{"product_id":"systems-backyard-chickens","title":"Backyard chickens: Eggs, the coop and the flock · Alt Ordo Systems Guide","description":"\u003cp\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's inside.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThree builds, costed line by line\u003c\/strong\u003e (typical US prices, October 2026):\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBare-bones: $369–$701\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStandard: $1,125–$1,902\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComfortable: $1,852–$2,947\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSourced and fact-checked.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePairs with\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInstant PDF download.\u003c\/strong\u003e After checkout you get a download link by email. Letter-size pages, made to read on screen or print at home.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Alt Ordo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48361835233451,"sku":"AO26-SYS-03","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0615\/4718\/4299\/files\/AO26-SYS-03.jpg?v=1792809362","url":"https:\/\/shop.altordo.com\/products\/systems-backyard-chickens","provider":"Alt Ordo: Build Freedom","version":"1.0","type":"link"}