How to make a cage for laying hens with egg box with your own hands?

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Today, chickens are bred not only in farms, but also in suburban areas. The most promising and convenient is the way of keeping birds in cages, which you can buy or make with your own hands. For self-manufacturing structures will need dimensions, drawings, materials, tools and step by step instructions, which you can learn in our article.

Advantages and disadvantages of cellular content

Designs for the content of layers can be of several types:

Transportable on wheels or legs during the warm season can be taken out of the house and installed outdoors.
Stationary are set in the hen house. They can be mounted to the wall or just put on the floor.

The advantages of growing birds in cages include:

In a small house can keep a large herd.
It is easier to make selection and monitor the health of birds.
In hand-made designs, litter is collected under the cages, which improves sanitation, makes cleaning easier and saves money on litter.
Of the special drinkers installed in the house, it is convenient for the birds to drink and the water in them is not polluted.
Throwing and digging food from chickens is not possible. This saves about 20 percent of feed costs.
Birds contained in constructions are protected from rodents, wild animals, cats and dogs.
Next to the cage, special receivers are installed in which eggs are rolled out, which facilitates their collection. In addition, the eggs do not get dirty and laying them do not peck.
Chickens do not come into contact with other birds, thereby reducing the likelihood of various infectious and other diseases.

Despite the large number of merits, The cellular content of the layers has its disadvantages:

birds in such structures practically do not move, which increases the likelihood of their obesity and reduces the lifespan,
cells need to be equipped with special lighting,
if free-range chickens together with grass and insects receive minerals and vitamins, then in a limited space they will have to be fed with special nutritional complexes,
the house needs to be ventilated frequently to maintain an optimal indoor climate for the hens,
Care should be taken to monitor the health of individuals so that the disease that occurs in one bird does not become an epidemic.

Contain in cages for laying hens generally egg and meat and egg breeds. Breeding birds are recommended to be grown in a free-running chicken coop.

Cages for laying hens - dimensions and drawings

Do-it-yourself can build design of any area and with any number of tiers. It should consist of a frame with legs, partitions and lattices in the form of welded rods or mesh. Also, it should be equipped with the necessary for keeping birds with various devices. In the cage for chickens there must be an egg-box, a waste tray, drinkers, feeders and a floor with a curved edge.

If only hens are contained in a nest being built with their own hands, it may be small. In this case, four hundred square centimeters of area will suffice for one individual, which should be taken into account and noted in the drawing. About seven hundred and fifty square centimeters will be needed for one bird, which will be grown for meat and eggs.

The drawing is created based on the size of the future cage for chickens. For five to seven hens it will be necessary to construct a structure measuring approximately 70x150x65 cm. A maximum of six birds can be placed in one section. If the herd is large, it is better to make more nests with a smaller area with your own hands.

Necessary tools and materials

From the tools you need to prepare:

square, level, roulette,
grinder for cutting galvanized and mesh,
screwdriver
hacksaw and electric jigsaw,
marker pen or pencil
sander or sandpaper.

The cage for laying hens with dimensions of 0.5x1x0.45 cm is made of the following materials:

wooden planed bar 20x40 mm - two pieces of three meters,
wooden planed bar 40x40 mm - five pieces of three meters,
metal grille with cells 50x100 mm (for the front wall) - one linear roll meter or one card two meters long and half a meter wide,
metal mesh with 15x15 mm cells (for the ceiling, floor and side walls) - three meter roll or two pieces half a meter wide and two meters long,
metal corners and galvanized wood screws,
screws with a big hat for the grid,
awnings for wall jacks
Ready plastic tray for the pallet or a sheet of galvanized sheet with a thickness of at least one centimeter.

Drinking bowls and feeders can be bought ready-made or you can make them yourself from a plastic pipe or galvanized iron.

Making cages for laying hens with your own hands

Since wood is an environmentally friendly and more affordable material, it is most often used for the manufacture of the frame. The bar can be replaced with drywall or metal corners. But when using metal, you will need a welding machine.

Step by step instructions for production:

The first is the frame. To do this, according to the drawings, the markings are made on 40x40 mm bars, and they are cut using a hacksaw or electric jigsaw.
The skeleton of the structure is assembled using corners and galvanized screws. On the side walls it can be strengthened with plywood kerchiefs.
A grating is installed from a 20x40 mm bar, under which a waste tray will be installed on the bars.
The pallet can be made of galvanized iron or plywood sheet, attaching it to the walls so that it is available for cleaning.
Furniture legs are recommended to be installed on the legs, with the help of which, during the warmer months, the cage can easily be taken out to fresh air.
According to the dimensions in the drawing, a 20x40 cm bar is measured, cut out and a door frame is made with your own hands.

The cage frame is ready. If it is made of a metal profile, then use welding, with which the profile pipe or corner is fastened to the metal screws.

Floor device

The floor is made of metal mesh, whose front edges should be bent. The floor is fastened to the support of bars, which are installed in steps of 20 cm. Self-tapping screws are used as fasteners. Wooden bars before installation is recommended to treat with lime, linseed oil or other antiseptic.

DIY construction of the front wall

The front wall can be done in several ways:

In a not very wide construction, doors are installed on the front wall, which are made of wooden frame and grid.
In wide designs, the door should be centered and be solid. With a cell width of one meter, it will not be very convenient to open the door, so it is better to make it flip. On the finished mesh door installed bolts.
In cells that consist of several tiers, the doors are not installed. If necessary, chickens get through the ceiling. Mesh ceiling is placed on top of each box and secured with removable latches.

In an ordinary structure without tiers, the roof is made of OSB, moisture-resistant plywood or a grid.

Finished cage can hang or set on the floor. If the design does not have legs, then it should be spread litter in the form of sawdust, hay or straw. You can not install a cage next to the window, from which in the cold season will blow, and chickens can catch a cold. It is best to hang or install a bird house opposite the window on the opposite wall.

Production of drinking bowls and feeders

In order for birds to have free access to always clean water, it is most convenient to use nipple drinkers. They are attached to the grille inside the structure with clamps or wire.

With their own hands the drinkers are made of tinthat bends out of the gutter with closed sidewalls. You can make a drinker from a drain plastic pipe. It should be cut lengthwise to make two equal halves. Self-made drinkers hang over the trough.

The feeder can be made of planed boards. From it cut off the details of the desired size, which are fastened with screws on the tree. They are easy to manufacture, they are not afraid of disinfectant solutions and moisture, and feeders made of plastic sewer pipes are easy to make. They need to be cut with a jigsaw in half, and then with the help of special plugs for pipes to close the ends.

Feeders are attached using canopies or wire at a height of ten to fifteen centimeters above the tray for eggs. The main part of the feeder should protrude behind the cage so that it is convenient to feed the layers.

Cell lighting equipment

High productivity directly depends not only on proper nutrition of chickens, but also on good lighting. To get it without laying hens eggs, they need to be provided at any time of the year. fourteen light day. If in the summer there are enough windows for this or you can move the cage to the site, then in winter additional lighting is needed.

Lamps are placed so that the structures are lit evenly. It is best to use LED or energy-saving lamps, which saves energy. By installing timers on them, you can get an automatic backlight that will turn itself off and turn on at the right time.

Besides, need to think about security and install fixtures so that the birds can not break them. To do this, you can use a strong ceiling or mount the lamp to a safe distance.

Peculiarities of laying hens in a cage

Unlike laying hens in a chicken coop with a walk, growing them in a cage has some peculiarities:

To prevent the appearance of parasites in the structure, tanks with ash are installed in which birds will “bathe”.
Contained crowded chickens must be vaccinated.
Boxes must be cleaned regularly. To do this, it is recommended to wipe the net daily, clean the pallets as they are filled and rinse all feeders after each meal.
Since the hens do not go for a walk, they should be provided with green fodder. It can be cut grass, sliced nettle, carrion, skins of vegetables, etc.
For each chicken per day you need at least five hundred milliliters of water.
Contained in cages of laying hens it is recommended to feed sold in stores special crumbly feed. If there is no such possibility, then mineral-vitamin complexes must be included in the composition of the feed prepared with their own hands.
When equipping cells with lighting, it is best to use light bulbs that light up gradually. The sudden inclusion of light can cause stress in chickens and cause a decrease in egg production.

Having decided on the dimensions, having drawn the drawing and having prepared the tools and materials, you can make a cage for laying hens with your own hands, which will turn out to be inexpensive and exactly what the farmer himself wants. In such designs, with minimal cost, you can achieve good productivity from birds.

Cell features

The sizes of layers belonging to the egg breeds are rather small, therefore, the cells for them should be relatively small. Per egg chicken breed should be from 10 to 60 cm² of cage area. If the breed is meat-egg, then the area should be slightly increased, up to a maximum of 80 cm² per bird.

The content of the chickens should be fairly crowded, but not too dense. Spacious pens are not economically viable, and cramped negative effects on egg production and bird health.

Group content of layers in cages

With your own hands, you can make designs according to simple drawings, of any layering and area, so long as the floor withstands the “occupants”, does not bend, and the necessary conditions for the birds were ensured. Each "apartment" should be equipped with:

egg collector (sloping floor with a curved edge),
drinking bowl
feeding trough
grid floor,
tray for collecting waste and litter.

Making cells, you should definitely consider the lighting system. Egg production directly depends on daylight. Even if natural storage is provided in the barn (garage, summer kitchen), it is necessary to make an artificial lighting system. To this end, several bulbs are hung around the perimeter in the chicken coop and a dimmer with a timer is installed. One light bulb is not enough, because in this case one part of the layers will receive a more intense light, which is also not always good, the other will be in the twilight.

Laying cages with proper lighting

Dimmer is necessary for a smooth increase and the same gradual decrease in the intensity of illumination. In this way, chickens create the illusion of a natural change of day and night, which is very well reflected in the number of eggs. In the absence of a timer, it will be necessary at the same time to come to turn on and off the artificial lighting. Dimmer will solve this problem and reduce the burden of laying hens.

Dimensions and design

At the heart of the cage design is an ordinary frame made of wooden bars, metal guides or reinforcement. The walls and floor are made of mesh. The presented design has one drawback - it is extremely inconvenient to plant and remove the bird from them, besides it will not be suitable for small layers (young or short).

As a rule, the sizes are selected on the basis of the materials available at hand, and only then drawings are built. In the farm, every meter of the grid is useful, so design the cells for laying hens so that there is a minimum of waste. Recommended sizes:

For the "loner" 500x500x650 mm,
For 5-7 birds 700х1500х650 mm.

Approximate sizes for 2-3 layers

It is not recommended to keep more than 5-7 heads in one cage. With numerous livestock, it is better to make more “apartments” of a smaller area on one tier than one large 2-3 meter one. Too spacious cages are bad for both the birds themselves and those who care for them. Pallets with litter will be very heavy. In addition, the floor in such a cage will need significant reinforcement, which will adversely affect the natural removal of the litter.

How to make it yourself?

Making a cage is quite a simple task; it does not require special expensive materials, special tools and qualifications. The device is also uncomplicated. It is based on a frame, the drawing of which is presented in our photo gallery. It can be made of wooden bars 40x40 mm, but the tree is not very durable and is also able to absorb odors, dirt, moisture, etc. Therefore, it is better to make it out of a metal profile for plasterboard or fittings as far as possible.

Tools and materials

Wooden bar 40x40 or metal profile UD 27/28/4000,
Nails (profile riveting),
Tin sheet for pallets,
Galvanization or stainless steel for the construction of feeders and drinkers,
Grid with a mesh size of 125x25 mm or 25x50 mm for the floor, walls and ceiling,
Grid 50x50 mm or wire for the front wall,
Heck for doors,
Hacksaw, hammer, file,
Passatizhi (for work with the grid).

Birds in a homemade cage

Floor making

We carry out horizontal shelves. Notice that on the drawing one transverse shelf is straight and one on a slope of 7-9 degrees. The straight line is intended for the installation of a pallet, the sloping one is the floor along which the eggs will roll into the egg collectors. The sloping shelf should protrude 10-15 cm ahead. The size of the gap between the straight and the inclined shelf should be 10-12 cm in order to easily place the litter tray there.

Next, you need to bend the edge of the inclined shelf so that you get the gutter. Eggs will roll into these gutters. Its depth must be such that the egg does not roll out and fall to the floor. The egg collector itself must be at such a distance that the chicken does not reach it. The edges of the egg digger are better for bending around the sheet for safety, and the ends of the gutter should be closed.

Drawing of a self-made design with dimensions

Once the floors are ready, you can proceed to the device external walls and partitions. It is not recommended to make walls deaf, it will worsen ventilation and sanitary conditions. The walls and partitions between the individual cells are made of mesh with the help of pliers and metal rivets. The mesh can also be assembled with a welding machine.

The construction of the front wall

The front wall of the cage is the most difficult to assemble. First, there are troughs and water on it, and secondly, chickens should have free access to the grain, and third, it is the front wall that plays the role of the door. There are several options for how to make the front wall.

If the cell is not wide, the entire front wall is the door. It can be built from the grid, hang on the hinges and fasten the latch. The grid should be large enough so that the chicken can easily gain access to food.
If the cage is wide, the front wall is made of solid mesh or wire, making room in the center for the door.
Если расстояние между ярусами достаточное, доставать и вынимать птицу можно через потолок. Его изготавливают из сетки, укладывают на клетку и фиксируют съемными защелками.

Птицы в клетках с яйцесборником

Drinkers, feeders and other

Drinkers and feeders are bent from galvanized sheet or stainless steel and hung on the front doors. Instead of drinking bowls, you can install nipple devices with small cups, this is a more convenient and safer option. From a tin according to drawings make and establish pallets. They should be convenient enough to clean, withstand frequent washing and disinfection. If the cells are planned for the summer to make on the street, you can organize a roof of slate, tarpaulin or linoleum residues.

Benefits of chick keeping

There are only three ways of breeding this bird - walking, captive and in cages. The latter method in our time is becoming increasingly popular. The main advantages of using in breeding structures such as cages for laying hens can be called:

The possibility of rational use of the area of the coop. In a smaller area in this case, you can breed much more chickens.
The best sanitary conditions. Litter with this method of breeding is collected only under the cells.
Since the eggs from the cells roll out in special receivers, they do not get dirty and do not break. In addition, there is no risk of pecking at them.
When grown in cages, it is much easier to monitor the health of chickens, as well as to make selective selection.
It is easier to follow the nutrition of chickens. Food during feeding is not taken away around the room.
Water is convenient in terms of access for poultry and always remains clean.
Collecting laid eggs is much easier.

Of course, there are some drawbacks with the cellular method of breeding hens:

Chickens do not have access to grass and pebbles. Therefore, it is necessary to add vitamin preparations and coarse sand to the feed.
You need to constantly monitor the indoor climate. The coop will often have to be aired. In addition, you will need to think about the method of its effective heating and lighting.

Next, let's talk about how, in fact, are made cages for hens with their own hands.

Where to begin?

So, how to make a cage for laying hens? Let's deal with this in more detail. And begin, of course, with a drawing. There are some rules for its creation. First, the scheme should be performed in compliance with all proportions and an indication of the size. Secondly, when drafting a project, the dimensions of the construction recommended by the specialists should be considered.

So, what should be the size of the cage for laying hens? In order to make it convenient, its length should be 52.5 cm, width - 61 cm, height - 52 cm. Of course, the dimensions of the cage depend on the breed of chickens. The above are suitable for a rather large bird. For smaller chickens and “home” can be made not so overall.

There is one more pretty common version of the cage design for a layer. In this case, its length is 38 cm, height from the top of the bottom is 45 cm, height from the pallet is 68 cm.

The cell diagram of this design:

Sometimes the cage is made with the expectation that it will contain several chickens at once. In this case, you also need to correctly calculate the dimensions. When choosing the size, it is assumed that one hen should comprise at least 0.1 m 2 of the cage floor. With a single content, this indicator is usually 0.5-0.6 m 2.

Of course, the size of the feeder should be calculated correctly. Its length should be equal to the length of the cage itself, the width is usually 15 cm, the height of the back wall is 10 cm, the front one is 12.5 cm.

Design features

Cages for laying hens consist of the following elements:

Frame with legs
Welded in the form of lattice twigs.
Partitions.
Pallet.
Inclined bottom of the grid.
Troughs.
Drinkers.

The main feature of the cage, designed specifically for laying hens, is the presence of a special sector for the assembly of eggs. Cages for broilers bred for meat, most often have a straight horizontal bottom.

Frame assembly

The frame is made in several stages:

Four identical segments are cut from the corner. Their length should be equal to the height of the cage, plus the stock on the legs. This will be the rack frame.
The frame is welded from the same material. Its length should be equal to the length of the cage, width - according to its width.
The frame is welded to the racks from above strictly horizontally.

Cell bottom

Cages for laying hens with their own hands, as already mentioned, are made with a sloping floor. For the bottom it is better to buy a finished galvanized mesh. To the frame it is attached with a slight inclination forward (6-9 degrees). Part of the floor should protrude beyond the cage by 50 mm (length of one cell). Its very edge needs to be bent up. This design will allow with maximum convenience to collect eggs. They will not be trampled or pecked. Once the chicken has laid the egg, it will roll downward on the floor and stop, retained by the curved edge outside the cage. You can weld the mesh to the frame through the pieces of the corner.

Grate, trim and pan

Next, the cell on the sides of the scald with metal rods. The back wall is sheathed with plywood or boards. The same material is used to make the opening roof. The distance between the bars of the grid can be quite large, but, of course, so that the bird does not crawl between them. The height of the bars of the grid in front should be equal to the distance from the top of the cage to the highest point of the floor behind. Thus, in the lower part of the front there will be a gap, sufficient in height to roll an egg.

At the very bottom of the frame you need to make a pallet. You can make it from plywood sheet, securing it between the uprights, or from galvanized tin.

Water Bowl and Feeder

Keeping chickens in cages is a procedure involving the use of additional “accessories”. Of course, chickens will definitely need a feeder. It represents a box with a high front and low back walls. After assembling it is attached to the frame above the egg receptacle close to the lattice.

Drinking do, bending a piece of tin in the form of a gutter and riveted on the sides of the wall. Hang it directly above the trough so that the chicken is comfortable enough to reach the water.

Where can I install the cells

How to make a cage for laying hens, you now know. However, the assembled structure must also be correctly installed. There are some recommendations regarding the placement of such "dwellings" for chickens in the shed. For example, in no case should the cells be installed directly under the window. Otherwise, chickens will catch cold. It is best to put them on the opposite wall from the window.

Of course, the best option would be cages for laying hens on legs. If the structure is installed directly on the floor, a litter should be made under it. Straw, hay or sawdust is used as the last.

Cell blocks

Typically, the "home" for chickens are collected in multi-tiered blocks. In this case, the cell diagram is also drawn first. Doors in the cells of such a complex are not made from above, but in front. For their manufacture, you can use the same galvanized mesh. The feeder in this case is attached under the door, above the egg receiver. The litter collection tray is made of tin in the form of boxes and placed between the tiers.

Drinking bowls in this case usually use purchased ones. They represent the capacity installed on the roof of the last tier. From each of them hoses are pulled into the cages. In order to stop the water from flowing after filling the tank below, a special float system is used in the design.

These are the blocks and cages for laying hens (photo):

Block feeder

For a prefabricated structure, a wooden container for grain and mash bags, of course, is hardly suitable - because of its bulkiness. Therefore, in this case it is better to make feeders out of tin. This material allows you to easily make, including, and removable design. With a large number of chickens in the farm, the last option will be the most convenient. The fact is that the feeders in this case are much easier to wash and disinfect.

A feeder for the cell block is made as follows:

A 30 cm wide strip is cut from a galvanized sheet.
Further, on it, at a distance of 8 centimeters from the edge, a bend is made at an angle of 95 degrees.
Then another 5 cm is marked on the strip.
The bend is made at an angle of 100 degrees.
The long end of the resulting feeder is crooked.
Next for him the feeder is hung on the front wall of the cage.

Often feeders for chickens contained in cages are made simply from a strip of tin bent in the middle.

Large cages for chickens

Sometimes farmers and gardeners practice chickens in very large cages. This design can be installed either simply in the yard, or in the barn itself. The latter option is mainly used to protect chickens from ferrets, foxes and rats. In this case, the trough and the trough are installed inside.

The cage itself is an ordinary frame, assembled from a bar of a cross-sectionally designed construction, covered with a rabbit or covered with galvanized gratings.

What are the purchased blocks for cells

Of course, on your own for chickens you can only make a not too large complex. In the event that you are going to breed this bird thoroughly, you should think about purchasing such an option as ready-made cages for laying hens. The price of a single design can vary from 500 to 3000 rubles. The cost of blocks is usually 20000-50000 rubles, depending on the number of cells, tiers, as well as the degree of equipment of the complex. Block cell construction today, many manufacturers produce. Some complexes are equipped with automatic water and feed. Sometimes these units are additionally equipped with heaters.

These complexes are quite expensive, and therefore you should be careful when buying them. Breeding and housing of chickens in them will be successful only if the following conditions are met:

Doors should open and close easily and without squeaking.
Trays for collecting litter should without effort be taken out from under the cages and be made of easy-care material.
It is better if all parts of the unit are made of galvanized steel. Normal will rust very quickly. In addition, it is easier to care for galvanized metal structures.

Remember that the right choice of cells will help improve the profitability of the business by increasing the production of meat and eggs.

Features breeding chickens in cages

The content of chickens in this way differs in some nuances:

The lighting in the chicken coop should be as uniform as possible. It should be done so that the bulbs do not flash immediately, but light up gradually. This will reduce the risk of stress in chickens, and, therefore, will provide better egg production. The best lighting option is considered to be imitating the change of time of day.
Feed should be as balanced as possible. It is best to purchase a special, manufactured in factories. The most acceptable option with this method of breeding will be crumbly feed.
Each layer should be provided with access to at least 500 ml of water per day.
Chickens bred in cages should be given green fodder. This may be, for example, cut grass, weeds, vegetable skins, carrion, etc.
The complex should be cleaned regularly. Troughs should be thoroughly rinsed after each chicken meal. Pallets are cleaned as they are filled. The bars must be wiped daily.
Since the bird when breeding in the cells is very crowded, be sure to carry out preventive vaccination.
In each cell you need to install a container filled with ash. "Bathing" in it will prevent the appearance of parasites.

As you can see, making cages for chickens on your own is not particularly difficult. Yes, and the method of breeding birds in them is quite convenient. So, it’s definitely worth thinking about using just such a technology for producing chicken and eggs.

Drawings and sizes of cells

Before making the cells, it is necessary to carry out detailed design drawings. The drawing must reflect all the details of the design and size of each of them. Many typical cell sketches can be found on the Internet, so you can successfully use them to learn how to make the cage most convenient for the host and comfortable for the layer.

The dimensions of the cage are selected depending on the materials used for its manufacture. Drawings are also material oriented. The design is carried out in such a way as to optimally place the bird, and at the same time minimize material waste.

Before you start making a cage, you must prepare a drawing.

Experts recommend focusing on the following cell sizes:

Single - 500 * 500 * 650.
For 5-7 individuals - 700 * 1500 * 650.

Important. More than 6-7 heads of chickens in one cage are not recommended. A greater number of individuals in an enclosed area will create discomfort for chickens and complicate the implementation of their care.

Under the numerous livestock will require constructing a large number of cages and install them in tiers. Too spacious cages for a large number of chickens are not acceptable also because of the heavy load on the floor, which will have to be strengthened.

Making a cage for layers with your own hands

There are ready-made cages for laying hens, but they are quite expensive. To reduce costs, it is possible to make the cells with their own hands. Having the most basic skills of working with carpentry tools, the poultry farmer will be able to build this simple structure.

A self-made cell, even if it purchases material for its manufacture, is much cheaper than an industrial one. In addition, each owner of a private farm in the yard always has remnants of construction and other scrap materials, which are quite suitable for making cages for laying hens with their own hands.

Cage for keeping chickens can be made from scrap materials.

Stages of work

Making a cage consists of the following steps:

The layout and cutting of all the details of the future design. For the frame we cut the bars with a section of 40x40 of the required length. For the walls used mesh. The back wall is closed, for it is cut a rectangle of hardboard.
Build the frame. Begin assembling the frame with the bottom strapping. Then install the vertical bars. Lastly, the upper trim is performed - the base for the roof.
If the frame is made of a metal profile, the parts are fastened with metal screws.
Made frame is covered with a grid on all sides. For the side walls you can use a fine mesh. For the front, the optimal cell size is 50x50. If there is no grid with such cells, it is possible to make slots in the fine grid for access to food and food.
5. The back wall can be closed with a sheet of plywood, fiberboard, galvanized iron. Alternatively, polycarbonate can be used: such a wall will provide additional light into the cell. If the back wall is made deaf, it is necessary to drill holes in it for ventilation.
The roof of the cage is made of sheet material: plywood, plastic, fiberboard.
If the cells are planned to be made mobile, in order to move them in the summer to the street, and in winter to the shed, the wheels should be attached to the lower base.

First of all, a frame is made of bars, and then it is covered with a net.

Important. If the cells are planned to be located in the street in the summer, the roof is made with a slight bias so that rainwater rolls down. On the roof is additionally laid a layer of roofing material or linoleum for waterproofing.

Equipment Rules

The main design features for adults and chicks include:

Adult broilers, layers (about 50 heads), as well as young stock (no more than 100 heads), you can use CBI models.
Layers (no more than 20 pieces) are often contained in SOI model constructions.

Each of them is divided by special partitions into four departments, each of which may contain no more than five individuals. Figure 1 shows a drawing and variants of similar structures.

Figure 1. Equipment manufacturing options

Sizes of cells with drawings

Such content is very popular among owners of household farms, since this method allows compact placement of birds and ease of care for them.

You need to properly select the size of the product depending on the number of contained heads:

For 2-3 chickens, an area of 0.1-0.3 square meters per individual will suffice. The total height is 0.65 m, the depth is 0.5 m and the width is up to 1 meter.
With a content of 5 individuals, each should account for up to 0.21 square meters. The height and depth at the same time remains the same, and the width is increased to one and a half meters.
If the farm is planning to contain 10-12 birds, each of them should account for about one and a half square meters. The height increases to 70 cm, the depth is about one meter (but not less than 70 cm), and the width reaches two meters.

Schemes for the manufacture of such products with their own hands are shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Required drawings and dimensions

Quite a common method of maintenance is the use of mesh floors. This method is used in the event that there is no possibility of providing the optimum temperature for all birds in the home farm.

Drinkers, feeders and other items

Кормушки и поилки изготавливаются из листового железа , загнутого в виде жёлоба с глухими торцами, или распиленной пополам водосточной трубы.

На фото представлена схема навесной кормушки для кур несушек.

Изготовленные конструкции закрепляются на передней стенке друг над другом: внизу кормушка, а сверху поилка. It is not recommended to have a water bowl under the feeder, as the feed will get into the water and contaminate it.

Feeders and drinkers should be securely fixed on the cage, but be removable for washing. It is convenient to place them on the hooks fixed on the front wall.

Drinking can be located inside the cage. In this case, it is recommended to use a nipple rather than a flute drinker.

Inside the cells place the lamp for illumination. Automated backlights help save energy. Lamps must be in a strong protective box. So that the birds do not accidentally peck them. All wires are mounted outside the cage.

Pros and cons of keeping chickens in cages

The chickens in the cages have supporters and opponents. In order to decide whether this method of placing laying hens is acceptable for you, it is worth considering all the advantages and disadvantages of such a method.

Opponents of cellular content argue the following arguments:

Chickens, which are contained in the cells, do not have enough sunlight.

Chickens are limited in movement and will feel uncomfortable, which will affect the number of eggs.
The disadvantage for the birds is the sun's rays. Walking the birds under UV rays helps synthesize vitamin D in their bodies. When they are contained in cells, they will have to be given as supplements.
Closed content does not allow the bird to get food itself, so you need to constantly add minerals to the food.
Limited space promotes close bird contact and the spread of infections among them.

Supporters of cell content, in turn, note its advantages:

Safety of birds, thanks to the protection of the net from predators.
Permanent control over the health of chickens. The limited space allows you to watch the bird and notice problems in their health in time.
Lack of opportunity to get infections from wild birds and other animals.
Ease of collecting eggs.
Feed savings. Due to the restriction of physical activity of birds, the need for food is less. Cellular content limits access to feed by strangers, which also reduces its consumption.
The possibility of placing in a limited space of a large number of individuals.

The decision on the manufacture and use of cages for laying hens, each owner takes, focusing on the number of chickens, characteristics of the site and their own skills. At the same time, the content of chickens in the cages minimizes both the care of them and the loss of livestock during free-range.

On the video you can see a homemade cage for layers, made of metal profiles and mesh.

How to equip mesh floors

Netting equipment should comply with the following recommendations (Figure 3):

Floors are made of frames (up to one and a half meters wide, 2 m long),
At 40 cm from each other, fix longitudinal and transverse strips so that the net does not stretch under the weight of the bird,
A galvanized mesh with an appropriate cell size is mounted on top of the frame so that the adults do not fail,
The frames are mounted along the walls and covered with a layer of bedding, and pallets are laid under the frames to collect the litter.

Figure 3. Arrangement of mesh floors

This method of content is common, but it still has some drawbacks. Indoors it is difficult to maintain a stable temperature, gases begin to accumulate inside and humidity increases.

That is why it is better to use the model for several sections, as described above.

Video cages for laying hens

We offer you to get acquainted with a clear example of manufacturing. The author of the video will tell you how to make such a structure from a regular grid. The video provides an algorithm for calculating sizes, as well as practical advice on arrangement.

Drawings for making their own hands

Regardless of the type of design chosen, its production involves the use of special calculations. Below, in Figure 4, we present a universal diagram showing all the required dimensions.

Guided by these recommendations, you can easily make such a design with your own hands.

Figure 4. Universal drawing