I have read so many books on chickens... It was one of my dreams to own a farm and even though the military took us to the city, it didn't stop us from buying a small piece of land with an old farmhouse, building a little chicken coop and having our very own flock.
I have numbered these books from 5-1, 1 being my absolute favorite... Enjoy!
5.) Chickens In Your Backyard by Nick and Gail Luttmann -
Great pictures! With some valuable information, though I felt as though there was a lot left to the imagination which isn't so good when you're just starting out.
I wish they would have gone more in depth on coop care and how to properly secure the run.
I have numbered these books from 5-1, 1 being my absolute favorite... Enjoy!
5.) Chickens In Your Backyard by Nick and Gail Luttmann -
Great pictures! With some valuable information, though I felt as though there was a lot left to the imagination which isn't so good when you're just starting out.
I wish they would have gone more in depth on coop care and how to properly secure the run.
4.) The Backyard Chicken Book - A Beginner's Guide by H. Lee Schwanz Very factual and dry. It was like reading a textbook but also like a textbook, it is packed with lots of information on chickens and their care. This book was recommended to me by a lady on Lopez Island, who has been raising chickens her whole life and who also worked with a farm vet for years. |
3.) Living With Chickens by Jay Rossier I gave this book to one of my girlfriends who desperately wanted to start her own flock but didn't know much about the different breeds. This book is a great book and skims over the top of all of topics, chicken. However, it doesn't give enough detail for me. Has some lovely photos. |
2.) The Chicken Encylopedia by Gail Damerow 319 colored pages of information from feeding to health to coops to predators! This book has it all... It's written by the same author as all of the Storey's guides, which are amazing books if you need to know how to do things like, make pickles or build a root cellar. This book helps answer ANY and all questions regarding to chickens... i.e. Which breeds lay which color egg? Why do chickens molt? Should you clean eggs before eating them? These are all great questions and can be answered within the pages of this fantastic book. |
1.) The Joy Of Keeping Chickens by Jennifer Megyesi This book will forever be my favorite. The author is a biologist and studies animals for a living. She is also an animals rights activist and raises her own vegitables and meat so that she can ensure her family is being fed the very best food possible. It also ensures that the animals she uses for her food are treated in the very best way they can be, before they are culled. This book helped me understand a lot about owning chickens and how the flock will function. I adored reading this book. The photography made me giggle and reminded me of my own flock. The barred rocks on the front cover look just like two of mine, Big Mama and Sweetpea. I hope this helps you with your decision on Chicken books! Happy Reading! |