This might not be as flashy as some of the books on backyard chickens, nor may it have as cool pictures, but I have to say I never seen such a thorough book on everything, and I do mean everything you would need to know.

It also goes into great detail abouat the breeding, and how there are currently some rare breeds, that people are getting just to the fun of it.

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There was a cute page on all the phrases we use everyday. There was also the coolest thing I have seen about having lights in coops so that chickens lay more int he winter. The author says, well,yes you can do that, but remember that all chickens are born with as many eggs as they will ever have, and if you make them give them all up when they are young, you will miss out on the larger ones they will lay as they get older.

The guide I practice, if a little dull. But, a good reference guide.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

This book is not for the faint at heart. There is a lot of meaty detail here. If you are looking for a practical, step-by-step guide for raising a small group of chicken in your suburban backyard, I would say that this book is more than you need. It’s fascinating, thorough, and complete – but it is a lot of information that I think the average backyard coop keeper does not need/desire. There is a brief history of chickens, including breeding, culture, and art. There are details on the specific classifications and breeds. The origins of chickens are quite fascinating – but there are a lot of chickens from a lot of different places! There is an entire chapter on selection, breeding, and culling. And yet another chapter on showing – both eggs and chickens! All of this is followed by a chapter on health – and addresses diseases as well as parasites.

As a novice with very little knowledge of raising chickens, I was looking for information that would help me keep from making expensive mistakes, This one fills the bill. My husband and I decided we wanted to have a small flock of chickens, no more than 10. We did not want to waste our time and money by not gathering some information first. We found that just talking to neighbors with chickens did not give us enough information to start. When I saw this book was endorsed by the FFA, I was impressed enough to start reading. I'm really glad I did. From start up to established practices, the book gives you clear and easy to understand guidance that will help you succeed. I'm very glad I read this book before I ran out and just started buying what I thought I needed. It's a great reference book for chicken owners. I'm sharing my new found knowledge with all of the old timers now.