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How to Build Animal Housing: 60 Plans for Coops, Hutches, Barns, Sheds, Pens, Nestboxes, Feeders, Stanchions, and Much More Paperback – May 1, 2004
Purchase options and add-ons
- Print length256 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherStorey Publishing, LLC
- Publication dateMay 1, 2004
- Dimensions8.5 x 7.5 x 10.88 inches
- ISBN-101580175279
- ISBN-13978-1580175272
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Whether you are building a movable horse shelter on skids or a chicken coop or a traditional gambrel barn, the multitude of plans in this book can give you information to work with.” – American Quarter Horse Journal
“A well illustrated guide to building portable shelters, stables large and small, barns of all sizes and types, shade structures, backyard pens… [A] great buy.” – American Small Farm (2004)
“Carol Ekarius, a farmer herself, has compiled some excellent plans for coops, hutches, barns, sheds, pens, nest boxes, feeders, stanchions, and much more. This book is extremely well illustrated with line drawings and construction call outs for all projects.” – American Small Farm (2007)
“A broad and well-rounded overview of what’s needed in the way of animal shelter, with a practiced ete toward planning and budgeting.” – Back Home
“Containing 60 plans for coops, hutches, barns, sheds, pens, nest boxes, stanchions and much more, this is a great book for building projects. …This is the place to start if you need some buildings, sheds, or barns.” – Small Farm Today
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Storey Publishing, LLC; Reprint edition (May 1, 2004)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 256 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1580175279
- ISBN-13 : 978-1580175272
- Item Weight : 1.7 pounds
- Dimensions : 8.5 x 7.5 x 10.88 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #129,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #139 in Animal Husbandry (Books)
- #212 in Home Design & Construction (Books)
- #301 in Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book provides valuable information and useful ideas for animal housing. They appreciate the practical approach and clear writing style. The book is described as an easy read with simple plans. Many readers find it helpful for small farms and consider it a great resource. However, opinions differ on the level of detail provided, with some finding it excellent and detailed, while others feel there are not enough details on specific groups of animals or materials lists.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers appreciate the book's information and ideas. They find it a useful guide with detailed plans to build safe housing for pets. The author provides good explanations of why certain construction methods are recommended. Overall, readers find the book helpful for learning how to build animal shelters.
"...The book is chuck full of valuable information we would have never thought of and were glad to know before starting to build...." Read more
"...This book has tons of ideas, and detailed plans to build marvellous safe housing for your feathered, or furry friends...." Read more
"...animals, safety and health of your animals, plus it has lots of good pieces of advice throughout the book that has been picked up over 30 plus years...." Read more
"...Love reading and learning from this book." Read more
Customers find the book helpful for animal housing. They appreciate its practical approach and detailed illustrations. The book provides information on building livestock housing, including design, layout, and requirements for different farm animals. Readers mention it's a great book for any animal owner to use, from chickens to swine.
"...one of the best I have seen in detailed diagrams & information on building housing for livestock...." Read more
"...It has minimal spacing for your animals, safety and health of your animals, plus it has lots of good pieces of advice throughout the book that has..." Read more
"This book covers the design, layout and requirements for all kinds of farm animals, from chickens to swine...." Read more
"Carol Ekarius has compiled a nice collection of livestock necessities and some interesting and functional barns for the small farm/homestead...." Read more
Customers find the book easy to read with nice details and concise writing. They appreciate the simple building plans for livestock shelters.
"...Love reading and learning from this book." Read more
"There are many very nice and farly simple plans to build shellted for your livestock...." Read more
"Good illustrations. Clearly written." Read more
"Easy read with nice details." Read more
Customers find the book easy to use and helpful for building shelters. It covers topics like handyman skills, shelter construction, and mini farms.
"This is an awesome book and very useful for a variety of shelters, sheds and chicken coops. Love reading and learning from this book." Read more
"...glad that I bought this book for all at it covers will be very helpful on our mini farm." Read more
"This book is an awesome asset to have if you are needing to build or research lodging for animals. This book covers just about every farm animal." Read more
"GREAT FOR HANDYMAN" Read more
Customers have different views on the book's detail. Some find it has excellent illustrations, step-by-step instructions, and pictures on how to make various shelters. Others mention there are not enough details on any specific group of living things, no detailed plans or materials lists, and inadequate examples of any of the categories listed on the cover.
"...some general dimensions for the different projects, but no detailed plans or materials lists...." Read more
"This book is one of the best I have seen in detailed diagrams & information on building housing for livestock...." Read more
"...Again, materials and dimensions are not listed and are sparsely labeled in the illustrations...." Read more
"This book has clear, measured plan drawings for a variety of housing elements useful for a small-scale farmer...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2007This book is one of the best I have seen in detailed diagrams & information on building housing for livestock. We are currently building a 3 sided shelter for our alpacas right now using this book as a reference. The book is chuck full of valuable information we would have never thought of and were glad to know before starting to build. Another great thing about the book is that it has such a wide variety of types of buildings. It is a great book to get you started in providing housing for your animals.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2012As a "city kid" moved to the country, I am finally fulfilling my dream of having critters of every shape and size! Peacocks, chickens, geese, ducks! My newest babies are goats! So of course, they all need homes to live in and to be protected in.
This book has tons of ideas, and detailed plans to build marvellous safe housing for your feathered, or furry friends.
(Now if Amazon only sold handymen who would do the construction for me! :)How to Build Animal Housing: 60 Plans for Coops, Hutches, Barns, Sheds, Pens, Nestboxes, Feeders, Stanchions, and Much More
- Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2007I was looking for a book on how to build satisfactory chicken and duck housing. This book has a couple of plans for chicken coops, but not enough to buy the book. Why did I give it four stars then? Because the book is designed to give you building plans for various types of live-stock (pigs, hourses, cows, chickens, goats, rabbits, and others). The book does give you 60 plans like it says it does, but there is never more than 2 and at the most three on any specific animal.
This book does have a lot of good information in it beyond the housing plans. It has minimal spacing for your animals, safety and health of your animals, plus it has lots of good pieces of advice throughout the book that has been picked up over 30 plus years. If your like me and are looking to build housing for a specific type of live stock then this is probably not the best book for you (for chickens I would suggest "Poultry House Construction" by Michael Roberts). However, if your looking to build housing for various breeds of live-stock then this book would be a wise purchase. However, a materials list would have been nice (not enough books give them).
- Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2024It should what materials are needed for the build.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2013I found this book very disappointing. I had hoped for actual building plans. Instead there are some general dimensions for the different projects, but no detailed plans or materials lists. I did get some ideas for the different buildings I need to build, but in all, I wouldn't recommend this book unless you are an expert builder that doesn't need actual plans or are only looking for ideas that an expert builder can build for you.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2018This is an awesome book and very useful for a variety of shelters, sheds and chicken coops. Love reading and learning from this book.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2009This book has clear, measured plan drawings for a variety of housing elements useful for a small-scale farmer. So far, I have adapted two plans to fit my space and materials available, and have been happy with the results. The author includes good explanations of why you should build things the way she says, which really helps when you need to modify one of her plans.
An excellent book, should really hit the spot for the new farmer, or somebody adding a new species to their operation.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2014This book covers the design, layout and requirements for all kinds of farm animals, from chickens to swine. It has good info, and I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking about living off the land, or anyone who just wants to raise a goat or a few chickens on their property.
Top reviews from other countries
- HappyReviewed in Canada on May 19, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars cute
Really cute. No photos though and all the plans are outside sources but I still felt they did an excellent jon and tried to share as much knowledge as possible
- TimReviewed in the United Kingdom on March 8, 2013
5.0 out of 5 stars How to Build Animal Housing: 60 Plans for Coops, Hutches, Barns, Sheds...
Imformative book with all the designs you could wish for. For chikens to rabbits and larger animals this is the book to get.
- Robbin MayReviewed in Canada on March 6, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent layouts, a holistic view of caring for animals
This books gives me confidence to build my own structures. Excellent layouts, a holistic view of caring for animals.
- Vale Pest ControlReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2015
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Haven't seen this one - must be for the boys
- Cindy H.Reviewed in Canada on April 25, 2018
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
as described