How to make a nest for laying hens. DIY nests for laying hens

Raising chickens to produce eggs at home is not a particularly difficult matter.

Moreover, there are many ways to make the process more productive and spend a minimum amount of time on it.

Creating a high-quality nest for laying hens is one of the most important conditions for a comfortable life for a bird.

Why do we need nests with egg collectors?

They are an essential element of any chicken coop. This is especially important for farmers who breed chickens specifically to produce eggs. If the hens do not have a convenient place to lay eggs, they will begin to look for a secluded corner on their own. And such a place could be any, the most remote part of the poultry house. Having equipped special places for carrying, you do not have to look for eggs hidden throughout the room.

Did you know? An ordinary laying hen can produce no more than 250-300 eggs per year, since the bird needs a little more than a day to form one egg. The officially registered record was set by a chicken of the breed in 1978-79 - 371 eggs in 364 days.

Having a design with an egg collector, you will receive a clean and whole product, the collection of which will take very little time. Such a useful, but very simple structure will not be difficult to make yourself. Especially if you have minimal skills in working with construction tools.

How to make a wooden nest with an egg collector with your own hands

Wood is an affordable and environmentally friendly material that is very easy to work with. Therefore, there are many options for wooden nests. They all differ in type of design and complexity of implementation. One of the most popular ways to equip a laying area is a nest with a double bottom.

Necessary materials

To make the structure you need the following materials:

thin plywood boards;
material for upholstering the tray (felt, rubber, soft fabric, the wrong side of linoleum);
fastener

Tools for work

Tools required for work:

sandpaper;
hacksaw;
screwdriver;
hammer;
scissors.

Important! The wooden surface must be carefully sanded. The presence of various irregularities can lead to injury to the bird.

Step-by-step instruction

Technology for making a wooden nest with a double bottom:

The structure is built on the principle of a dog house. Make a small drawing for your own convenience. This will help you not to forget about the necessary parts, as well as correctly calculate their size.
Cut out and fasten all sides of the house.
It is important that the screws or nails are not very long (they should not protrude from the inside of the structure).
The bottom of the nest should be installed at a slight angle to the rear wall (about 5°).
The slope allows the eggs to be easily rolled into the storage container.
The pallet can be made separately.
It needs to be covered with soft and non-slip material.
It should protrude 10 cm beyond the edge of the nest (this will allow you to conveniently collect eggs from the outside).

It is also important to attach a strip to the edge of the tray, otherwise the egg will roll onto the floor.
The pallet is attached to the main part of the structure at an angle of 5°.

If all steps are completed correctly, the egg will gently roll to the edge of the tray and wait for collection time.

Metal construction is more reliable and durable. It is also easy to make it yourself without unnecessary material costs.

Necessary materials

To build the structure you must have the following materials:

metallic profile;
metal and tin sheets;
metal mesh with honeycombs (25x50 cm or 125x25 cm);
nails;
latches or hooks on the door.

Did you know?At the blunt end of the egg there is an air pocket in which various bacteria live. Therefore the productstored It is better and longer if it is placed with the sharp end down.

Tools for work

Tools required to complete the job:

pliers;
hammer;
hacksaw.

Step-by-step instruction

Sequence of creating the structure:

Make a metal frame (its size must meet the requirements of the specific breed of bird). For greater stability and reliability, additional metal stiffening ribs are attached to the bottom or walls.
To arrange the floor you need to use 2 shelves. The first is located strictly horizontally (it has a tray installed on it, which accumulates poultry droppings), and the second (lower) at an angle of 10° (helps the eggs fall into the egg collector). The distance between the two shelves should be 11 cm. The bottom shelf should have a curved edge that forms a groove (its depth should be greater than the size of the egg). Along it, the eggs continue their movement into the storage container.
Make walls and ceiling, attach them to the frame. The front wall is made of mesh. This will provide the hen with access to the feeder and drinker (they can be attached to the door itself), and will also create the necessary ventilation.
Lastly, a door on hinges is made in the front wall, which should be closed with a latch or hook.

Video review of metal nests for laying hens

Where is the best place to place a chicken nest?

After the nest is made, it must be placed correctly. The desire of the hens to use them directly depends on how the perches are located. When placing nests, you should follow the following recommendations:

the height from the floor to the perch should be at least 30 cm;
places for laying eggs are located in dark parts of the chicken coop protected from drafts, noise and unnecessary movement;
the take-off bar must be located at a distance of about 10 cm from the entrance to the nest, it must have a cross-section of 5x2;
Hay or sawdust is best used as flooring;
It is advisable to make the bottom of the nest mesh or with ventilation holes - this will ensure proper air flow and prevent premature damage to the flooring;
It is not recommended to attach perches directly to the walls: this makes the structure less durable, and in winter it cools down quickly.

Important!High-quality and comfortable perches are important not only for the egg production of chickens. Their design should be convenient for the owner himself, because the quality and speed of cleaning the poultry house depends on this.

Using simple and affordable materials, you can easily create comfortable nests for chickens, which will make it easier for you to collect eggs and clean the room. The main thing is to adhere to the production technology and make all the necessary calculations based on the size of your chicken coop and the number of birds living there.

Nests for laying hens with an egg collector: video

Many poultry breeders believe that standard methods of raising chickens have their flaws, and therefore new solutions are needed. A nesting house for laying hens is an important component in proper maintenance. This material will describe several basic options for such structures, as well as provide detailed instructions on how to make a nest for laying hens (and others) so that eggs do not peck. The video at the end of the article will help you better understand all the nuances.

What is the function of the nest?

It is no secret to most farmers that eggs can be found in the most unpredictable place in a poultry house. This phenomenon is often observed in the summer months, when chickens choose any secluded corner to lay eggs.

To avoid having to search the entire walking area every day, it is advisable to arrange a separate corner for nesting. There are birds that, with great pleasure, peck fresh eggs. To prevent such actions, a collection facility is being built for egg products, where they will be kept safe.

Even a varied, rich diet is not a guarantee that the bird will not peck at the clutch. The presence of such cases resembles a natural disaster in a small farm. To improve the nest and the safety of the eggs, the houses are equipped with an egg collector, into which laying hens cannot penetrate.

Types of nests

There are several types of designs:

box-shaped nest;
construction from materials that are at hand;
nest with egg collector.

Box-shaped nests resemble a box equipped with an entrance. The internal space is intended for egg laying, and the bird feels completely safe here. Nest boxes differ from each other in the number of cells. A big advantage of the structure is the fact that it quickly trains chickens to lay eggs inside. The bird is placed in a house and locked in it for some time.

The option of a nest made from scrap materials is common among poultry farmers who have just started raising domestic chickens and have not yet fully equipped the premises for them. A convenient method for those who breed laying hens temporarily or keep a small flock. It is important to remember that all available products (box, basket, drawer) should not be dirty or damaged in integrity. Unlike a nesting house, such structures are short-lived, and they use space irrationally.

A nest with an egg collector is considered the best option, despite the fact that it will take some time to build. There are a large number of different models, but they all differ in that the bird has very little opportunity to come into contact with the masonry. Here, egg products are not collected from nests, but from a special container, unlike the options described above. To install the pallet, you will have to equip the nesting house with a funnel-shaped hole in the central part or make a sloping floor.

Sizes of structures

No matter what type of nest is chosen, there are size standards that must be met. Depth - from 30 to 40 cm (this depends on the breed characteristics of the chickens), height and width - 30 cm. The material for making nests must be polished. If nails are used, they should not be long. If there are none, sharp protruding parts must be cut off and rubbed to avoid injury to the bird.

Place for placing nests

An important aspect is the correct placement of the house in the bird room; it must correspond to the physiological subtleties of laying hens:

be located at least 30 cm above the floor surface;
the length of the take-off bar in cross-section is 5x2 cm and is located at a distance of approximately 10 cm from the entrance to the nesting structure;
the bedding is straw or wood shavings;
it is important that the nesting house can be ventilated; for this, the floor is made of mesh or holes are drilled in it for ventilation;
it is necessary to install the structure in the darkest place without wind;
It is undesirable to fix the nesting house on an uninsulated wall, because of this the durability of the structure is lost, and in the winter months cold air will flow from the wall.

The requirement for nests is the following: comfort, both for the chicken and for the staff. The nesting house should not interfere with cleaning. It should be stirred, if possible, in an easily accessible place in order to systematically replace the litter and collect eggs. The bird may refuse to lay eggs in the equipped structure; in this case, the nesting house needs to be improved.

How to make a nest box

You need to acquire the following tools and materials:

wooden or plywood planks;
self-tapping screws (nails);
sandpaper;
saw;
hammer;
screwdriver

As mentioned earlier, this can be either a separate cell or an entire structure consisting of sections.

Step-by-step instruction:

Sand the plywood or boards.
Cut the material according to the size of the future nest. It is important to remember that in terms of length, width and height, one cell is not made less than 30 cm. To calculate the length, multiply the intended number of compartments by 30. If the bird is large, then larger sizes are taken.
Make a box from the blanks. Future nests can be strengthened by attaching strong bars from the inside in the corners.
There should be no nails or sharp parts inside.
The entrance is easy: the box is left open at the front, which is the easiest method. Or you need to cut out holes in the shape of a circle, each of which will lead to its own compartment.
Along the bottom of the box, attach a bar that is 10 cm high and acts as a threshold along the entire length.
A wooden beam is attached horizontally along its entire length, maintaining a distance of 10 cm from the entrance holes, which will serve as a take-off platform.
A ladder is made for nests with several tiers - it is important that each level has its own ladder.

Nests equipped with an egg collector

This type is not so difficult to construct yourself:

The strips, having a cross-section of 30X50 mm, are twisted into a rectangle, which will correspond to the number of compartments in the nest.
Plywood sheets are attached to the bottom, acting as a bottom, which is recommended to be sealed with a material (not too slippery). For example, the reverse side of linoleum.
Make walls with a ceiling, and also apply lintels (for a family nest).
Secure the pallet by making a slight slope (5.4 - 6.1 cm).

The bedding on the floor of the nest is poured so as not to interfere with the eggs rolling off. The tray is completely covered with soft materials, otherwise all the products may get damaged.

It is necessary to equip nesting houses with maximum responsibility. Full compliance with all requirements can guarantee that the chicken will lay as many eggs as meet the breed standard. Perhaps the nests do not have any tricks, but all the products will be safe and sound. If the breeder decides on some innovation, then why not apply it, because there are no absolutely identical chicken coops. It doesn’t matter if the nest does not meet accepted standards. It is important to maintain the size of the cells so that the bird feels most comfortable and not to forget about the placement rules.

Video. How to make nests for laying hens to prevent them from pecking eggs.

2063 09/18/2019 6 min.

Any animal needs a good home, which should be taken care of in advance. The place of detention must be equipped in accordance with the needs of a particular pet. This will facilitate quick adaptation to the new place and improve productivity. Equipment or cages for housing can be purchased ready-made, or made from available materials in accordance with the requirements. The place where chickens are kept has some differences depending on the type of breeding. For example, when keeping egg-bearing breeds, it is necessary, first of all, to take care of the conditions for preserving the eggs, creating comfortable nests. Then you won’t have to look for them throughout the chicken coop or in hard-to-reach places.

Requirements for a nest for a laying hen in a chicken coop

Despite the fact that setting up a chicken coop seems like a simple matter at first glance, it is not. There are requirements for bird nests that must be taken into account when arranging housing for chickens.

For nests, it is better to choose a dry, warm and slightly shaded place, without drafts. You should not choose damp places or areas near the entrance to the chicken coop for this. The temperature norm for laying hens is 25°C, and in winter - not lower than 15°C.
The calculation is carried out according to the principle: one dwelling for no more than 5 birds. If the quantity is higher, the eggs may be damaged.
Buildings should be raised above 30 cm above the floor. The most convenient parameters for the structure are 30x30x30 cm. The nest must have a roof with a slope (angle of at least 45°), and the bottom can be made of mesh to ensure ventilation of the nest.
Do not attach nests directly to walls. Because of this, the durability of the structure is reduced, and in winter, birds can get sick from cold walls.
The most popular materials for manufacturing are wood and steel sheets. Each of them has disadvantages. Wood is less durable and steel sheets are quite slippery for birds.
There should be something in the house that is heavy enough so that birds cannot throw it away. You can use hay or sawdust for this. The layer of litter should be several centimeters below the walls of the nest.
The nests can be placed in a separate structure, but care should be taken in advance.

Chickens are unpretentious creatures. Therefore, it is not very difficult to arrange a nest for them. The main thing is to take into account the above requirements when making and placing a nest.

Nests must be comfortable for birds, otherwise they will lay eggs in the wrong place, which is almost impossible to retrain them from.

Kinds

When starting the construction of chicken houses, you should take into account the main focus of breeding laying hens. Depending on this, the design may or may not have an egg collector. If birds are bred primarily for hatching, then the device for collecting eggs is not so important. When breeding for eggs, it is necessary to take care of the safety of laid eggs. In accordance with these requirements, two types of nests are distinguished - boxes and structures with an egg collector.

Tricky boxes

This type is a small wooden house with an upper opening. The design allows you to create comfortable conditions for the bird. Since hens choose shaded and quiet places for laying, such a structure increases the intensity of egg laying. In addition, such a nest is easy to build yourself, and it will be quite practical. To train young birds to fly inside the box, just place them in it and close the structure for a short time.

With an egg collector to prevent eggs from pecking

The parameters of these structures vary depending on manufacturing technology and materials. However, regardless of these parameters, the essence of such structures is to minimize the contact of the bird with the laid eggs. This is especially important if the hens have a tendency to peck (peck) them. The nests are equipped with special toe trays in which eggs will be collected immediately after the hens have laid them. Find out how long a chicken hatches eggs.

If a mistake is made in the manufacture of such a device, the eggs will be damaged or broken during collection.

How to do it yourself

When making and arranging bird nests, it is necessary to take into account the features of various types of structures. The final result is influenced by the following factors:

location;
materials used in production;
herd size;
direction of breeding.

When making your own chicken nest, you should think about the convenience of both the laying hen and the poultry farmer.

When making nests, the breed of birds should be taken into account: for standard laying hens, nests with dimensions of 25x35x35 cm are suitable, and for standard laying hens, structures with dimensions of at least 30x40x45 cm will be required.

Boxes and wicker perch made of wicker

The simplest nest option is for egg breeds of chickens, but breeds are also suitable. Structures that resemble a box from the inside are easy to build yourself. The manufacturing process does not require special knowledge and does not take much time and effort. However, some features should be taken into account. Making it yourself will cost much less than buying a finished product.

Dimensions by centimeters

This type of nest is usually located in the form of a “tenement house”. To calculate the size of the entire structure, you should take into account the number of birds that will use it. There should be no more than 5 birds per nest. The structure can be either separate or multi-tiered. With the second option, it is necessary to bring a ladder to each tier for the convenience of the birds.

Materials

To build nests in the form of boxes you will need the following building materials:

pieces of plywood and timber;
fastening elements (nails, screws, self-tapping screws);
jigsaw;
hammer;
screwdriver;
sandpaper or file;
saw (manual or electric).

Fastening materials should be no longer than the thickness of the wooden elements, otherwise their protruding ends may harm the bird.

Step-by-step instructions: drawing of how to arrange a nest, calculation of the slope

Carry out careful calculations of the parameters of the future design in accordance with the number of birds. After this, make a detailed drawing.
Carefully process all wooden elements with sandpaper or a file to eliminate roughness and sharp ends.
Cut out all the details of the future curia building in accordance with the drawing. Reprocess if necessary.
Connect all the elements together and secure the timber at the inner corners. This will give the box rigidity.
Arrange an entrance to the nest with a small threshold at the bottom of the structure, about 10 cm high. The entrance can be in the form of an open front side of the box, or a small cut hole in one of the walls.
At a distance of 10 cm from the entrance, secure a horizontal rail. It will serve as a landing platform for birds.

He will tell you how to make a roost for chickens.

The finished structure must be thoroughly checked for the presence of sharp parts, protruding elements of fastening materials or roughness. All this can harm laying hens.

With egg collector or egg receptacle

This type of nest is especially relevant for farms with large numbers of birds, or owners who breed birds to obtain a large number of eggs. The design allows you to quickly and painlessly collect products at a time convenient for the owner. At the same time, chickens have almost no contact with eggs, so they cannot harm them.

Find out why chickens don't lay eggs.

A distinctive feature of this design is the slight slope of the floor. Thanks to this, the eggs roll into a special compartment of the nest.

Correct sizes

The main parameters do not differ from standard sockets. Except for the sloped floor. The best option is a tilt angle of 10 degrees. With this device, the products will roll into the collection compartment, but will not be damaged. In structures with a large number of tiers and sections, the angle of inclination of the floor can be 40 degrees.

Materials needed

To make your own nest with an egg collector you will need:

any wood material (optimally plywood);
fastening elements (nails, self-tapping screws, screws);
sandpaper;
hammer;
screwdriver;
jigsaw;
scissors.

In addition, a design of this type requires a special soft material for upholstering the egg collection compartment. For these purposes, you can use felt, linoleum (wrong side up), or any soft fabric.

A nest with an egg collector can be equipped in two ways - with a double bottom or a special container.

Step-by-step instruction

Calculate the required dimensions of the structure and draw a drawing in accordance with them.
Cut out elements from wooden materials according to the drawing - side walls, bottom and roof.
Thoroughly clean all parts with sandpaper or a file.
The bottom of the structure should be secured at a slope relative to the rear wall of the nest. In this case, there should be enough space between the wall and the bottom of the floor for the egg to pass through.
The key feature of such a nest is the tray into which the eggs will roll. It must be made 10 cm longer than the main building, the bottom must be covered with soft material and a small plank must be attached to the front.
The pallet is attached at the same angle as the floor of the main structure. This will allow the eggs to roll into the lower compartments without being damaged.

The structure with a container for collecting eggs is made in the same way. The only difference is that instead of a gap between the wall and the bottom, you need to make a hole in the bottom of the container, the diameter of which will be slightly larger than the size of a chicken egg.

Video of making a homemade nest

This video tells and shows how to make various nests for chickens.

conclusions

Nests for chickens are a profitable and uncomplicated activity if you initially approach it responsibly.
Nests for birds must be made (built, done correctly at home according to the scheme) in accordance with their breed and direction of breeding.
For chickens that need to hatch chicks, it is better to choose cunning nests in the form of boxes, laying them on the floor where they will crap good bedding.
Farms or owners of a large number of birds laying eggs should give preference to homemade nests with an egg collector. This will greatly facilitate the process of maintenance, care and collection of products.
You can make a home for birds yourself with your own hands and even weave it from wicker. This does not require special skills, will not take much time and effort, but will significantly save money.

Read how to make cages for chickens.

Making nests for chickens with your own hands will help significantly save the budget not only for a beginner, but also for an experienced farmer. During work, all requirements and rules must be observed to ensure that the perches are comfortable and safe for laying hens. It is also necessary to take into account the characteristics and needs of the farm and household. So how to make a nest for a laying hen with your own hands?

Rules for caring for chickens

In order to raise chickens at home, the following requirements must be met:

build a poultry house;
in the summer they make a place for walking;
give birds a balanced diet;
adhere to sanitary standards;
observe the light regime, especially when the day gets shorter and it starts to get dark early.

First of all, you need to take care of arranging the chicken coop. To do this, be sure to use only natural building materials. When carrying out work, it is determined how many birds the foundation will be laid on, since the room must be spacious. In addition, it must be insulated and care must be taken to install artificial lighting, which will extend daylight hours for chickens.

Important! During construction, it is necessary to take into account that no more than four heads should live per square meter.

Chicken nests

If the chicken coop is warm, the birds will lay eggs, regardless of the time of year. A bedding of straw, sawdust and hay is placed on the floor. This will create thermal insulation for the floor, while at the same time preserving the natural instincts of the birds.

Perches for chickens are made wide and spacious. The height of the perches is recommended to be about sixty centimeters. It is necessary to make gaps between perches and resting areas, thanks to which both laying hens and roosters can freely approach the place where they will spend the night.

An important aspect of a poultry house is the perches where the hens will lay eggs and hatch their chicks. The number of such places should correspond to the number of laying hens.

The barn must be completely ready before its inhabitants move in. It doesn’t matter what age they are. The younger the hens are, the sooner they will get used to the nests. Near the poultry house you need to put a small pen for walking. It can be fenced with fish netting and other materials. The fence must be high enough so that pets cannot fly over it. The proximity of the chicken coop to the aviary allows the birds to spend a long time in the fresh air and, if necessary, hide from the rain in time.

DIY box for laying hens

Before you start building a nest for laying hens, you need to follow some rules that will make further arrangement of the chicken coop easier:

The pole should be installed in shaded areas so that the sun's rays do not fall on it.
It is necessary to put bedding in the bird house. Mostly straw or sawdust is used. Experienced farmers tend to choose sawdust, since this is the material that chickens do not throw away.
The litter ball should be slightly lower than the sides. This is necessary so that the eggs do not fall on the floor.
During the construction of the perch, it is best to make the bottom from a mesh, on which the bedding is subsequently placed. Thus, the litter will be constantly ventilated.
The place where the perches will be installed must be dry at all times and there should be no drafts.
Nests should not be tightly fastened to the walls, since there is a possibility that the bird may catch a cold, and the position of the perches will have to be changed.
Finished houses should be smooth and free of nails, as this can cause injury to the bird.
Calculate the number of perches so that there is one nest for every five hens.

The simplest nest would be an ordinary box. You can use both plastic and plywood to make it. The only thing you need to understand is that the quality of such perches leaves much to be desired. In addition, they are installed on the ground, which will have a negative impact on the health of the hens. This also affects egg production.

DIY box for laying hens

Important! It is necessary to take into account that if the nest is not comfortable, then the hen will not lay eggs in it. Therefore, it is necessary for the cut to decide which design is best to choose.

To build a nest box you need to have the following materials on hand:

Plywood or boards;
Beam;
Fasteners;
Sandpaper;
Jigsaw;
Screwdriver;
Hammer.

Step-by-step instructions for making a do-it-yourself chicken perch in the form of a box:

The material from which the perches will be made must be sanded;
All necessary blanks of certain sizes are cut out. To do this, calculate the number of cells, then, by calculating the width of each of them, determine the length of the structure. In this case, the number of tiers is determined in the same way.
All construction blanks are connected to each other with nails.
The corners inside the device are reinforced with timber.
An entrance hole for the perch is cut out.
Be sure to make a threshold so that it is convenient for the chickens to enter the roost. It should protrude ten centimeters from under the perch. It is attached to the bottom side of the box along the entire length of the structure.
At a distance of ten centimeters, a platform is built onto which the laying hens will fly.
If perches are made in several tiers, then a ladder is attached to each of them.

Before you start constructing a nest, you need to calculate its parameters. The size of the houses should be such that the hen can freely enter it and sit comfortably there. The optimal dimensions are 25x35x35 cm. Before constructing the structure, a drawing must be made; it will help to correctly distribute the material.

Important! The perch cover should be positioned at an acute angle of forty-five degrees. This is done so that other chickens cannot sit on the nest.

DIY chicken nests

When building nests that are comfortable for chickens, you need to make sure that they are also comfortable for the farmer. Because he will have to clean them and collect eggs from the roosts. There are several types of construction of individual houses for laying hens.

Simple

The simplest perch is a booth. No experience is needed to build it. The idea came to the minds of experienced farmers a long time ago. It is very easy to install. The only thing that upsets me is that it does not have an egg collector, and the chicken can peck the eggs. But still this type is popular among poultry houses.

To make this design, you should prepare the following materials and tools:

a leaf of wood, about a centimeter thick;
4 wooden blocks;
jigsaw;
file;
self-tapping screws;
screwdriver

The nest should have dimensions of 35x35x35 cm. In addition, it is necessary to determine exactly how many cells need to be built. If there are ten chickens in the chicken coop, then it will be enough to make only three.

Manufacturing scheme:

The wood is treated with a file or sandpaper so that there is no roughness;
Four pieces are cut out, measuring 35x35 cm. They will serve as walls for the nests.
A hole is cut out in one of the squares, which should serve as the entrance to the nest. You definitely need to take care of the threshold.
After this, four beams of similar length are prepared.
All workpieces are fastened together using self-tapping screws. The bars serve as supports for the walls.
They examine the finished structure to find out if there are any defects in it, which are immediately eliminated.
At the end, two more blanks are cut out for the floor and ceiling.

After this, the nest is secured and lined with sawdust or straw. A ladder is attached to the nest. The chicken house is ready to receive a laying hen.

With egg collector

The most convenient to use and at the same time original and safe for chickens is a nest with an egg collector.

Making it is much more difficult, but at the same time it has a number of advantages:

safety of eggs from pecking by laying hens;
easy to collect eggs.

The difference in the construction of a perch with an egg collector and a simple one is the bottom. It is done on an incline. In this case, the eggs roll down and fall through the hole into a special chute. The rest of the part is done in the same way as the nest-box.

The instructions for constructing a perch are as follows:

All necessary materials and tools are collected.
First of all, assemble the base. To do this, side walls are cut out, the dimensions of which are 65x90 cm. The front wall should be 65x40 cm. At a height of thirty-five centimeters, a hole is made that will serve as the entrance. With the help of a block, all these parts are connected to each other.
The next step is preparing the floor and ceiling. Their size should be 40×90 cm. The blanks are also attached to the base using bars.
Then a pallet is made, on top of which non-slip material is laid, and a lintel is installed.
The pallet is connected to the side walls.
Then you should make a floor with a slope. It is raised above the main floor no more than fifteen degrees. The size of the slope should be 40x95 cm.
The main bottom is covered with sawdust and a sloping floor is placed on top. It is advisable to secure it with self-tapping screws.
After this, the back wall is made. Its dimensions are 45x40 cm. As you can see, the back wall must be significantly shorter than the front in order to create a hole into which the eggs will roll.
The wall is attached to the base, and the hole must be closed with soft material. It can be regular fabric or soft plastic.
Then a container for collecting eggs is attached. It can be plastic, or a small box can be made from a wooden board.

A small amount of sawdust is placed in the nest, but in such a way that the egg rolls freely into a homemade egg collection, which is located outside and, in turn, is covered with soft material.

DIY chicken roost

There are times when there is no time to tinker with the construction of a roost for chickens. Therefore, all suitable materials that are at hand will be used. A regular vegetable drawer may work. You simply put bedding in it, hang a curtain, and the roost is ready.

But at the same time, you need to make sure that the box is made of durable material and can support the weight of the chicken. After all, this perch will need to be hung, secured only on one side. To ensure that the place for laying hens is secure, additional fastenings are also used. To do this, take a nylon cord and attach it to the wall above the box.

DIY chicken roost

How to train a chicken to nest

If additional nests have been installed in the chicken coop, and the chickens refuse to lay eggs in them, the following measures must be taken:

Make a dummy egg and place it in a new nest;
Close the chicken in its new roost overnight;
Do not give the laying hen the opportunity to lay eggs in her old place;
Lay some down in the new nest.

Chalk or limestone can serve as a dummy. The hen sits down to lay eggs in most cases where the eggs are already located. The fluff will also serve as a call for the hen to the nest. If these methods do not help, you need to find out why chickens refuse to lay eggs in new places.

Building a structure is not that difficult. The main thing is to decide in advance on the type of nest and install it correctly in the chicken coop.

It’s not enough to build a good barn for chickens; you also need to equip it: secure perches, make nests, install/hang drinking bowls and feeders. But you need to do this in such a way that it is convenient for you to maintain the poultry house. Chickens don't really care how beautiful their nests are. They will fit perfectly on the floor. It will be inconvenient for you to collect eggs from the floor, and they might even get pecked. Therefore, we arrange the chicken coop in such a way as to make it more convenient for you.

Perches

First of all, you need to equip the inside of the chicken coop with perches. This is a round or oval stick - a tree branch, a shovel handle, a planed block, etc., fixed at some height above the floor.

On average, they take about 20-25 cm of perch length per chicken. They are attached to the wall at a distance of 25-30 cm, one perch from the other - at a distance of 35-40 cm. You can make multi-tiered ones, but there will be fights for the highest place. Please note that all dimensions are approximate only and are necessary for reference purposes. Everything is selected more according to location: different breeds and chicken coops, and their owners too.

To make cleaning easier, a shield made of some smooth material is installed at a distance of 20 cm below the perch. Litter accumulates on it, so choose a smooth surface: it will be easier to sweep away.

The question remains: at what height should the perch, and therefore the shield, be made? It is most convenient to clean it in a cart. It should fit under the shield so that you can dump the droppings directly into the wheelbarrow with a hoe. For the flood, the height of the shield is determined by the height of your car, and above the shield there will already be perch slats. And again, choose the height of the chicken perch so that cleaning is convenient.

Nests

The second required element in arranging a chicken coop is nests. They will lay on the floor, but the eggs will be dirty, and they may even peck. According to the norms, one nest is made for three hens. But in fact, it turns out that no matter how many of them you do, they choose one or two, maximum three, and stand in line. The rest are exactly the same, standing empty next to each other. From time to time their tastes change, they begin to rush to others... From all this it follows that you can safely count 5-6 heads per nest, half will still be empty.

It is better to place the nests so that it is convenient for you to pick up the eggs, i.e. hang on the wall. So that the bird can safely get there, they make ladders - an inclined board with perches/sticks nailed across it. The same ladders are made for perches. If the nests are placed close to the perches and at approximately the same level, they will move back and forth. Quite convenient.

You can make such civil nests

If possible, make sure that the back side of the nests faces the corridor, if there is one. A door is made on the back side. Then to pick up the eggs you don’t need to go into the pen - open the doors and collect them.

Chickens also love to rush in the dark, or at least in dim light. That’s why the entrance is made small, and so that they don’t sit inside for a long time, sleep and shit, the roof is made with a strong slope (in the photo).

You can simply arrange or hang the boxes along the wall, but organize the darkening by placing a partition in front of the nests. In general, it is difficult to predict their behavior. Sometimes the nests are simply ignored and are carried anywhere. Then a stencil or mock-up can help: cut out an egg from white paper and place it in the nest. It might help: they will start rushing there.

Several nests in different designs are shown in the photo below. These are all real chicken coops, you can use them.

Plastic is very practical: it’s easy to wash, it’s inexpensive, you can do a lot of things, and chickens really love these plastic nests. Place more hay in them and they will fly. The space below can be used for perches or an IR lamp can be hung on the bottom to make a solarium.

In the nest you always use your hands with caution: you never know what the chickens laid there... It is much more convenient and safer when the eggs are rolled into a special compartment - the egg receptacle. The main catch in this device is to choose the angle of the floor and the flexible material so that the egg moves it away and stops before it reaches the wall. To soften the “landing”, sawdust is poured onto the bottom.

Since the eggs roll up and the bird does not see them, they may refuse to lay eggs in such nests. In this case, you can make a dummy egg - from thick foam plastic in full size or cut out a stencil from paper - and glue it to the bottom. This almost always works.

Chicken cages

Sometimes the birds are kept in cages. But this is for industrial or semi-industrial maintenance. With this method of cultivation, a large number of birds live in a small area. A drawing of a cage for chickens with dimensions is posted below.

Broiler cage drawing with dimensions

All sizes are according to the standards, and there is no need to invent anything. This is the minimum that laying hens need. And what can come out of such cells is in the photo below.

Watch the video to see how to make broiler cages from wood. Everything is described in great detail: what, for what, what sizes, how to assemble and what is needed for this. Really useful.

Drinkers and feeders

Setting up a chicken coop is unthinkable without drinking bowls and feeders. Moreover, they should be there too. There are periodic and bunker feeders. Periodic - this is when you came, poured out the amount of food and that’s it. Until the next feeding they stand empty.

Climbing in and digging around is a favorite thing

Bunker feeding is when there is a decent supply of feed, which is constantly poured into some container. Both have their drawbacks: periodic ones require you to go to the chicken coop every time and add grain, and the birds crowd around and fight for the best place, which sometimes leads to the feeder being overturned.

If you have a bunker feeder, you need to go much less often, but it is possible to overfeed the bird, which is a disaster for laying hens. Therefore, either the laying hens are given a large walk or only broilers are fed in this way.

There are many designs of periodic feeders, but not all of them allow you to use feed economically. The easiest way is to pour the food into a bowl or container. But, if there is at least some opportunity, the chickens begin to rake up the food, spilling it out and then trampling it down. I have to throw it away. And such feeders allow you not only to dig into the food, but also to climb into the feeder with your feet. Therefore they need to be improved. To do this, install wire dividers on the container. Feed consumption decreases sharply: it is more difficult to rake it out.

You can make, for example, another similar feeder (or drinking bowl), which is conveniently attached or placed against the wall. It is probably easier to weld it from metal, although there are craftsmen who can make something similar from wood.

There are some interesting ideas. For example, an economical auto-feeder is assembled from an old car disk, a basin of suitable diameter and a plastic water bottle with a capacity of 5-10 liters.

Look for a disk of the type shown in the photo: with a large number of small holes along the outer edge. In the middle, cut a hole the size of the neck of the bottle. Cut out the bottom of the bottle cap, leaving only the threaded ring. The feed mixture is poured into the bottle, a disk is put on it, and the cut-off lid is pressed against it. Feed is poured into a basin and a structure is installed on top.

In order not to disassemble the feeder every time when you need to add food to the bottle, you can cut the bottom, making it like a lid. Then the bottle itself can be secured more seriously: fixation with the thread from the cap is not very reliable. But such an improvement does not allow anyone to rummage through the food, and no one can get into the basin.

You can make a feeder from a piece of plastic sewer pipe. Holes with a diameter of about 7 cm are cut out on both sides. They do not have to be round at all - square or rectangular will also work. A corner is installed at the ends at 90° with the socket up and along a small piece of pipe: feed can be poured here.

A simple but spacious bunker feeder is a decent chest with a folding bar attached at the bottom. In the open position, food is poured onto it.

Another option for an economical feeder is made from plastic sewer pipes. But this is already a bunker structure: there is a decent supply. The design is simple, and consumption is reduced.

An even more interesting design of the chicken feeder in the video: with a lid. To open it, you need to jump on it.

Another option is a bunker feeder made of PVC pipes and a plastic water bottle.

Homemade drinking bowls for chickens

It's almost the same story with drinking bowls. Only here is water splashed, which, when mixed with droppings, gives an exceptionally persistent odor, as well as dirt. All this does not contribute to easier and faster cleaning. Therefore, the choice of drinkers is no less important than the feeders.

The simplest option for a small number of birds - up to 15 pieces - is siphon drinkers. They have legs and allow you to save water. If the legs are designed well, even a chicken flying onto the top will not knock them over.

Siphon drinkers - factory-made and homemade from a plastic bottle

Factory drinking bowls, of course, look more attractive, but a homemade version is almost free, and they work no worse. In the photo you see a simple homemade siphon waterer for chickens: a support was nailed in the corner - a piece of board with a hole cut out for the neck. On top there is a fastening system and a load so that it does not get knocked down. A hole is cut into the former bottom of the bottle into which water is poured. The trick here is to choose the distance at which to install the water container: so that there is not too little or too much of it.

Cup drinkers are convenient when grown in cages, as they are conveniently attached to the mesh. But no one bothers you to hang a piece of mesh, say, on a wall or come up with another mount.

They allow you to water the birds without splashing. Water is supplied to the cup, it tilts under the influence of gravity, cutting off the supply. They drank the water, the cup rose, the water flows again. A hose is connected to the side fitting, the second end of which is located in a container of water, which should be above the level of the drinkers. Convenient and economical.

Nipple drinkers for chickens. These are small devices, a few centimeters in size. A cone-shaped stainless steel rod is inserted into the plastic case.

These nipples are screwed into plastic pipes into which water is supplied. A hole of the required diameter is drilled, a thread is cut and the nipple is screwed in. When you press the rod, a few drops of water appear. The chickens peck at the rod, drinking the drops that appear. The main disadvantage of this method is the drops that fall on the floor. To prevent this from happening, a special drip catcher is placed under each drinker. It simply snaps onto the pipe.

Despite their miniature size, these small drinking bowls cost a lot, especially if they are high-quality - read - imported. Ours are, of course, cheaper, but they break faster.

And the rest are different cups and basins into which water is simply poured. Their disadvantage is that birds often turn them over, and the water in them quickly gets dirty.

There are also interesting ideas from homemade ones. For example, such a pipe drinking bowl is shown in the photo. In a piece of plastic pipe, the water level is controlled by a float mechanism from the toilet cistern. Three drinking bowls are attached to the pipes.

The video demonstrates a drinking bowl with auto-filling.

If you want to arrange the chicken coop, you can arrange it in such a way as to minimize the need for its maintenance. In this case, the bird will bring not only income, but also pleasure: it is always pleasant to look at objects made with your own hands, but keeping a bird in a chicken coop without “direct” hands is difficult and expensive.