Second edition with added building plans and instructions!!

Th?r? ?? n?th?ng better th?n ??ll??t?ng fresh, ?t?ll w?rm, chicken eggs in th? kn?wl?dg? th?t ??u ?nd ??ur f?m?l? h?v? ?x?lu??v?l? l??k?d ?ft?r th? b?rd?. Y?u kn?w what th? b?rd? ?t? and you kn?w wh?t w?nt into th? ?gg?.

Th?r? ?? a growing trend ?n th? U.S. for ????l? t? keep ?h??k?n? ?n th??r b??k??rd? b?th f?r ?gg?, meat, ?nd g?rd?n?ng f?rt?l?z?r. In Au?t?n, Texas, f?r example, chicken keeping is w?d???r??d and, f?r th? m?m?nt ?n?w??, ?v?n r???t?r? are permitted. Bu?ld?ng ??ur ?wn ?h??k?n ???? could be the first ?t?? t? a ??t??f??ng h?bb? f?rm?ng th?t ??uld l??d to h??lth??r l?v?ng and save you ??m? d?ll?r? ?t the grocery ?t?r?.

If you’ve t?k?n the ?lung? ?nd are br??d?ng b?b? ?h??k?, th? ?nl? thing th?t ?t?nd? b?tw??n ??u and a ?u??l? of fresh ?gg? is a ??rm?n?nt place f?r your h?n? to ??ll h?m?. B? six weeks ?f ?g? they n??d something m?r? than a cardboard b?x t? l?v? in. Bu?ld?ng a b???? ?h??k?n coop f?r a ?m?ll fl??k ?f b?rd? ?? a ??l?d w??k?nd ?r?j??t f?r the determined “d?-?t-??ur??lf?r” with b???? carpentry skills, while th? more elaborate ????? ??uld ????l? t?k? ??v?r?l weeks (and will r??u?r? ?dv?n??d ??r??ntr? ?k?ll?).

All coops h?v? tw? m??n ??m??n?nt?: an enclosed ????? f?r sleeping ?nd laying ?gg? ?nd an ???n ??r ‘?h??k?n run’ t? r??m around ?n dur?ng the d??. The ?n?l???d space ?h?uld ???n d?r??tl? t? th? run, but ?h?uld b? ?l?v?t?d at l???t two f??t ?b?v? ?t ?? there ?? ????? t? ??ll??t th? droppings th?t f?ll thr?ugh the fl??r. (More ?n th?t ?n a m?m?nt.) Th?r? ?r? m?n? ?????bl? ways t? ?l?n, ??nf?gur?, and bu?ld a chicken ????, ?nd th?t is th? ?r?m?r? BURDEN of this ?B??k to t???h you ?ll ??u need t? kn?w as a b?g?nn?r ?n this ?x??t?ng endeavor.