The pen is a convenient building for walking chickens, which can be made with your own hands. To do this, you need to choose the right materials and place, carry out the necessary calculations. You will learn more about what types of corrals are and what is needed for the construction of each of them while reading this article.
What is it used for?
The pen is a spacious enclosure where chickens can move freely while walking. It ensures normal air circulation and access for poultry to fresh grass, which is an irreplaceable source of vitamins in the diet.
Other features include:
- Protection. The walls of the pen are mainly made of a net that protects birds from predators. It also prevents chickens from leaving the territory allotted to them, protecting garden plants from them.
- Freedom. You can’t keep birds in closed cages and chicken coops for a long time, they need to move, breathe fresh air and get the optimal dose of vitamin D in order to stay healthy.
- Quality. The eggs of chickens, which can walk in the fresh air, have much more nutrients.
- Profitability. Reduces the cost of feed for chickens.
Construction requirements
There are 2 basic requirements that a pen must meet:
- Height. Chickens do not fly, but still the wingspan is enough to jump over a not too high fence. Therefore, care must be taken that the height is at least 1.8 m for broilers and 2 m for ordinary domestic chickens. It is better that the corral is slightly higher than the norm, and not lower. If there is no opportunity to ensure the optimum height, it is better to make an aviary closed with a grid on top.
- Feeder. In the pen, chickens can freely eat plants, beetles and worms, but still you need to take care of installing a feeder with ordinary food so that the diet is enriched with all useful substances. It is better to put some gravel combined with mixed feed or a mash into the trough. The quality of the feed must be constantly monitored, because in the open air it spoils faster.
Kinds
There are 2 main types of corrals. Their main differences are in purpose and roominess.
Mobile
The ideal time to use them is the warm season, when there is a large amount of green grass on the site.
The corral has the following parameters:
- The size. Mobile pens are generally small and compact for easy lifting. From above, they are covered with a strong net that retains the birds.
- Mobility. Such enclosures are equipped with handles or wheels. Constructions on wheels are more convenient as they can be moved by 1 person.
- Equipment. A drinker and a feeder are placed inside the pen. A canopy is placed on the side to protect the birds from rain.
Benefits of using:
- Mobility. Once the chickens have run out of grass in the area, the pen can be moved. Due to this, the birds will always be provided with useful food.
- Simplicity. Usually it takes less time and materials to build such enclosures.
Negative points:
- Remoteness from the nest. In mobile pens, hens can only walk, but not rush or sleep. Therefore, chickens and adult birds have to be driven back to the hen house in the evening. The way out is the construction of a small portable chicken coop equipped with a perch.
- Small size. Placing a lot of chickens in such a pen is usually difficult, because then they will not have enough space. And if you make the structure larger, then it will become difficult to move.
Mobile paddock
The mobile pen can be rearranged at any time to a more favorable place
Inside the mobile pen, you need to put a feeder and a drinker
Stationary
They are used for walking birds throughout the year.
Features:
- Building. Usually the pen is adjacent to the chicken coop so that birds can freely enter it.
- Lack of a canopy. Birds can hide in the hen house at any time to wait out the bad weather there.
- Shade. Part of the pen must be in the shade to protect the chickens from bright sunlight. You can plant a tree with a lush crown on the site.
Advantages of a stationary aviary:
- Big square. You can make an aviary of any size. Usually the building is done, focusing on the number of chickens.
- Wind protection. On the north side, you can put a wall instead of a net so that the chickens do not get sick from the strong wind.
Minuses:
- Risk of disease. If you make the pen open from above, then wild birds can get to the site. They are carriers of diseases.
- Consumption. It takes more time and materials to build.
Stationary corral
The stationary pen is usually adjacent to the chicken coop
A stationary pen is usually built without a canopy.
How to build?
The construction of the chicken enclosure takes place in 2 stages.
Preparatory work
Particular attention should be paid to preparation for construction.
Selection of materials
The choice of means for creating a structure largely depends on its type:
- Mobile. Need lightweight materials. Wooden beams 50 x 50 mm are suitable. PVC pipes can be used, but they will cost more.
- Stationary. The main thing is concern for the strength and long life of the building. Therefore, it is better to use metal pipes and corners. The tree needs special treatment to protect it from decay.
The main structural element is the mesh.
Requirements are made to it:
- Material. Mostly metal. Birds can become entangled in the mesh, resulting in injury.
- Small holes. Their diagonal size should be no more than 2 cm, otherwise rodents can easily enter the aviary.
In total, 5 types of mesh are used:
- Wire. Often used, but not reliable enough. Due to the low strength, predators easily cut through the net. And chickens can escape through sufficiently large holes. But it is a good option to create a top cover of the pen, which protects chickens from birds of prey.
- Rebar. Very sturdy mesh providing good protection. But at the same time, it has high rigidity and is difficult to work with. The cost is also slightly higher.
- Galvanized. The mesh has small cells, it is strong and reliable. No special treatment required as the mesh is coated with an antioxidant coating. It is easy to work with and install. The most optimal option.
- Polymeric. Nice and inexpensive option. But if the site is susceptible to attack by rodents, they will easily gnaw through it.
- Chain link. Durable mesh that will last for years. The disadvantage is too large cells.
Also, to build an open corral, you will need:
- a hammer;
- Bulgarian;
- roulette;
- nippers;
- wire;
- hand drill;
- building level;
- concrete solution.
For an enclosure with a canopy:
- wire;
- bolts and nuts;
- polycarbonate;
- apparatus for welding;
- drill;
- thermal washers.
Area calculation
When calculating, it must be borne in mind that, ideally, one chicken requires 2 square meters. m. That is, the best option would be to build a stationary pen with an area of 20 square meters. for 10 birds. A mobile corral is usually built less, but you should still consider that 1 bird will need at least 1 sq. Km. m
Often you have to focus on the size of the site. Therefore, before erecting a corral, it is better to measure the area on which you can place a range. It is better to draw a drawing on which you want to identify the main details of the aviary, calculate the width of the canopy and the size of the chicken coop, if it is a stationary corral.
The shape of the enclosure does not matter. It can be built square, rectangular or even triangular, depending on the characteristics of the site.
Seat selection
When building a mobile pen, the place does not matter, because the structure will constantly move. But the stationary aviary must be properly installed.
Site Requirements:
- Dryness. Care must be taken to keep the place protected from dampness.
- Environmental friendliness. It is better to place the aviary away from the roadway so that birds do not breathe exhaust gases.
- Combination with a chicken coop. The pen should be right in front of the entrance to the chicken coop. But if such an arrangement is impossible, you can put it on the side, behind or connect structures using a manhole, while ensuring free access of birds to the room.
- Privacy. Chickens do not like the presence of people very much, this can negatively affect egg production. Therefore, it is best to locate the pen in a quiet and secluded area.
- Warmly. If the chicken coop is erected correctly, then placing the building from the south, closer to the entrance, side will help protect the birds from the wind. Otherwise, you need to take care of additional insulation from corrugated board or slate sheets.
If the construction of the pen will take place simultaneously with the construction of the chicken coop, it is better to raise the latter on a small rise above the aviary. This is done using wooden poles.
This solution has advantages:
- Saving space. This is especially important in small areas.
- No need for a canopy. Birds can hide from the sun and bad weather under the chicken coop.
Before construction, thorough preparation of the selected location should be carried out:
- remove debris, grass and stones;
- remove the top layer of turf by 10-15 cm;
- fill up pits and ditches to avoid puddles.
Building
Construction features depend on the selected type of corral.
Mobile
Consider an example of building a pyramid-shaped mobile pen with perches at the top.
Main stages:
To allow chickens to roost, secure a plank with small planks at the bottom of the pen.
Stationary open
Similar instruction:
- Markup. Measure the width of the aviary to be made on each side. If you did everything correctly, then the distance between each mark and the wall of the chicken coop will match.
- Place under the door. Its width can be 80-100 cm, depending on the complexion of the hosts. The height starts from 99 cm. The space under the door should be separated by 2 supports on which it will be mounted.
- Additional markup. Mark the perimeter where additional posts will be placed to secure the net. A mark is made every 1-3 m.
- Installation of pipes. To do this, in the place of each mark, drill a hole about 45 cm deep. The diameter is the same as that of the pipes used. Dig the pipes of the required length into the ground along the perimeter. They must be level and stable. To strengthen the bottom of the pipe, fill it with sand and fill it with a solution of concrete. To make it solidify, you need to leave the solution for 3 days.
- Welding hooks. They are attached to pipes. 1 15 cm above the ground, 1 15 cm below the top of the pipe and 1 in the middle.
- Mesh preparation. Hang a timber on the wall; the edge of the mesh will be attached to it later. Then use a flexible wire or nails to pull the net around the entire perimeter of the corral. Leave room for the door. Hooks are required to tension the mesh. Remember that the columns must remain inside the parcel, not outside.
- Wicket mount. The frame of the gate consists of several wooden beams or metal pipes welded together in the shape of a rectangle. Between them is stretched mesh. The wicket is fastened by means of hinges.
If the soil is too loose, the bottom of the net should be buried underground to prevent the birds from digging a hole below and escaping.
So that the grid adjoins the earth more densely, and its lower part does not injure the birds, you can install metal or wooden planks below between the posts.
Stationary with a canopy
The rules are as follows:
Finally, install the wicket door using the hinges.
Keeping chickens
To make the birds stay in the pen a comfortable, you need to use the following rules:
- Cleansing. In pens, you can install pots with a solution of ash. Birds love to swim in them. It is also convenient to clean feathers in such a solution.
- Replacing the perch. If you install several wooden stumps in the aviary, then it will be convenient for chickens to use them instead of a perch.
- Comfort. In the cold season, birds are uncomfortable walking in the snow. Therefore, it is better to line the bottom of the pen with straw.
- Warming. To prevent chickens from freezing in an open pen in the cold season, you can sheathe the walls with sheets of plastic, polycarbonate or a simple film. But you need to make sure that they are not too thin and not ripped by the wind.
Carrying out works:
- screw the slats to the supports around the perimeter of the pen;
- attach them to them with a stapler or self-tapping screws for insulation;
- fix the structure with another row of rails, if it is made of film.
The choice of pen design depends on the number of chickens and the purpose of the building. For walking 10-20 birds in the summer, it is better to use a mobile aviary, and for year-round keeping - a stationary one. If you properly prepare and follow the instructions, you can easily build a convenient aviary for chickens with your own hands.