How to Build Animal Housing: 60 Plans for Coops, Hutches, Barns, Sheds, Pens, Nestboxes, Feeders, Stanchions, and Much More (Paperback)

by Carol Ekarius (Author) "Some people are simply driven to have animals in their lives..." (more)
Key Phrases: floating trimmers, monitor barn, native lumber, United States, Department of Agriculture (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Cows and horses, donkeys and mules, sheep and goats, pigs and fowl, even llamas are living on small farms and in backyard barnyards throughout the United States. But how and where are these critters being housed?

Author Carol Ekarius knows. In How to Build Animal Housing, she provides dozens of plans--with illustrated, step-by-step instructions--for species-specific shelters that are well ventilated, safe, appropriate for the animals, appealing, convenient, and a solid value for their owners.

The book is essential reading for anyone interested in animal health and welfare. It includes complete plans and step-by-step, illustrated instructions for sheds, coops, hutches, multipurpose barns, and economical easy-to-build windbreaks and shade structures. Ekarius covers new high-tech, portable structures made of plastics and fabrics, such as hoop houses and hen spas, as well as more traditional alternatives, such as straw-bale structures. Always practical, she enumerates the advantages and disadvantages of ready-to-build kits and modular barnyard buildings and includes designs for watering systems, feeders, chutes, stanchions, and more--the essentials that help owners keep their animals healthy and happy.

Ekarius wisely emphasizes the importance of careful planning, choosing an appropriate housing site, and complying with local zoning regulations; pest control, basic housing maintenance, and insurance costs are also discussed. Real-world advice from farmers and veterinarians on the types of housing and facilities animals like best enliven the text throughout.

How to Build Animal Housing is the most comprehensive and useful guide of its kind. For small-scale farmers, hobby farmers, do-it-yourselfers, and animal lovers, this book is indispensable.

About the Author
Carol Ekarius is the author of Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds, Pocketful of Poultry, and several books on small-scale farming. Carol and her husband live with their many critters in Hartsel, Colorado.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580175279
• ISBN-13: 978-1580175272
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,101 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #8 in	Books > Home & Garden > How-to & Home Improvements > Carpentry
  #28 in	Books > Home & Garden > Home Design > Buildings & Construction
  #31 in	Books > Science > Agricultural Sciences > Animal Husbandry

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great for a first-timer..., December 29, 2004

By	Keeperofthehorses (Idaho, USA) - See all my reviews

I purchased this book and quickly found that it is basically a catalog of plans that are available free online from USDA and others. The web links for the plans are printed right in the back. If you spend some time surfing, you'll find much of the useful information (and more) without purchasing the book.

There is helpful information in the planning section, and some basic tools and methods to get started. It would also be a helpful book for those newly transplanted city-folks to read prior to jumping into raising livestock.

If you have experience with livestock or construction, you can find all you need online. If you are planning your first projects, this will be helpful.

52 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The plans included didn't meet my needs, October 10, 2005

By	L. Williams "Country Girl" (Central Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was hoping for a book of plans that included small, simple to build shelters for just a few goats and chickens. The plans included were large and the building instructions were not detailed enough for beginners to do themselves (without a seperate how-to-book). If I could have looked through it first, I would not have bought it.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book, January 15, 2005

By	Missouri Anna - See all my reviews

I really liked this book. It has a lot of good plans, from simple chicken coops to full-blown small barns. It has super references, is well-laid out, and especially for the small homesteader it also has good general information. I belong to several homesteading sites and have highly recommended it to that group.