The cage-based method of keeping laying hens is often used in confined spaces in the house. In this case, it is necessary to use cells of a special design, and not ordinary ones, otherwise the productivity of individuals will suffer. A suitable design can not only be purchased in the store, but also made with your own hands, using ready-made drawings and instructions.
Cage requirements
In order to get a cage at the exit that is suitable for keeping layers, you first need to determine the key requirements that it must meet. Attention should be paid to the parameters described below.
Dimensions
For the calculations to be correct, you need to take into account the dimensions of the bird that you plan to contain. They depend on the breed of chickens:
- Egg. In this case, the cage does not need to be made too high, since the dimensions of such a chicken are small. It is believed that one individual needs to allocate an area from 20 to 50 square meters. cm.
- Meat and egg. Representatives of meat and egg breeds are large in size, so more space will need to be allocated for 1 individual - about 80-90 sq. cm.
When calculating the size of the cage, you must also take into account the number of livestock, since it is extremely important to maintain a balance in area and prevent excessive crowding in the future. So, by the number of heads, the cage can be:
- single - 500x500x650 cm;
- for 2-3 layers - 600x1000x450 cm;
- for 4-5 layers - 600x1200x500 cm;
- for 5-7 layers - 700x1500x650 cm.
In case of limited space, several cells can be installed in tiers.
Strength
The structure must be strong to support the weight of not only birds, but also the necessary equipment. So, it should be borne in mind that each individual section is often equipped with drinkers, feeders and a device for collecting eggs. So that over time the cage does not bend from the weight of the birds, one should not allow blank walls. The lattice of the structure should be strong and with small cells so that small predators like weasels and ferrets cannot crawl through them. The largest cells should be made in the front wall so that the chickens can stick their heads in for food if necessary. Their optimal size is 5x10 cm.
If the floor of the cage is made with a net, and a tray for collecting manure is installed under it, this will greatly simplify the cleaning process.
Lighting
The amount of daylight directly affects the rate at which eggs are laid. So, with a decrease in daylight hours in autumn and winter, the egg production of birds decreases, and with an increase in spring and summer, it increases. In order for layers in cages to receive the required amount of light, additional lighting must be properly organized. It should be borne in mind that the optimal duration of daylight hours in warm weather is 14-16 hours with an average room illumination of 20-50 lux.
When installing lighting, you need to use a dimmer, since it will allow you to smoothly turn on and off the light, which will create the illusion of a change of day and night. Thus, the psyche of chickens will not be injured, and this is extremely important for their good egg production. In addition, such a device allows you to increase the life of the lamps.
Centralized lighting (one lamp per chicken coop) is unacceptable, since the luminous flux must evenly illuminate the cellular systems.
The presence of an egg collector
Such a device will make it easy to get eggs without disturbing the chickens. In addition, without it, almost half of the eggs will be consumed by the birds themselves.
Types of cells
There are different types of chicken cages, which are selected depending on the capabilities of the breeder and the breeding goals of the bird. Moreover, they can be conditionally divided into two types:
- With bedding... In such structures, a blank floor is made, which is sprinkled with a layer of straw or sawdust. The best material for making it is wood, since the mat does not slip on a wooden floor. When keeping hens on the litter, the height of the cage should be increased by 15-20 cm. In addition, no more than 6 individuals can be kept in it.
- With sloping floor and egg collector... In this case, a double floor is made. Its upper part is lattice and has a slope, while the lower part is blind and often equipped with a pull-out tray. It is easy to keep dry and clean in such a cage. Eggs automatically roll down the sloping floor and fall into a special chute, so contact with the hens will be minimal.
Any kind of cell can be done by hand, you can first prepare the necessary drawings. As a rule, cages for laying hens are made in groups. Each of them can contain from 7 to 10 individuals. If the population is very large, you can assemble a cage battery - a single structure consisting of several rows and floors of cages.
Choice of materials
Female cages can be made from the following materials:
- Wooden bar... The simplest construction that can be assembled at home is considered to be wooden. A frame should be cut out of a timber of a suitable size, and then a metal mesh should be fixed on its front wall with large cells. You can close the cage with a sheet of plywood or sheet metal. The back wall is best made of plywood, but it is desirable that it be mesh for good air exchange. It is better to make such structures small, otherwise they will not be strong enough. In this regard, this option is not suitable when installing cells in tiers.
- Metal profile... Structures made of such material are considered more reliable. Their frame needs to be welded, and then the mesh is attached to it. Galvanized iron should be used as a mesh. The finished cage will be durable and hygienic, since the metal does not rot and is not afraid of mold. It should be borne in mind that such structures are non-separable, therefore, the frame must be made immediately, counting on the construction of several sections.
For the manufacture of the cage, meshes with a metal or wooden frame are used, since these materials are more practical in terms of hygiene and durability.
Before building a cell structure, you need to prepare materials such as:
- metal corner for the frame;
- bolts;
- galvanized welded mesh, the cells of which are 25x50 and 50x50 mm;
- tin plate for pallets and doors;
- spring for door and hinge.
Using these materials, a cage is assembled according to the following drawing:
Armed with the necessary materials, you need to prepare the details of the future cell. They are presented in the table:
Name | Amount) | Dimensions |
Made of galvanized welded mesh 25x50 mm | ||
Back wall | 1 | |
Side wall | 2 | |
Ceiling | 1 | |
Mesh floor | 1 | |
Made of galvanized welded mesh 50x50 mm | ||
Front wall | 1 | |
Door cut from the front wall | 1 | |
From the corner 2x2 cm | ||
Legs | 4 | Length - 80 cm |
Ceiling frame | 4 | 2 frames each 70 and 60 cm long |
Mesh bottom frame | 4 | Length - 70 cm |
Litter pallet frame | 3 | 2 frames 65 cm long and 1 frame 70 cm long |
From a steel strip 2 cm wide | ||
For the front wall | 1 | Length - 74 cm |
Under the mesh bottom | 1 | Length - 70 cm |
Of tin | ||
Pallet | 1 |
Having prepared all the details, you can start making the cage:
If you equip the cage from the outside with a drinker and a feeder, it will look like this:
If desired, the cage can be made 2-3 stories high by increasing its height and using the ceiling of the lower structure as a litter tray.
If the farm is small, you can make a cage with dimensions of 0.5x1 m and a height of 45-46 cm.To do this, you will need to prepare materials such as:
- planed wooden block 40x40 or 40x50 mm in size and 3 m long - 5 pieces;
- planed wooden block 20x40 in size and 3 m long - 2 pieces;
- metal mesh for the floor, ceiling and side walls 1 m wide and with mesh sizes from 15x15 to 25x25 mm - 2 cards with dimensions of 0.5x2 m or 3 running meters of rolled mesh;
- metal mesh for the front wall with a width of 1 m and a mesh size of 50x100 mm - one card with a size of 0.5x2 mm or 1 running meter of rolled mesh;
- metal corners for assembling the frame;
- galvanized self-tapping screws for wood and self-tapping screws - "bugs" with a large head for attaching the mesh;
- sheet of galvanized sheet with a thickness of 1-1.5 mm for the manufacture of a pallet or a plastic tray.
To complete all work, you will need the following tools:
- hacksaw or jigsaw;
- screwdriver;
- grinder for cutting mesh and sheet metal;
- roulette;
- level;
- square;
- sander or sandpaper;
- marker.
Having prepared everything you need, you can start assembling the cage according to the following instructions:
- Place and cut the material for the frame. To do this, cut the prepared bars according to the sketch using a hacksaw or jigsaw. The ends must be cleaned with sandpaper so as not to get hurt in the future.
- Assemble the frame using corners and galvanized screws. To make it as stable as possible, it should be reinforced with plywood kerchiefs along the side walls.
- Make the frame of the door from a 20x40 bar. To make the cage mobile, furniture wheels can be attached to the legs.
If a metal profile is used for the manufacture of the frame, then the prepared parts must be fastened by welding to self-tapping screws for metal, a corner or a profile pipe.
- Make a slatted floor by cutting it out of a metal mesh with a fine mesh according to a sketch. Its front edge must be folded like a tray. To strengthen the floor, it is additionally worth making transverse supports from a 20x40 cm bar. The distance between them should be at least 20 cm. It is advisable to treat the bar with an antiseptic (linseed oil, lime), and then attach the mesh to it with self-tapping screws, "bugs".
- Sheathe the side and back walls with a metal mesh, also using self-tapping "bugs". To avoid unnecessary cutting work, you can fold the sidewalls from a single piece of mesh. Her sheet of standard size 0.5x2 m is enough for two side and back walls of the cage.
- Cover the front wall-door with a 50x50 mm mesh using self-tapping screws. It is advisable to make the door hinged, since the opening door 1 m wide is inconvenient. To lock it, you need to attach the latch.
- The cage cover is made of lattice or moisture-resistant plywood.
- Make a tray-pallet of galvanized sheet, the dimensions of which correspond to the bottom of the cage. Its leading edge should be folded back into a tray. It must be installed on a bar deck. Thanks to the inwardly curved sides of the chute, feed losses can be minimized.
The nuances of making an inclined egg collector
Cages with an egg collector are recognized as one of the most convenient for laying hens, but their whole secret lies only in the inclined floor arrangement. When a hen lays an egg, it does not roll on the floor, but gently rolls into a special tray that is located outside the wall.
An additional advantage of this design is that the mesh floor does not need to be cleaned and covered with bedding, as droppings will fall through the mesh cells directly into the pan, which only needs to be cleaned regularly.
To make a cell with a similar mechanism, you should take into account several nuances:
- the floor must be hard, so it should be made of wire with a thickness of at least 3-5 mm, otherwise it will bend under the weight of the hens;
- the ceiling and side walls do not need to be made deaf, so they can be made from a mesh with cells measuring 25x50 mm;
- the front wall should be made of a mesh with larger cells - 50x50 or 50x100 mm (to obtain a front wall, you can simply fix the rods at a distance of 50 mm).
Here is a diagram of a tilted egg cage:
1 - drinking bowl; 2 - door; 3 - feeder; 4 - tray for collecting eggs; 5 - litter tray.
Having prepared the appropriate frame, you can make the chicken cage itself:
- Attach a mesh to the frame to obtain the first floor (No. 5 in the diagram). A tray for collecting droppings will lie on it.
- Make a second inclined floor from a fine mesh and attach it to the frame at an angle of 8-9 degrees (No. 4 in the diagram). When installing an inclined floor, it must be borne in mind that its mesh should protrude 15 cm beyond the front wall. Its edges must be bent to obtain a container for collecting eggs.
- There must be a gap of at least 12 cm between the first and second floors, so that in the future it will be possible to insert the pallet.
- Install the side walls and ceiling, and then use the hinges to attach the front wall made of twigs or coarse mesh to use it as a door (no. 2 in the diagram).
- The structure is almost ready, only you need to fix the drinking bowl to the front wall (No. 1 in the diagram), and below - the feeder (No. 3 in the diagram).
Cage lighting
So that the egg production of chickens does not decrease, they need to ensure the optimal daylight hours, which should be at least 14-17 hours. In winter, this duration can be achieved using the backlight.
In order to save energy, it is better to use energy saving lamps or LED lamps. They must be installed in such a way that the cells are evenly illuminated. To automate the backlight, you can install luminaires equipped with a timer or photocell.
When installing any lighting fixtures, you need to maintain a safe distance from the chickens or use durable shades that will not allow the lamps to break.
Useful Tips
When making cages for layers with your own hands, it is worth considering some simple recommendations:
- The tilt and removal of the egg collector must be correct, otherwise it will not be possible to prevent the eggs from pecking, since the birds will reach them with their beaks.
- Metal rivets can be used to connect metal profile and galvanized sheet parts together. Thus, the structure can be provided with a minimum anti-corrosion coating, which will extend its operational life.
- To simplify the installation process, you can use a special device - a rivet.
- It is better to use PVC pipes for water supply. They can be used to directly mount the nipple drinker heads.
There are various options for making layer cages using available materials and tools. Having prepared all the necessary drawings, taking into account the number of chickens on the farm, you can start assembling the structure. Closed housing will reduce feed costs by 15% and increase the productivity of chickens.