. To complete the task, any heavy device is suitable: a piece of timber with a strong wooden or metal plate nailed to its end, or a container half-filled with stones. It is not necessary to spare neither effort nor time to complete this stage of work: the more dense the floor in the chicken coop is, the longer it will last.
3. Formation of the clay layer. A clay layer at the bottom of the pit is necessary to prevent the penetration of ground and melt water. The optimal layer thickness is 10–12 cm. When choosing clay, its properties are taken into account: oily clay is more plastic and retains moisture better, while lean clay quickly collapses due to the frequent alternation of periods of moistening and drying. Clay is laid on the floor, having prepared dough on its basis. To do this, finely chop the straw or hemp fire and carefully mix the vegetable raw materials with clay. Plastic (oily) is easier to work with. A layer 7–10 cm thick is formed from this dough, leveled and rammed.
4. Drying of the clay layer. If the work is performed outdoors, it is necessary to provide protection from rain. To do this, pegs are driven in around the perimeter of the pit and a plastic film is pulled over them so that good ventilation of the pit is ensured. If cracks appear in the clay layer, they are sealed with the same composition (you can also mix clay with lime) and wait for it to dry again.
5. Formation of the earth layer. There is nothing difficult in performing this work: they fill the soil, level and compact it.

If the site has a high GWL (groundwater level), it is recommended to make a multilayer floor consisting of layers of clay and soil. The thickness must be at least 20 cm. The floor surface is strengthened by pouring a layer of concrete and laying sheets of roofing material or other waterproofing material.

It is not recommended to use roofing felt, since these canvases are made using petroleum products, which causes a specific smell of tar. It is easier to lay a litter on a concrete and waterproofed floor. Suitable floor surface materials:

• linoleum;
• plastic material;
• sheet flat slate.

To strengthen the bottom of the pit and its walls, compaction is performed by sprinkling the surface with small stones or broken bricks.

Warming

Underfloor heating can be done in several ways:

• build the lower floor, taking as a basis the principles of frame housing construction;
• by arranging heating with the help of pipes and carrier circulation (“warm floor” system);
• with the help of UWhP (insulated Swedish plate).

The most expensive second option is a warm floor with pipes and coolant. Its device is advisable only for large farms engaged in poultry farming on an ongoing basis, and are located in regions with harsh climatic conditions.

First, they decide how to make the floor in the chicken coop so that it can be easily cleaned. The best option is a surface that can be easily washed under the pressure of water. It can be made using concrete, linoleum, porcelain stoneware.

Frame warm floor

To install such a floor, you will need the following materials and tools:

• boards for a lag device with a section of 20/40 or less;
• OSB sheets and / or moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of at least 6 mm (can be replaced with planed floorboards);
• wood screws;
• mineral wool slabs (glass wool, stone, basalt) or polystyrene foam;
• screwdriver or drill;
• wood saw;
• roulette;
• construction bubble level at least 80 cm long.

From what to make the floor in the chicken coop, they choose, focusing on the strength and thermal conductivity of the materials. Their hygroscopicity is also taken into account. For regions with a humid maritime climate and with a high groundwater level, it is not recommended to use mineral wool as a heater due to the high degree of hygroscopicity.

If there is no other way out, it is necessary to ensure the ventilation of the lower floor with the help of a columnar foundation. It is important to treat all lumber with an antiseptic.

Construction stages

Following the following algorithm, the floor will be built correctly and will last for many years:

1. Installation of the bottom trim. Regardless of the type of foundation erected, it is necessary to build the lower harness. It consists of well-dried wooden blocks with a section of 100/100 mm or 150/150 mm. You can use double (paired) boards of a smaller section. The lumber is laid on the foundation and fastened to the concrete with metal studs.
2. Lag installation. The boards selected as a log are fastened with screws to the strapping bars in increments of 40–60 cm. When choosing a distance, the dimensions of the heat-insulating material are taken into account. The boards are attached to the harness so that they are located inside. Two mounting options are possible: the ends of the lag are fixed to the strapping bars using metal corners, or gaps are cut in the strapping bars and the ends of the logs are inserted into them.
3. Hemming lag from below. In order to be able to lay heat-insulating material between the boards, they are hemmed from below with wooden slats in increments of 20–30 cm.
4. Steam and waterproofing of the lower floor. Vapor barrier material is laid in the openings between the lags: specialized membranes or polyethylene. If foam is used, this stage of work is skipped.
5. Laying of thermal insulation material. It is important that there are no gaps between the lags and the heat insulator plates. When using polystyrene foam, the slots can be filled with moisture-resistant and frost-resistant polyurethane foam.
6. Floor device. Floorboards are stuffed over the log, sheet material is laid: OSB or plywood.

How to make a floor in a chicken coop is decided at the design stage. In an already operated building, it is easier to pour a concrete floor than to build a frame floor in accordance with all the requirements of this technology.

Concrete warm floor

To prepare concrete you will need:

• cement grade not lower than M400;
• sand;
• water;
• gravel of medium fraction (20/40 mm).

Sand and cement are taken in a ratio of 1: 3. To pour a concrete floor in a chicken coop, a layer 5–7 cm thick is enough. But even this thin layer must be reinforced. To do this, buy a metal mesh or tie it yourself from reinforcement bars and knitting wire.

The grid is laid on a pre-prepared "pie", consisting of three layers:

• sand (5 cm);
• polystyrene (5 cm);
• gravel (10 cm).

Before laying the grid, the gravel is shed with a liquid concrete solution and it is allowed to harden (2–3 days). Further pouring of concrete is carried out in layers, leveling and compacting each batch with a bayonet shovel and a metal rod. This is necessary in order to expel air from the cement-sand mortar. If this is not done, there is a high risk of cracks and cavities on the ready-to-use floor.

Wooden warm floor

The floor in the chicken coop can be insulated by raising its level with the help of crates made of wooden blocks and putting heat-insulating material into the space between them. Suitable for this purpose:

• dry needles and leaves;
• expanded clay;
• sawdust mixed with lime;
• arbolite blocks;
• mineral wool;
• Styrofoam;
• mounting foam or sprayed polystyrene foam.

Lumber for crates is treated with a solution that prevents rotting and damage by insects. There are many options for underfloor heating in a chicken coop in order to choose the most suitable one in these conditions.

The arrangement of the chicken coop is inevitably connected with the solution of the issue of equipping its important component - the floor. Comfortable conditions for keeping poultry, the health of laying hens and their egg production largely depend on its quality. There are special requirements for the design of the floor and its coating, which do not require special skills and financial costs - you can make the floor in the chicken coop yourself.

The floor in the chicken coop plays an important role. The protection of chickens from predators and rodents, negative weather conditions, moisture depends on its design. The floor affects the optimal temperature regime and sanitary conditions in the room. The quality of the conditions for keeping laying hens directly depends on its correct arrangement - warm in winter and cool in hot summer.

There are three functions of the floor for the chicken coop - supporting, heat-insulating and protective. It consists of a foundation, a frame and a floor covering on which a replaceable bedding is laid. The quality of the floor directly affects the health of the inhabitants of the poultry house and their productivity. Therefore it should be:

1. Safe. On the surface of the floor, especially wood, there should not be sharp elements, such as nail heads and fittings, which will cause injury to chickens.
2. Moisture resistant. The floor covering will be regularly exposed to liquid bird droppings, so it is necessary to pre-treat the floor surface with water-repellent impregnations.
3. durable.
4. Durable. The floor must withstand multi-tiered structures with nests. If it is made of wood, then its minimum thickness should not be less than 2 cm, and the logs are laid with a minimum step of 60 cm - this will eliminate the deflection of the beams.
5. Eco-friendly. PVC-based materials as flooring are unacceptable - they can become moldy and release toxic substances into the air;
6. Have low thermal conductivity and a layer of insulation to maintain a positive indoor temperature in winter and prevent birds from getting sick from hypothermia.

Particular attention at the construction stage of the chicken coop should be given to the construction of the foundation and its waterproofing to prevent the accumulation of moisture under the floor and the decay of its structure, as well as freezing when the temperature drops outside.

Important! Birds living in a chicken coop with a cold floor are characterized by reduced egg production. Laying hens living in a room with a warm floor are distinguished by strong immunity and high productivity rates.

What should be the foundation

Depending on the type of building and the material of its manufacture, the type of foundation is chosen. So, when erecting a frame building, structures made of logs or timber use a columnar foundation. To build a block chicken coop, whether brick, shell rock or blocks of any other type, use a strip foundation. It is more expensive, but also reliable for heavy walls. A slab or monolithic foundation can simultaneously act as a subfloor, but this variety is the most expensive.

Important! The construction of the foundation for the chicken coop begins with the cleaning of the fertile layer and tamping the territory.

Column Foundation

For the manufacture of foundation columns, bricks can be used, pouring concrete into the formwork, but the easiest way is to put blocks measuring 20 x 20 x 40 cm. With a side length of up to 4 m, 3 support columns will be required - in the corners and in the middle. If the length of the sides is less than 3 m, then the posts are installed only in the corners.

The device of the columnar foundation is as follows:

1. At the location of each column, they dig a hole with a slightly larger size and a depth of 25 - 30 cm.
2. Medium-sized crushed stone is laid out at the bottom of the hole and rammed until the layer is 15 cm thick.
3. Sand is poured on the rubble and also rammed.

The resulting base can be used to install blocks. All of them should be located in a single plane, the horizontalness of which is controlled using pegs and a stretched cord or building level. A strapping in the form of a bar or logs, pre-treated with antiseptic impregnation, is laid on the exposed blocks. Between the strapping and the surface of the posts, two layers of roofing material or its modern analogue, hydroisol, are laid.

Table 1. Instructions for creating the simplest block columnar foundation

Illustration	Description
	They mark the area, pull the cord and mark the locations of the posts.
	They dig a hole under the dimensions of the block with a depth designed for the device of a crushed stone pillow.
	They fall asleep and ram the rubble.
	The bottom side of the block is coated with a solution and installed on rubble.
	The upper surface is coated with a solution and two layers of roofing material are laid on top.
	Install the beam.
	Fix the harness.
	Create a frame for flooring.
	The boardwalk is fixed from boards pre-treated with protective compounds.

After that, you can proceed to the construction of a wooden frame of walls and roofs with their subsequent sheathing.

Strip foundation

During the construction of block chicken coops, the material of which can be brick, adobe, shell rock, wood concrete and any building blocks, the following steps are performed for the foundation:

1. The site is cleared of debris, marked out and a trench is dug around the perimeter of the future structure. Its depth should be at least 50 cm, and its width from 35 cm.
2. It is important to observe the verticality of the walls of the trench, with loose soils, a slight slope is acceptable.

   

3. Stones, roots are removed from the bottom of the trench, leveling and tamping are performed.
4. The bottom is covered with medium-sized rubble and rammed so that the layer thickness is about 15 cm.

   

5. Sand is poured onto the rubble and a compacted layer of 10 cm is created.
6. Formwork is installed in the trench, the panels of which are raised above the ground by 10 - 15 cm.
7. To increase the stability of the foundation during the period of seasonal soil mobility, reinforcement is laid in the formwork - ribbed rods with a diameter of 10-12 mm. They are located from each other at a distance of 15 cm, from the formwork shield and the bottom of the trench by 5 cm.

   

8. After that, concrete of a grade of at least M400 is poured, prepared in the proportion 1 (cement M400): 3 (crushed stone of the middle fraction): 4 (dry sand). Water is poured in gradually, bringing the solution to the desired consistency.

   

9. After filling the formwork with mortar, the upper part is leveled and covered with foil for 1 week at +20°C, for 2 weeks at temperatures from +17°C to +20°C, for 3 weeks at temperatures below +17°C.

   

As a waterproofing, you can use bituminous mastic or roll material - roofing material.

What is better to make a floor: the choice of material

There are several ways to build a chicken coop floor. Each of them has its pros and cons.

Dirt flooring is the most economical flooring option in a poultry house. Due to its simplicity, this floor is the most popular, but it has many disadvantages:

To strengthen such a floor, plastic clay is used - gradually absorbing moisture, this material will strengthen the base and extend its service life several times.

Important! To ensure full waterproofing in the chicken coop, the clay layer must be at least 10 cm. In addition, it is worth considering the number of birds - the more there are, the thicker the clay layer is used on the floor.

The earthen floor for the chicken coop is done as follows:

Concrete floor

The second most popular is the concrete floor. This is due to the simple process of its creation, which does not require much time. This design 100% protects the premises from the penetration of predators and rodents. It remains to solve the issue of maintaining heat, since the floor is quite cool even in hot weather. Therefore, for its insulation, special natural or synthetic bedding is used, which significantly slows down the process of cooling the floor surface. It is also necessary that an earthen base and a drainage grid be present in the chicken coop.

The main quality of a concrete floor is its resistance to alkalis and moisture. Such a floor does not burn, does not smolder, does not support or spread fire, it is practical and durable - following the technology of preparing and pouring concrete and proper operation, the concrete base will last at least 25 years. When choosing a bedding for such a base, not only its softness is taken into account, but also thermal conductivity, which should be as low as possible.

It is not difficult to arrange a concrete floor - the solution will require cement grade M400 (3 parts), sand (1 part), water and crushed stone of a fraction of 20/40 mm.

To pour a concrete base in a chicken coop, you need a layer of 5 - 7 cm, which, despite its small thickness, must be reinforced with a metal mesh. It can be purchased ready-made or made from rebar with relief and knitting wire.

On a sand and gravel cushion 15 cm thick, where 5 cm is sand and 10 cm is gravel, a 5 cm thick foam is laid. A reinforcing mesh is placed on top of it.

The mesh can be laid directly on the gravel, but first it must be shed with liquid concrete and left to dry for 2 to 3 days. After that, you can proceed to the layer-by-layer pouring of concrete. Each layer will need to be leveled and compacted to remove air from the solution. This technology will prevent cracking of the base during its operation.

Wooden floor

The "golden mean" is a wooden floor - this is the most optimal solution when the flooring is warm and does not require additional insulation (even in severe frosts, the wood does not freeze). Wood is an inexpensive, easy-to-work material.

Important! The influence of microorganisms on the wood structure will be minimized if it is coated with a lime-based composition.

To make it easier to clean the chicken coop, the wooden base is made with a slight slope. The wood from which the base is made must be sanded, nails should not stick out above its surface, for which the chickens will cling to their paws and get hurt. Wood must be treated with water-repellent impregnations, otherwise, under the influence of litter, it will quickly begin to rot.

Video - Warm chicken coop. Floor device

DIY wooden floor: step by step instructions

Making your own wooden floor for a chicken coop is not difficult. This will require the following:

Such a floor in a chicken coop can short time make even a novice poultry farmer. Further, it is necessary to carry out periodic replacement of the bedding (every three months), since it is made from organic raw materials. At a cost, a wooden floor will come out more expensive than concrete or earthen, but it is this floor that is most often chosen by feathered breeders because of the environmental friendliness and comfortable stay of birds in the chicken coop, even in severe frosts. Which in turn positively affects their health, immunity and egg production.

The role of bedding for floor insulation

No matter what type of floor is chosen for the chicken coop, a litter is laid on top of it, forming an additional layer of a certain material. More often, its device is justified in the winter, since the floor retains heat, and special fermented biological bedding completely allows you to solve the problem of heating the chicken coop - a considerable amount of heat is released into the environment from a thick layer of bedding material mixed with manure.

Important! The main role of the litter in the winter is a preventive effect that prevents various diseases of poultry, including infectious ones.

In addition, a soft layer of litter reduces the risk of injury to the bird when jumping from a perch, so this layer, a little thinner, can also be used in the summer.

Varieties of litter by depth

People have been bred for a long time poultry, and during this time, many options for the device bedding from various materials, a modern science helped improve some of them, improving the quality of the coating. Of the main requirements that apply to the material for bedding, the following are noted:

• flowability;
• looseness;
• the ability to absorb and retain moisture and odor.

According to the depth of the litter, they are divided into thin and deep (non-replaceable). A thin bedding on the floor of the chicken coop is represented by a small layer of loose material, which is used in the summer. Its purpose is to make the floor surface softer and not injure the chicken legs. In addition, the cleaning of the litter is simplified, which is raked together with the material when it is replaced at least 1-2 times a week as it gets dirty.

Deep or non-replaceable litter is made in the form of a thick, deep layer (30 - 50 cm). Such a coating reliably retains heat in the chicken coop and is used in the winter. Natural heating occurs due to the fact that periodically, as the top layer gets dirty, it is mixed with manure. The resulting composition begins to rot and release heat as a result of natural biochemical processes. Over time, the layer is trampled down and rammed, so it may need to be backfilled to its original level.

Deep bedding in the chicken coop can be arranged already in early autumn, when the weather is still warm and dry. Remove such litter in the last days of spring, when there are no cold weather and night frosts.

Important! Waste bedding material can be safely used as a nitrogenous fertilizer for the garden.

According to the materials used

There are many materials that can be used for bedding. Consider the most popular.

According to many poultry farmers, sawdust is the most suitable and versatile material for creating the underlayment. They absorb moisture, retain odor, melt and release heat, without the need for enzymatic additives. Chickens like to dig into sawdust, loosening it along the way and mixing it with droppings. To make the birds more willing to do this, grain waste is added to the sawdust.

Among the shortcomings of this material, the high cost is noted, with the exception of situations where a sawmill is located nearby. Another disadvantage is that a hungry bird can swallow sawdust, thereby harming its health, in particular the digestive system. Therefore, it is important that the hens are well fed before they are released into the coop with the new bedding on the floor.

Important! To get a suitable substrate for the chicken coop, sawdust can be mixed with other material.

hay and straw

One common way to create floor litter in a chicken coop is to use dry leafy and stem parts of field grasses. Hay and straw do not absorb moisture as well as sawdust, but this material is much cheaper and can be harvested for future use. In order for dry grass to perform its bedding functions in the best possible way, it must be finely chopped. Large (not crushed) grass can be laid on top of the sawdust to protect them from being eaten by chickens and chickens.

Dry leaves

Dry leaves of trees can be used as an affordable material for creating bedding, for which you do not have to pay. It is in autumn, in September, that the chicken coop is prepared for winter, when there are especially many dry leaves. A good time to collect them will be a warm, fine, dry day. Before pouring the leaves into the chicken coop, they are thoroughly dried and crushed.

Bedding made from dry, crushed moss (sphagnum) is an excellent choice, as this natural material has high moisture-absorbing properties and the ability to absorb and retain the most pungent odors. You can find sphagnum in large quantities in swampy areas, but for the sake of economy, it is recommended to use it not in its pure form, but together with sawdust.

Important! A sense of proportion when collecting moss in its natural habitat will protect the swamp ecosystem and not undermine its functioning.

The swampy area is rich not only in moss, but also in peat, which is also an excellent natural material for organizing bedding. Peat is used with great pleasure as a supplement to sawdust in areas adjacent to extensive peat bogs.

Important! The distinctive quality of peat from other materials is its antiseptic properties. Therefore, this material, mixed with other additives, will protect birds from infectious diseases in winter.

However, it is fair to note some of the difficulties associated with peat harvesting. The process of extracting the material is quite complicated and time-consuming. The peat layer lies in the swamp under a layer of turf, which must first be removed with a shovel, and then laid in place after extracting the required amount of peat.

In addition, peat must be dried in a special way - it cannot be dried or dried out, as it will lose its functionality and will not absorb moisture properly.

Among the shortcomings of the material, one can note a low level of prevalence in natural natural conditions and the high cost of the material obtained by industrial means.

Needles

In regions where coniferous plants grow, bedding based on fallen needles is very popular. To harvest raw materials, it is enough to go to the coniferous forest for spruce branches or pine branches, and wait at home for the needles to dry and fall off. Where larch grows, the situation with the procurement of material is even simpler, since these trees themselves shed their needles in the fall - it remains only to collect it. However, before using coniferous litter, you need to know about some of the nuances.

The needles are often quite hard needles with sharp ends that can injure the bird, so you should not use this material in one piece. The needles are carefully crushed to obtain the consistency of coniferous flour.

The composition of the needles contains a large number of various volatile biologically active substances, essential oils and phytoncides. When dry, the needles release these substances for a long time, creating a high concentration in the air, which can adversely affect the health of chickens. Therefore, it is important to choose the right time for harvesting raw materials. In the period from November to April, the content of volatile substances in the composition of the needles is minimal. It is advisable to use pine needles as an additive to the main bedding material, as it aromatizes the room and has pronounced antimicrobial properties.

bacterial

Fermentation, bio- or bacterial mats are all names for the same type of material related to the developments of modern biotechnology.

The peculiarity of this material lies in the fact that it is a specific bacteria that release a huge amount of heat after the fermentation process of the main absorbent material and bird droppings. Inside the litter layer can warm up to 50 degrees, and outside have a temperature of up to +27 degrees. In addition to the effective heating of the floor covering, the specific smell in the room is eliminated. A significant disadvantage is the very high cost of the material - an average of 2,000 rubles per 0.5 kg.

sawdust prices

wood sawdust

The arrangement of high-quality flooring and a solid floor structure in the chicken coop significantly affects the creation of comfortable conditions for the feathered population and their health, which is the key to obtaining the desired profit for each poultry farmer.