How to Build Chicken Coops: Everything You Need to Know, Updated & Revised

by Samantha Johnson, Daniel Johnson

This revised and expanded edition of How to Build Chicken Coops —one of the best-selling titles in Voyageur’s successful series licensed by Future Farmers of America (FFA)—provides complete and easy-to-follow instructions on building a coop, including 16 pages of new content.

Voyageur’s acclaimed FFA-licensed  series has helped countless first-time animal owners confidently care for their new companions. How to Build Chicken Coops provides answers in a one-stop reference so chicken owners don’t have to waste time searching online for advice. Whether readers are involved in the FFA, interested in starting an urban or suburban flock , or just curious about country living or urban farming, raising chickens is a great way to get started. And, when you build your own coop, you can make customizations to meet your specific needs and save money at the same time!

Beautifully designed and authoritatively written, How to Build Chicken Coops  is a trusted guide to new chicken keepers of all ages. Inside, readers will find more than just a collection of plans, but a compendium of the background and insider information for chicken owners . How much space will you need? What is dust bathing? How many nest boxes and windows will your coop need? How much will it cost? What steps do you need to take to keep your chickens safe from predators?

Expanded and redesigned to appeal even more to middle and high school age enthusiasts,  How to Build Chicken Coops  takes the guesswork out of building a safe and comfortable home that’s just right for your flock of chickens.

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2015

About the author

SAMANTHA JOHNSON writes about the happy things in life—pets, home, family, food, and gardening—and thinks Mondays are the most wonderful day of the week. She fills her rare spare moments by crafting to-do lists and fulfilling the commands and demands of her bossy Corgi. She's the author or co-author of ten books, including The Rabbit Book, The Field Guide to Rabbits, The Beginner's Guide to Beekeeping, and The Beginner's Guide to Vegetable Gardening. Contact Samantha at miraclewelsh@gmail.com .

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, this is a book on how to build one chicken coop, really. There is only one pattern here, and instructions for one coop. Now, granted, you can diviate, but if you are looking for plans for building more than the one coop, you should go elsewhere.

However, having said that, the instructions are very good, and you should be able to build a dang good coop with the instructions given.







And, there is lots more than just the instrictions, in here. In fact, the instructions don't start until the 5th chapter. (on page 102) The book is 192 pages long.

So, what is the rest of the book for then? Well, Chapter 4 tells you what tools you will need (which is important to know.), Chapter 3 is what to think about in the design, Chapter 2 is what to consider, and Chapter 1, is the most logical one, why you need a coop.

This book is good for what it does. It is very informative. There are other books that have more designs, but for what it says it does, this is a good step by step to teach you how to build the one coop on the cover.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Maggie Henry]

Thumbing through the book in the store it looked awesome and for a beginner I guess it is but I was specifically looking for nest box instructions which I thought I had found because there are several pictures of exactly what I was looking to build. A quick glance at the index showed many nest box listing so I thought I was good to go. No way Jose! The coop they build has an internal nest box not an external one like in many of the pictures. Beyond disappointed! Anyone want a $20 book?

[Joe Vess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, very thorough. I'm excited to get started building!

[Linda Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodreads Fist Reads.

Thinking of building your own chicken coop? Whether you have your own farm or are a urban farmer, this is your go to book! In addition to the step by step directions on building your own chicken coop, this book also provides a great amount of general information such as identifying different chicken breeds, identifying predators, basic chicken care, etc. The color pictures throughout the book were great and this book really didn't seem to leave anything out. Perfect for a 4-H kid or really anyone who raises chickens.

I am now passing this very informative book along to my good friend Denise who will actually be building a chicken coop in the near future. I know this book will become a valuable resource to her.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodreads First Reads.

We were on the fence about getting chickens but after reading this book, I don't know why we waited so long! Our chicken coop is not nearly as fancy as some in the book but it gave us great ideas for what we wanted and needed!!

[Marjorie W]

Good reference

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

How to Build Chicken Coops: Everything You Need to Know is a book in the FFA series of publications. Originally published in 2015, this re-release on Quarto's Voyageur imprint released 8th Jan 2019, is 192 pages and available in ebook and spiral bound formats.

This book is slanted toward young people and provides a lot of good step by step advice on why to build a shelter for your flock, how to site your coop, choice of materials and designing and building the structure.

The book is not oversimplified. With only the instructions provided, one could certainly build a suitable coop. The text is lively and the photographs are numerous, full color, and well done. It's peppered with trivia and entertaining notes in sidebars throughout. The information provided is mostly slanted toward readers in North America, but can be adapted for other locales. There's a useful resource index (again, mostly for readers in NA), and a cross referenced index at the back.

Well written and entertaining (bad chicken trivia jokes included), it's a fun read with practical use.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Patch405 (Shannon Barghols) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I know you can go onto Pinterest and download dozens of instructions for building chicken coops. What I like about this book is that it tells you what you should consider before building: choosing the location (close or far from the house, maybe close to the garden), the ground conditions, sun, shade, and wind. Also – instead of building a new coop, there are suggestions for converting sheds, playhouses, even doghouses! There are time-saving ideas for chores, a solar-powered door timer, and automatic waterers and feeders.

This review is part of a blog post on chickens: https://patch405.com/2019/02/02/chick...

I received an advance copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

[Nickolas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of twists and turns in this one. Just when I thought the story was going in one direction BAM!! The Johnsons throw you a curve ball and you find yourself attaching a chicken ladder one minute then all of a sudden renovating and old wood shed the next. The photographs are great. The real M. Night Shyamalan twist at the end though is that I don’t have the carpentry skills or the money to complete anything in here. It’s a dark comedy in the end.

[Ligaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read several books on keeping chickens and building coops and this one falls in the middle. Certainly, not everything you need to know, but it covers a bunch. There is only one plan to build, though, but many photos of other coops. This book seems to be gears towards being kid/young adult friendly, but one will need further references to help with keeping your chickens healthy and happy.

[Sandy Wilmering · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative, interesting, and contains helpful, coloured photos throughout. Goes above and beyond how to build a coop by discussing the best locations in terms of sun/shade/weather, the tools and safety equipment you need to build, and a lot of information about chickens themselves, like different breeds, what types of bedding to use, and how to keep predators away.

[Jean Hamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good basic info for 1st time chicken owners, including a plans for a diy coop.

[lunarlibrarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did a very thorough skim and would likely have been more helpful if it was my first chicken book, but it wasn't, so it ... wasn't.

[Shanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good reference if you want to build the exact coop in th book, but not great if you want to build a different coop.

[Annie Oosterwyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent directions for a basic coop and run.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to build a basic chicken coop, plus a bit of chicken raising info as well.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good ideas on what you may need in a coop, but directions to build only ONE coop.

[Leyla Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent detailed book about keeping chickens. Not only does it provide a plan, instructions and step by step photos of building your own coop, it also gives very good information regarding keeping chickens, breed and egg production. The book also tells you how to convert a shed into a chicken tractor (movable chicken shed) and the tool and material required for the main coop design.
The instructions are simple to follow and one could build a very sturdy and serviceable coop and interior furnishings in very little time, for some very happy chickens.
Great book

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many, many years ago, my grandparents had chickens and I was always fascinated by them. I could sit and watch them for hours and of course, I named them. Now I want my grandchildren to have this experience too. I did not learn the ins and outs of chicken raising from my grandparents and did not want to make expensive decisions with no knowledge. Enter HOW TO BUILD A CHICKEN COOP. We live in an area where the climate changes often and rapidly so I knew I needed a coop, just didn't know what kind. And I never knew the differences could make such a huge impact. This book was very helpful. It is clearly written and easy to understand. My new found knowledge will keep my chickens cozy and healthy while we reap the benefits of fresh eggs and plenty of entertainment.