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How to Keep Backyard Chickens

Steve Maxwell

4.6

Based on 18 ratings

Steve Maxwell

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What's inside

Learning objectives

Build your own portable, four season, backyard chicken house from plans and instructions
Gain an understanding of how to take care of backyard chickens properly

Discover how and why free range chicken management is best
Understand how to keep your chickens healthy and happy

Build your own portable, four season, backyard chicken house from plans and instructions
Gain an understanding of how to take care of backyard chickens properly
Discover how and why free range chicken management is best
Understand how to keep your chickens healthy and happy

Syllabus

VIDEO - GETTING THE DOOR RIGHT

PART 2 - Cutting and Assembling the Door & Trim

VIDEO - ADDING TRIM

Backyard Chicken Coop Design

Before you go any further, watch the video up next for an overall tour of the building plans. Getting a sense of the design and how parts come together will make it much easier for you to build well.

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Career center

Learners who complete How to Keep Backyard Chickens will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Coop Builder Designer

A Coop Builder Designer specializes in creating and constructing functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing housing for poultry. "How to Keep Backyard Chickens" offers an exceptionally strong foundation for this career, focusing intensely on the practical aspects of coop creation. The course includes "print-quality plans for building a portable four-season chicken coop," complete with "step-by-step construction steps and videos" and details on "Backyard Chicken Coop Design" philosophy. Learners engage directly with the process of "Cutting & Assembling Coop Front, Back, Sides & Bottom," "Building the Roof Frame," and "Assembling the Steel Legs, Handles, Roosts & Nesting Boxes." This comprehensive instruction on design and construction is directly applicable to establishing a professional niche in building specialized animal housing.

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Urban Farmer

An Urban Farmer cultivates crops and raises livestock within a city or suburban environment, focusing on local food production. This role often includes managing small animal flocks, making the insights from "How to Keep Backyard Chickens" highly pertinent. The course equips learners with practical knowledge on "keeping a happy, healthy, productive flock of laying hens" and the benefits of a "free-range approach," which aligns with sustainable urban farming practices. Understanding how to build a "portable four-season chicken coop" from the provided "print-quality plans" and "step-by-step construction steps and videos" is invaluable for setting up an efficient operation in limited urban spaces. This course helps build a foundation in ethical animal care and self-sufficiency, appealing to those keen on contributing to local food systems.

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DIY Workshop Instructor

A DIY Workshop Instructor teaches practical skills for home improvement, crafting, or self-sufficiency projects. The "How to Keep Backyard Chickens" course provides a remarkably specific and detailed foundation for instructing on a popular DIY project: building a chicken coop. With "print-quality plans for building a portable four-season chicken coop" and "step-by-step construction steps and videos for people who've never built anything much before," the course curriculum is essentially a ready-made workshop guide. The instructor would gain confidence and expertise in techniques like "Cutting and Assembling the Door & Trim" and "Assembling the Roof Frame," enabling them to lead hands-on sessions for eager learners interested in backyard poultry.

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Small Scale Livestock Manager

As a Small Scale Livestock Manager, one oversees the daily care and welfare of a diverse array of animals, often within a hobby farm, educational setting, or specialized breeding operation. The "How to Keep Backyard Chickens" course directly addresses foundational skills in this area, particularly regarding poultry. Learners gain an understanding of "how to take care of backyard chickens properly," ensuring their health and happiness. The emphasis on discovering "how and why free-range chicken management is best" provides a framework for ethical and effective animal husbandry. Furthermore, the practical experience of building a "portable four-season chicken house" teaches invaluable skills in providing appropriate animal housing, a critical component of livestock management.

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Homesteading Consultant

A Homesteading Consultant advises individuals and families on establishing and managing self-sufficient living practices, including food production, animal care, and DIY projects. "How to Keep Backyard Chickens" is highly relevant, providing expertise in a fundamental aspect of modern homesteading: raising poultry. The course grants an understanding of "how to take care of backyard chickens properly" and details the design and construction of a "portable four-season chicken coop," complete with "print-quality plans" and "step-by-step construction steps and videos." This dual focus on animal husbandry and practical building skills is essential for guiding clients through the challenges of developing a productive and enjoyable homestead environment.

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Sustainable Agriculture Specialist

A Sustainable Agriculture Specialist works to develop and implement environmentally friendly and economically viable farming methods. While broad, the principles taught in "How to Keep Backyard Chickens" may be useful for this role, especially concerning integrating small livestock into diverse agricultural systems. The course emphasizes producing "fresh, wholesome and ethically-raised eggs" and promotes a "free-range approach" that allows birds "access to sunshine, fresh grass and the chance for chickens to scratch the grow and enjoy their lives." These elements resonate with core tenets of sustainable practices, focusing on animal welfare and ecological balance. Understanding small-scale food production can inform broader discussions on resilient food systems.

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Educational Content Creator

An Educational Content Creator develops instructional materials, videos, articles, or courses across various subjects. "How to Keep Backyard Chickens" serves as an excellent case study and foundation for this role, specifically within the realms of homesteading, animal care, or DIY projects. The course itself utilizes "9 teaching videos" and "print-quality plans" to convey complex information clearly. By understanding how the course structures its content, from "Backyard Chicken Coop Design" principles to "Caring for Chickens," aspiring creators learn effective pedagogical methods. This experience informs how one might present practical, accessible knowledge to an audience eager to learn new skills, mirroring the course's own successful instructional approach.

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Agricultural Extension Agent

An Agricultural Extension Agent provides educational resources and direct advice to farmers, homeowners, and communities on agricultural practices, often specializing in local conditions. "How to Keep Backyard Chickens" may be useful for this role, particularly for advising on small-scale poultry rearing in urban or suburban settings. The course draws on "20+ years experience" to deliver "reliable advice on choosing, raising and caring for a backyard flock." An agent equipping themselves with this knowledge can effectively guide constituents on proper chicken care, free-range management, and even the practicalities of building a "portable four-season chicken coop" as detailed in the course's construction segments. This helps equip individuals to support community self-sufficiency initiatives.

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Poultry Rancher Small Scale

A Small Scale Poultry Rancher manages a modest flock of birds, typically for egg or meat production, often supplying local markets or direct-to-consumer sales. The "How to Keep Backyard Chickens" course may be useful for developing the foundational knowledge needed for this role. It covers "everything you need to know and do to keep a happy, healthy, productive flock of laying hens." The course's teachings on "how to take care of backyard chickens properly" and understanding "how to keep your chickens healthy and happy" are directly transferable to managing a small ranch. While the scale differs, the core principles of animal welfare, housing (including building a "portable four-season chicken coop"), and management remain essential.

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Local Food Systems Coordinator

A Local Food Systems Coordinator works to build and strengthen regional food economies, connecting producers to consumers and promoting food security. "How to Keep Backyard Chickens" may be useful for this role, as backyard poultry is a direct contributor to localized food production. Understanding the practicalities of "keeping a happy, healthy, productive flock of laying hens to produce fresh, wholesome and ethically-raised eggs" is vital. This knowledge helps a coordinator appreciate the challenges and benefits of small-scale food initiatives, informing policy and community engagement efforts that support urban agriculture and individual food independence, which are key components of robust local food systems.

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Animal Welfare Investigator

An Animal Welfare Investigator examines conditions for animals to ensure compliance with welfare standards and investigates reports of neglect or cruelty. "How to Keep Backyard Chickens" may be useful for this role, specifically in understanding the optimal living conditions and care requirements for poultry. The course's emphasis on "keeping a happy, healthy, productive flock" and promoting the "free-range approach that gives the birds access to sunshine, fresh grass and the chance for chickens to scratch the grow and enjoy their lives" provides a benchmark for good animal husbandry. Knowledge of proper housing, such as a "four-season chicken coop," and care practices helps an investigator identify sub-standard conditions or mistreatment.

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Farm Supply Store Manager

A Farm Supply Store Manager oversees the operations of a retail establishment selling products for farming, gardening, and animal care. "How to Keep Backyard Chickens" may be helpful for this role by deepening understanding of customer needs related to poultry. Knowledge gained from the course, such as "choosing, raising and caring for a backyard flock," allows a manager to advise customers effectively on products for chicken health, feed, and housing. Understanding specific needs, like the materials for building a "portable four-season chicken coop" or the benefits of a "free-range approach," helps in stocking relevant inventory and providing expert customer service, enhancing the store's value to the community.

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Small Animal Veterinarian Assistant

A Small Animal Veterinarian Assistant supports veterinary professionals in the care and treatment of animals, often including common household pets and small livestock. "How to Keep Backyard Chickens" may be useful for this role as it provides fundamental knowledge of poultry health and welfare. The course aims to help learners "understand how to keep your chickens healthy and happy," covering basics of care. While not a substitute for formal veterinary training, understanding common management practices, nutritional needs, and the importance of appropriate housing, like a "portable four-season chicken coop," helps an assistant communicate effectively with chicken owners and recognize normal vs. abnormal behaviors, contributing to better patient care.

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Agricultural Technology Educator

An Agricultural Technology Educator teaches about innovations and practical applications of technology in agriculture, ranging from smart farming systems to sustainable practices. "How to Keep Backyard Chickens" may be useful for this role, as the course itself is a form of practical agricultural education leveraging "9 teaching videos" and "step-by-step construction steps and videos." An educator could analyze the course's approach to delivering information about building a "portable four-season chicken coop" or managing a flock. This understanding of effective educational technology applied to a traditional agricultural practice like backyard chicken keeping can inform the development of future tech-focused learning modules or training programs in modern agriculture.

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Nature Education Program Coordinator

A Nature Education Program Coordinator develops and leads educational programs focused on the natural world, often involving hands-on experiences with plants and animals. "How to Keep Backyard Chickens" may be useful for this role because integrating a small flock can be a popular and accessible component of such programs. The course provides comprehensive knowledge on "how to take care of backyard chickens properly" and teaches the benefits of a "free-range approach," allowing children and adults to learn about animal behavior and natural foraging. Furthermore, the practical skills in building a "portable four-season chicken coop" could inspire outdoor education projects focused on sustainable living and animal husbandry.

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Reading list

We've selected 32 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in How to Keep Backyard Chickens.

Laboratory Animal Husbandry

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Takes an interdisciplinary approach to animal welfare, natural science, and philosophy to gain a comprehensive understanding of it and its major themes. It also provides an overview of a variety of perspectives and debates within the field.

How to Keep Backyard Chickens

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

Save this course

Career center

Reading list

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