Overview

People from all walks of life are increasingly interested in owning chickens. Some folks want them as a source of fresh eggs, either for themselves or the marketplace. Other individuals want to raise and butcher their own birds so that they know exactly what went into that meat. Some people enjoy poultry as companion animals, or love seeing these colorful birds out on the landscape. And some folks want chickens for their bug-hunting ability in the garden or pasture. Whatever the reason, small flock ownership is increasing, even in suburbia and particularly within urban centers. But how to house them? Many books already exist on various other aspects of poultry management: breeds, feeding, health, egg production, meat production, showing, and marketing. What about housing? Every chicken flock needs shelter of some kind. A number of books provide chicken coop plans for free or for a small fee. Yet there is a lot more to providing good housing, than merely picking out a house plan. Issues of predator control, vermin control, waste management, flock production, disease management, hygiene and sanitation - all these factors help determine whether a chicken coop will be a pleasant, healthy addition or a costly eyesore. The Chicken Coop Manual looks at all these topics and how they interact: Section I covers 18 different design criteria which flock owners and coop designers need to consider BEFORE choosing or building a coop. Section II looks at eight different chicken coop plans, using conventional stud construction, for flock sizes ranging from only a few birds, to a commercial-sized flock of 100 birds. Section III takes a look at 12 alternative housing and shelter options, and how they may be a flock owner's best bet for cost-effective, attractive, functional and practical flock ownership. Section IV provides a list of additional resources for flock owners - websites, books and getting-started articles which focus on, or address some aspect of, poultry housing. Flock owners who study and apply this manual will be able to: * familiarize themselves with issues which affect flock health, hygiene, safety, productivity and cost * determine whether a particular coop design will work for their particular circumstances * know how to meet any relevant building codes, covenants or regulatory requirements * maximize their birds' quality of life and their own enjoyment of that flock, for years to come. This book is also helpful for teachers, mentors, policy makers and/or regulators who need to become familiar with all the issues pertaining to flock housing and chicken coop design. Even experienced flock owners will find some helpful hints and new ideas within these chapters.

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9781732469709

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Reviews

"""As someone completely new to keeping chickens, this book was invaluable to me. Obviously written by someone who has many years experience of keeping their own chickens, it contained affordable and novel ideas for building chicken coops, as well as the more normal types. All this in an easy-to-read style, accompanied by pleasant photos and the various pros and cons, plus several links to free construction plans. A must read for those wishing to keep their own chickens."" ""Wonderful book with loads of fantastic information! We had been urban chicken keepers for 3 years, and then for the last 18 months had over 100 chickens in the country. Since we have been breeding chickens, we had several different coops to make to keep our breeds pure. This wonderful book helped tremendously with ensuring our coops were predator-proof (a must in the country), easy to get into and keep clean, and cold and heat-hardy. Being in Texas, ventilation is important, but this last winter brought a lot of cold, ice, and snow that we had not dealt with before. Kathryn's book was invaluable in helping us to keep our girls & boys (and babies) warm in the winter and cool in the hot summer! Book is highly recommended!"""

As someone completely new to keeping chickens, this book was invaluable to me. Obviously written by someone who has many years experience of keeping their own chickens, it contained affordable and novel ideas for building chicken coops, as well as the more normal types. All this in an easy-to-read style, accompanied by pleasant photos and the various pros and cons, plus several links to free construction plans. A must read for those wishing to keep their own chickens. Wonderful book with loads of fantastic information! We had been urban chicken keepers for 3 years, and then for the last 18 months had over 100 chickens in the country. Since we have been breeding chickens, we had several different coops to make to keep our breeds pure. This wonderful book helped tremendously with ensuring our coops were predator-proof (a must in the country), easy to get into and keep clean, and cold and heat-hardy. Being in Texas, ventilation is important, but this last winter brought a lot of cold, ice, and snow that we had not dealt with before. Kathryn's book was invaluable in helping us to keep our girls & boys (and babies) warm in the winter and cool in the hot summer! Book is highly recommended!

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