Building Chicken Coops For Dummies

Building Chicken Coops For Dummies

Author: Todd Brock | Language: English | ISBN: 0470598964 | Format: EPUB

Building Chicken Coops For Dummies Description

As the popularity of urban homesteading and sustainable living increases, it’s no wonder you’re in need of trusted, practical guidance on how to properly house the chickens you’re planning (or have already begun) to keep. Building Chicken Coops For Dummies gives you the information you need to build the most cost-efficient, safe, and easy-on-the-eye enclosures for your backyard flock.

This practical guide gives you easy-to-follow and customizable plans for building the backyard chicken coop that works best for you. You’ll get the basic construction know-how and key information you need to design and build a coop tailored to your flock, whether you live in a small city loft, a suburban backyard, or a small rural farm.

Includes detailed material lists, instructions, and schematic plans for building a host of different chicken coops
Step-by-step guidance on how to build a coop—or design your own
Accessible for every level of reader

Whether you’re just beginning to gain an interest in a back-to-basics lifestyle or looking to add more attractive and efficient coops to your current flock‘s digs, Building Chicken Coops For Dummies gives you everything you need to build a winning coop!

Product Details
Table of Contents
Reviews

Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (August 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0470598964
ISBN-13: 978-0470598962
Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Introduction.

Part I: All Cooped Up.

Chapter 1: Flocking to Your Own Chicken Coop.

Chapter 2: Beginning with Housing Basics.

Chapter 3: Gathering Your Gear.

Chapter 4: Deciding on Materials.

Chapter 5: Building Your Carpentry Skills.

Part II: Constructing a Coop.

Chapter 6: Preparing the Site.

Chapter 7: Laying the Lumber: Framing 101.

Chapter 8: Adding Walls, Doors, Windows, and a Roof.

Chapter 9: Building Creature Comforts.

Chapter 10: Assembling a Run.

Chapter 11: Plugged In: Basic Electricity for Your Coop.

Part III: Checking Out Coop Plans.

Chapter 12: The Minimal Coop.

Chapter 13: The Alpine A-Frame.

Chapter 14: The Urban Tractor.

Chapter 15: The All-in-One.

Chapter 16: The Walk-In.

Part IV: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 17: Ten or So Things Novice Coop-Builders Would Have Done Differently.

Chapter 18: Ten or So Cool Ideas to Trick Out Your Coop.

Index.

For <$20 one gets chapters on where to build, how to build, what materials, lots of info on general carpentry and 5 coop plans. It's written by 1) a do-it-yourself writer, 2)an owner of Horizon structures and 3)the co-author of the excellent companion book, 'Raising Chickens For Dummies".

Building a chicken coop is very personal. I've scanned the internet endlessly. There are tons of plans, a few graciously offered freely, but most you have to pay for the so-called schematics. I know what I want in a 'home': 3 chickens, easy clean, well protected-weather and pest, room for me to go inside the run, easy access to nest, cute appearance. Absolutely must contain slideout drip pans for fast cleanout! That's me.

The 5 plans are at different skill levels and needs:
1)the Minimal Coop- box shaped with single, sloping roof, simple hinged door, ~4'X4'X4', no adjoining run, good it states for 4-5 birds. Price tag ~$200 for building supplies. Easy;
2)the Alpine A-frame- 4'wide X 10'long X ~4'tall,, 2 nest boxes, screened run with door, 2-4 birds, looks cute, ~$300, not too hard, but you do have to cut some simple angles;
3)the Urban Tractor- 3'X6' with peaked roof 5', 2-3 birds, 16 sq.ft. run, tow chains to pull around the yard(put wheels on!), ~$400, looks neat and tidy; will take some work to build but totally doable for a novice like me;
4)the All-in-One(my choice & a similar version pictured on the front cover)- 8'X4'X7'tall, 4-6 birds(I prefer 3-4), one can enter the shelter and the run through short doors 3 1/2- 4' tall, 3 boxes, A real sloping roof(shingle it), ~$750 cost, add wheels and removable drip pan, nice doors, a small window, it'll take a few weekends to make unless you're Joe the Builder.

Building Chicken Coops For Dummies Preview

Link

Please Wait...