Backyard chickens: Eggs, the coop and the flock · Alt Ordo Systems Guide
A few laying hens turn feed, kitchen scraps and weeds into eggs, and their manure into the best compost on the homestead. They need four things from you: a dry, airy, predator-proof house for the night; a safe run by day; a complete layer feed and clean water; and someone who checks on them every single day. The building is the easy part. Most flocks are lost to raccoons, wet litter or a frozen waterer, and most of this guide is about not letting that happen.
This guide helps you work out how many hens your household needs, build a raised 4 × 8 ft coop and an 8 × 12 ft hardware-cloth run from our plans and cut list, raise chicks to layers, and keep a small flock healthy, safe and laying all year.
What's inside. 26 pages in 9 chapters (At a glance, Where it works, How it works, Size it, Parts and cost, Build it, Run it, Rules and permits, How it connects), then the sources and a notes page. 11 numbered figures drawn for this guide. You also get a worked example with a fill-in worksheet, 12 numbered steps, a year-round calendar, and a troubleshooting table.
Three builds, costed line by line (typical US prices, October 2026):
- Bare-bones: $369–$701
- Standard: $1,125–$1,902
- Comfortable: $1,852–$2,947
Sourced and fact-checked. Facts and figures are cited to the 24 sources listed at the back, and the whole guide was fact-checked before release. General guidance, not engineering advice: your county and a qualified pro have the last word on your site.
Pairs with other Alt Ordo Systems Guides: Composting; The off-grid vegetable garden; Roof rainwater catchment; Off-grid solar. For your county's permits and rules, see our county and state guides.
Instant PDF download. After checkout you get a download link by email. Letter-size pages, made to read on screen or print at home.