StretchLearn Course

Fresh eggs from your own yard. Keep chickens by method, not by guesswork.

Choose the right breeds, build a coop predators cannot beat, run feed and water that works, brood chicks, and catch illness early.

Preview Curriculum Back to Catalog

Beginner9 hr 35 minSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

Learn to keep a small backyard flock the right way, starting with the numbers that matter: roughly 4 square feet of coop and 8 to 10 square feet of run per standard hen, 14 to 16 hours of light to keep hens laying, and a feed that is about 16 to 18 percent protein for layers. You will compare egg breeds like the Rhode Island Red and Australorp against dual-purpose and meat birds, harden a coop against raccoons and weasels with half-inch hardware cloth, brood chicks from 95 degrees Fahrenheit down by 5 degrees a week, and read droppings, combs, and behavior to catch illness early. By the end you can size, build, stock, feed, and protect a flock, and collect and store clean eggs with confidence, all within your local bylaws.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Select chicken breeds matched to your goal of eggs, meat, or dual purpose and your climate

Size and build a coop and run that meet space, ventilation, and predator-proofing standards

Set up feed and water systems and feed the correct ration for each life stage

Brood day-old chicks from 95 degrees Fahrenheit down to coop-ready over six weeks

Recognize early signs of common illness using droppings, combs, weight, and behavior

Collect, clean, and store eggs safely within your local bylaws on limits and roosters

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: Planning Your Flock: Goals, Breeds, and Bylaws

Decide what you want from chickens, choose breeds that deliver it, size the flock for your egg needs, and confirm you are allowed to keep them before you spend a cent.

3 lessons

Why Chickens, and What to Decide FirstContent · 45 min

Preview Enabled

Choosing Breeds for Eggs, Meat, or BothContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Flock Size and Local BylawsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Housing: Coop Design and Predator-Proofing

Size and build a coop and run to real standards, ventilate and outfit it correctly, and fortify it so nothing gets in at night.

3 lessons

Sizing and Designing the CoopContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Ventilation, Bedding, and Climate ControlContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Predator-Proofing the Coop and RunContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: Daily Care: Feed, Water, and Brooding Chicks

Set up reliable feed and water, feed the right ration at every life stage, and raise day-old chicks safely from the brooder to the coop.

3 lessons

Feed and Water SystemsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Feeding by Life Stage and TreatsContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Brooding Day-Old ChicksContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Health, Eggs, and Ongoing Management

Read the signs of a healthy versus sick bird, prevent and spot common ailments, and collect, clean, and store eggs safely while running the flock through the seasons.

3 lessons

Reading Health: Signs of a Well or Sick BirdContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Common Ailments and PreventionContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Collecting, Cleaning, and Storing EggsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

backyard chickenslaying henscoop designpredator proofingraising chickschicken feedchicken healthegg handling