FTC disclosure: I would like to thank Storey Publishing for providing me with an advance reader copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program.

An excellent resource! Whether you're a farmer, rancher, processor, butcher, chef, culinary student, home cook, educator, or perhaps a humanitarian navigating your way through local customs and yearning to make some yummy chicken enchiladas like myself, there is much insight to glean from this book. It contains everything you wanted to know about how to butcher a chicken in the most safe and humane way with as little waste as possible. It would make a great gift!

I appreciated that this book was well-written, well-organized, and well-researched for both presentation style and content. The step-by-step guides, balance of both technical terminology and ease of reading, as well as scientific rationales were appealing for the complete range of those who identify themselves on the spectrum from novice to expert,

Supplies, safety with emphasis on proper sanitation, alternatives to steps in the butchering process, cuts for ideal presentation and culinary purposes, different cooking methods, as well as pros and cons of each storage method were discussed in satisfying detail. The glossary and resource section was a thoughtful bonus. I really enjoyed the tips on obtaining a better flavor profile and maintaining desired textures which explored interesting aspects of the bird's diet and product preservation.

Also the photography was outstanding and the carved whole boneless chicken was impressive!

I read enough post-apocalyptic fiction to know that skills like how to slaughter a chicken will be a valuable commodity when meat stops magically appearing in grocery stores. Butchering Chickens goes behind the slaughter which makes it useful even to people who don't have their own chickens. But if you do have chickens or are thinking of getting chickens, this guide will be very helpful in giving you the knowledge you will need to get the most out of your flock.

Chapters include:
Gathering tools and equipment
Setting up for food safety
Preparing for slaughter
Slaughtering
Butchering
Packaging & Freezing

There is also a bibliography, resources, glossary, and index. This relatively short (176 pages) book is chocked full of information.

There are diagrams and full-color photos, but don't worry none are graphic. They are helpful in illustrating the text.

If you are like me and don't have chickens and are just buying your chicken in the grocery store, this book is still useful. Buying a whole chicken is often cheaper than already cut up pieces, especially if you are wanting boneless and skinless. Knowing how to properly cut up, skin, and debone a chicken will help stretch your food budget. If you are buying directly from a local farmer, then a whole chicken may be the only way it is offered. Even skipping the two chapters about slaughtering, you will find the chapters about knives, butchering, and packaging & freezing well worth having this book.

I definitely recommend this book if you are thinking of starting your own backyard flock. Even if you plan to only have layers, you will have to decide what to do once the hen grows too old to produce eggs, and of course, there's always the roosters to contend with.

I like that the author recommends making slaughtering a community effort. I'm a part of a community of women homesteaders who share not only knowledge and a helping hand, but also often have equipment that they are willing to loan or rent. If after reading Butchering Chickens you decide you want to try your hand at slaughtering but feel you lack the community Danforth suggests, you can see if there is a local chapter of the Ladies Homestead Gathering near you or check with your local Farmer Bureau and Extension Agent to connect with local small-scale farmers.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on March 3 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2020/03/butchering-chickens-guide-to-humane.html

Butchering Chickens is a practical guide to processing and safe handling of chickens especially aimed at the smallholder interested in being more self-sufficient. Due out 3rd March 2020 from Storey Publishing, it's 176 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

Self sufficiency and food security are important themes today. Additionally, many people are choosing to take more active responsibility for the quality and management of the food they raise themselves. I remember being a youngster and hearing my grandmother say that store-bought chickens had no taste and frankly the situation hasn't improved in the intervening 40+ years since I was a kid.

This is an accessible and responsibly written guide to safely butcher and process chickens for home use. The introduction and first chapter cover safety, accessibility, tools, handling, maintenance (very important!), tool selection, etc. The following chapters provide step by step tutorials for food safety, setups for processing, actual slaughtering, butchering (preparing the slaughtered chickens safely and efficiently), and packaging and freezing.

The author does an admirable job of not pushing one brand of equipment over another. There is no obvious product placement involved and there are a wide variety of brands included. The photography is superlative and very clear and illustrates each step in the tutorials. There is no doubt that a determined reader, using only the illustrated tutorials in this book could successfully and safely process and butcher a chicken. I always recommend getting help (especially for beginners), but failing that, this book would provide sufficient instruction to perform the task humanely and well.

There's also a glossary, pretty solid resource links list, and good bibliography for further reading.

Five stars. This is a good book for the smallholder's library and will undoubtedly become a classic. It's short enough to be accessible and not overwhelming, and thorough enough to be safe and responsible.