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Learn to design, build, and outfit a sturdy, predator-proof chicken coop from scratch — no prior carpentry experience required. Your hens will thank you.
What you'll learn
What you'll be able to do
- Design a coop sized correctly for your flock and yard using a simple planning framework
- Navigate local zoning laws and HOA rules before breaking ground
- Create a detailed materials list and stick to a realistic budget (including common cost traps to avoid)
- Cut, frame, and assemble coop walls, a roof, and a floor using beginner-friendly carpentry techniques
- Install predator-proof hardware cloth, secure latches, and predator-deterrent features that actually work
- Build functional nesting boxes and roosting bars sized and positioned for hen comfort and egg collection ease
- Set up proper ventilation and drainage so your coop stays dry, odor-free, and healthy year-round
- Attach and fence a secure outdoor run that gives your flock safe outdoor access
How it works
A school that adapts to you
This isn't a set of static videos. Every lesson is generated live and tuned to where you actually are.
We learn your level
A quick placement check tailors your starting point so you're never bored or lost.
Lessons adapt as you go
Each lesson is written for your pace and your goal, adjusting as your skills grow.
Your AI coach keeps you moving
Checkpoints, feedback, and gentle nudges turn progress into a real result.
The curriculum
What's inside your school
6 modules · 20 lessons
Plan Before You Build: Design, Rules & Budgeting
Lay a solid foundation before a single board is cut. This module covers flock sizing, zoning research, coop design principles, and building a realistic budget — the planning work that determines whether your project succeeds or stalls.
- 1.1How Many Chickens & How Much Space? Sizing Your CoopIncluded
- 1.2Zoning Laws, HOA Rules & Permits: Know Before You BuildIncluded
- 1.3Choosing a Coop Style: Tractors, Walk-Ins & Everything BetweenIncluded
- 1.4Building a Real Budget: Materials, Tools & Hidden CostsIncluded
Tools, Materials & Reading Your Plans
Get confident with the tools and materials you'll use throughout the build. Learn to read and adapt a simple blueprint so you can make smart decisions when reality doesn't match the plan.
- 2.1The Coop Builder's Tool Kit: What You Need vs. What's Nice to HaveIncluded
- 2.2Lumber, Hardware Cloth & Fasteners: Choosing the Right MaterialsIncluded
- 2.3Reading & Adapting a Coop BlueprintIncluded
Building the Structure: Floor, Walls & Roof
This is where the sawdust flies. Build the skeleton of your coop step by step — a solid, level floor frame, sturdy stud walls, and a weather-tight roof — using beginner-friendly techniques at every stage.
- 3.1Site Prep & Building a Level Floor FrameIncluded
- 3.2Framing the WallsIncluded
- 3.3Roof Framing & Weatherproof SheathingIncluded
- 3.4Siding, Doors & Exterior FinishingIncluded
Predator-Proofing: Keeping the Flock Safe
A coop that can't keep predators out is just an expensive chicken trap. This module covers every vulnerability — from aerial attacks to burrowing predators — and shows you how to close each gap for good.
- 4.1Know Your Predators: The Threat AssessmentIncluded
- 4.2Hardware Cloth Installation: Walls, Floor & ApronIncluded
- 4.3Latches, Locks & Nighttime SecurityIncluded
Interior Setup: Nesting Boxes, Roosts & Ventilation
The inside of the coop is where your hens actually live. Get the interior details right — comfortable nesting boxes, correctly positioned roosts, and airflow that keeps the coop dry and healthy — and your birds will thrive.
- 5.1Building & Installing Nesting BoxesIncluded
- 5.2Roosting Bars: Placement, Sizing & InstallationIncluded
- 5.3Ventilation, Windows & Moisture ControlIncluded
The Run, Final Touches & Winterizing
Complete your build by attaching and fencing a secure outdoor run, adding feeders and waterers, and prepping the coop to handle whatever your local winter throws at it.
- 6.1Building & Fencing the Outdoor RunIncluded
- 6.2Feeders, Waterers & Everyday Management SetupIncluded
- 6.3Winterizing Your Coop for Cold ClimatesIncluded
Questions
Frequently asked
Your teacher
A note from your teacher
Jonathon Kendall
Hey there — I'm so glad you're here. A few years ago I stood in my backyard holding a crumpled set of coop plans I'd printed from the internet, surrounded by lumber I'd half-measured, wondering what I'd gotten myself into. Fast forward to today, and I've built coops for my own flock of eight hens, helped a dozen neighbors and friends build theirs, and learned — sometimes the hard way — exactly what works and what doesn't. I'm not a professional contractor. I'm a homeowner who got obsessed with getting this right, and that's exactly why I think I can help you. I know where beginners get stuck, what questions feel too basic to ask, and which "expert" advice online is actually going to get your chickens eaten by a raccoon. In this course, I share everything I know in plain language with real project photos and honest commentary. Let's build something great together.
— Jonathon Kendall
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- 6 modules, 20 lessons
- AI-adaptive lessons tuned to your level
- Quizzes & checkpoints to lock in progress
- Your own AI learning coach
- Learn on any device, at your pace
- Full access for as long as you're subscribed