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The Small-Scale Poultry Flock: An All-Natural Approach to Raising Chickens and Other Fowl for Home and Market Growers
The most comprehensive guide to date on raising all-natural poultry for the small-scale farmer, homesteader, and professional grower. The Small-Scale Poultry Flock offers a practical and integrative model for working with chickens and other domestic fowl, based entirely on natural systems. Readers will find information on growing (and sourcing) feed on a small scale, brooding (and breeding) at home, and using poultry as insect and weed managers in the garden and orchard. Ussery's model presents an entirely sustainable system that can be adapted and utilized in a variety of scales, and will prove invaluable for beginner homesteaders, growers looking to incorporate poultry into their farm, or poultry farmers seeking to close their loop. Ussery offers extensive information Extended information on poultry health and holistic health care, with a focus on prevention No other book on raising poultry takes an entirely whole-systems approach, or discusses producing homegrown feed and breeding in such detail. This is a truly invaluable guide that will lead farmers and homesteaders into a new world of self-reliance and enjoyment.
416 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2011
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788 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
October 27, 2011
I actually got my husband to read this, which I call progress. However, he told me that my poultry flock will certainly be small-scale because it will exist only in my head, so clearly there's still some work left for me to do.
November 3, 2013
Excellent book. If you could have only one book on raising poultry, this should be your choice. Unlike most (all?) of the other small-scale poultry books that I've come across, this one actually takes into account the ideas of sustainability for the small-scale poultry owner. He discusses pasturing your flock, and how to glean as much of their feed from your own property, to lower your costs, increase their nutrition, and leave you less dependent on feed store grains that have been shipped from who knows how far away and are filled with whatever was cheapest on the day it was milled.
He also discusses poultry processing (with a step-by-step pictorial guide), the ins-and-outs of pasturing your poultry, breeding your own flock, how to care for broody hens, and so much more. This book would be worth its purchase price for the appendices alone.
In essence, he has taken the principles of Joel Salatin's "Pastured Poultry Profits" and brought them down to the scale of one family, one flock, one homestead. This book should be in your library. :)
He also discusses poultry processing (with a step-by-step pictorial guide), the ins-and-outs of pasturing your poultry, breeding your own flock, how to care for broody hens, and so much more. This book would be worth its purchase price for the appendices alone.
In essence, he has taken the principles of Joel Salatin's "Pastured Poultry Profits" and brought them down to the scale of one family, one flock, one homestead. This book should be in your library. :)
January 10, 2013
For someone who currently has a (less than one year old) 3 bird flock in her backyard- this book was fantastic. Not only was it humorous (explaining how chicken poo literally is "holy shit" because of the miracles it can work on your garden/yard), but it also taught me a lot of stuff I didn't know and helped me feel more confident in my natural approach to chicken raising (not a lot of meds). It encouraged me to make more of a leap with various foods and grazing on pasture vs the bagged feed we give them. I highly recommend this book to people who are already raising chickens but are new at it. I read every word in it on chickens (skipped the duck parts) and that's rare. Most of these books you skim through to what you need or what pops out at you. So for a poultry raising book to hold my attention says a lot about the writer and his skill!
December 19, 2011
The Small-Scale Poultry Flock is the book I've anticipated the most this year, and it lives up to every ounce of my expectations. Harvey Ussery writes from personal experience raising a few dozen chickens (and other poultry), merging them into a permaculture homestead. As a result, his tips are much more relevant to the backyard enthusiast than books by Joel Salatin.
At the same time, Harvey Ussery goes far beyond the basics and challenges us to integrate our chickens with our gardens and to grow a variety of types of homegrown feed. I've been experimenting with (and reading about) chickens and permaculture for years, and I still got a lot out of the book. (Keep an eye on my chicken blog and you'll see some of the ideas I plan to incorporate into my own homestead.)
At the same time, Harvey Ussery goes far beyond the basics and challenges us to integrate our chickens with our gardens and to grow a variety of types of homegrown feed. I've been experimenting with (and reading about) chickens and permaculture for years, and I still got a lot out of the book. (Keep an eye on my chicken blog and you'll see some of the ideas I plan to incorporate into my own homestead.)
August 4, 2015
I've read every small-scale poultry book I could find and this is hands-down the best. It is for the detail-oriented. It even has step-by-step instructions done in color pictures.
July 11, 2018
I've known of Harvey Ussery and his pioneering homestead flock techniques for years, since he started posting on the RunningOnEmpty2 peak oil listserve. Now he's written the book I wish I'd had when we started keeping chickens 6 years ago: a thorough guide with breadth and depth to all aspects of integrating poultry into a homestead food system, based on decades of experience working out details of permacultural, whole-systems approaches. Most importantly, he's spent at least the past 6 years experimenting with ways to adjust his methods to prepare for the changes peak oil, climate change, and economic disruptions will force on us all.
His book gives the usual basic information on keeping poultry: selecting species (from the range of waterfowl, geese, guineas, chickens, and some more exotic options); selecting breeds (if he could only keep one chicken breed with no further inputs of chicks and feed from outside he would keep Old English Games; if only one waterfowl he'd keep Muscovies); starting from day-old chicks; housing; watering; providing purchased feed; fencing (the hardest part for him to transition to non-industrial technology - he relies on electric fencing); protecting from predators; and killing & butchering. He includes detailed explanations for why he does things the way he does after years of working out his systems - very appealing to me with my brain that wants to understand why systems work the way they do, so that I can apply the principles to my own situation rather than just copying someone else's model.
Read full review...
His book gives the usual basic information on keeping poultry: selecting species (from the range of waterfowl, geese, guineas, chickens, and some more exotic options); selecting breeds (if he could only keep one chicken breed with no further inputs of chicks and feed from outside he would keep Old English Games; if only one waterfowl he'd keep Muscovies); starting from day-old chicks; housing; watering; providing purchased feed; fencing (the hardest part for him to transition to non-industrial technology - he relies on electric fencing); protecting from predators; and killing & butchering. He includes detailed explanations for why he does things the way he does after years of working out his systems - very appealing to me with my brain that wants to understand why systems work the way they do, so that I can apply the principles to my own situation rather than just copying someone else's model.
Read full review...
November 6, 2022
Just about everything you need to know about raising healthy and happy flocks of chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese and guinea fowl is here in this book. The art of raising poultry on a small scale is so different from the industrial process as to be on another planet (except that unfortunately, it isn’t). As with most agriculture, most people’s perception of all things chicken is based on the output of industrial farming, cheap restaurants and big box grocery stores. This makes for truly excellent guide on how things should be done, and how much better it can be.
There are no hand-waving explanations here. The author provides great colour photos, lots of detailed instructions on how to build shelters, use electric fencing, deter predators, mix healthy natural feeds for all ages of birds, raise worms and fly larvae for chickens, manage broody hens, slaughter and butcher birds, and handle eggs. There are recipes and zillions of sidebars sharing the experiences of others. He provides an extensive bibliography and links to several organizations dedicated to pastured poultry and sustainable farming.
The author clearly states at the start what is outside his experience and isn’t discussed in the book (for example, showing purebred birds, raising racing pigeons), understands that the persistent cultural fear of dietary fat is hugely misguided. He is very up front about the need for any poultry keeper to humanely cull birds and that you need to be ready to do this yourself.
There are no hand-waving explanations here. The author provides great colour photos, lots of detailed instructions on how to build shelters, use electric fencing, deter predators, mix healthy natural feeds for all ages of birds, raise worms and fly larvae for chickens, manage broody hens, slaughter and butcher birds, and handle eggs. There are recipes and zillions of sidebars sharing the experiences of others. He provides an extensive bibliography and links to several organizations dedicated to pastured poultry and sustainable farming.
The author clearly states at the start what is outside his experience and isn’t discussed in the book (for example, showing purebred birds, raising racing pigeons), understands that the persistent cultural fear of dietary fat is hugely misguided. He is very up front about the need for any poultry keeper to humanely cull birds and that you need to be ready to do this yourself.
February 9, 2013
Fantastic book. I love the straight-dope style. Harvey Ussery tells what works for him. He calls a spade a spade. The author goes a bit off into hostile homesteader territory occasionally. I found that endearing. Other readers may be put off by that.
I got this from the library, but I'm going to have to buy it.
I got this from the library, but I'm going to have to buy it.
October 21, 2012
The best all-around how-to-do-chicken-stuff book out there. Comprehensive and responsible.
June 7, 2019
This book is really a terrific introduction to all aspects of owning a flock. That being said, if this had been my first book about chickens, I'd have been terrified! It's a lot to take in--and in fact this book took me several months to work through. (sorry local library-I'm a book hog!)
Some aspects of chicken-raising are gone into in more detail than most pay to their flock. For example, mixing your own feed is something I've very rarely seen people do in real life. But it takes up an entire chapter in this book.
The author is also a fan of Salatin, whom I don't particularly respect after learning about the colonialistic actions he's taken in the past. He also (Salatin that is) advises keeping your chickens in tighter quarters than I agree with. That being said, the author of this book, Ussery, does have plans for more spacious accomodations than Salatin advises, and he does address all sides of a problem fairly despite his admiration of Salatin.
Don't feel bad if you can't handle everything at once. This book is a TERRIFIC reference to have however, and I recommend you have it on your shelf if you own chickens or are considering it.
Some aspects of chicken-raising are gone into in more detail than most pay to their flock. For example, mixing your own feed is something I've very rarely seen people do in real life. But it takes up an entire chapter in this book.
The author is also a fan of Salatin, whom I don't particularly respect after learning about the colonialistic actions he's taken in the past. He also (Salatin that is) advises keeping your chickens in tighter quarters than I agree with. That being said, the author of this book, Ussery, does have plans for more spacious accomodations than Salatin advises, and he does address all sides of a problem fairly despite his admiration of Salatin.
Don't feel bad if you can't handle everything at once. This book is a TERRIFIC reference to have however, and I recommend you have it on your shelf if you own chickens or are considering it.
May 25, 2022
This book is a comprehensive look at having a small flock of chickens at your home. Harvey has a large flock, but does talk about what you need to get started from the brooder to moving them outside. He covers birds that you keep as a source of food (both egg and meat) as well as incorporating a few other farm animals. His indepth coverage talks about ways to incorporate a flock into all of your backyard activities - including gardening and composting.
This was a great book. I have read another chicken book since getting our 6 chicks, but this one was the one I started with when we went on this adventure. It just took me longer to finish. Harvey is a master in this area, and I learned quite a bit from his book. There are a lot of sections of this book that will never apply to me (he lives on a large farm and we plan on having a few chicks enclosed at all times due to predators), but I learned so much. I am impressed with how much he does to feed his chick naturally and how he makes them work in all aspects of his farm.
This is a great one. If you have a flock or are thinking of getting some chicks, have this book on your self for reference.
This was a great book. I have read another chicken book since getting our 6 chicks, but this one was the one I started with when we went on this adventure. It just took me longer to finish. Harvey is a master in this area, and I learned quite a bit from his book. There are a lot of sections of this book that will never apply to me (he lives on a large farm and we plan on having a few chicks enclosed at all times due to predators), but I learned so much. I am impressed with how much he does to feed his chick naturally and how he makes them work in all aspects of his farm.
This is a great one. If you have a flock or are thinking of getting some chicks, have this book on your self for reference.
December 2, 2017
This is probably the most practical poultry-keeping guide I've found. The copy I'm currently reading is from the library, but I will likely buy a copy of my own. In nearly four years of keeping chickens, I have had times when I've wished for a nitty-gritty, practical resource. I like our chickens, but they're livestock, not pets--which means that books and websites that view hens as pets to be kept and cherished way past their useful laying years, or to be strictly ornamental bug-eaters in a Martha Stewart-esque setting with a custom-designed coop aren't super helpful. If you're frustrated with those books, then you'll find this one a better fit, I think.
January 13, 2018
Knowing nothing about raising chickens, after having read this book, I now feel very confident with starting up my own flock.
The book teaches you both the WHY and HOW of creating effective poultry systems. So ever though there are plenty of examples and ideas throughout the book, I most value the fact that I have received sufficient knowledge to give it a try with my own experimental systems. By knowing the underlying philosophy, it is easy to create a system applicable to my specific context - and that is what I value the most.
The book teaches you both the WHY and HOW of creating effective poultry systems. So ever though there are plenty of examples and ideas throughout the book, I most value the fact that I have received sufficient knowledge to give it a try with my own experimental systems. By knowing the underlying philosophy, it is easy to create a system applicable to my specific context - and that is what I value the most.
July 7, 2022
Excellent reference. Reading can be dull at times because it's SO much information. This is more of a textbook than leisure. I got this copy from the library but will definitely be adding this to my reference library at some point in the future. I do wish he included more information on quail. This edition includes only 2 pages that includes discussion of doves and pheasant. Hardly comprehensive for someone like me looking to keep quail (though much of the chicken information is helpful for any poultry keeping)
July 25, 2017
This is an excellent resource for someone wanting to try their hand at homesteading. A little less relevant to me, who will only have a small backyard flock, but it gave me good ideas about using chickens for composting - which might make me brave enough to start that vegetable garden I've always wanted some day. This book is better for ideas, less heavy on technicalities. I'll have to read up elsewhere for nitty-gritty details on feed, breeds, etc.
May 12, 2017
This book is well-written, highly photographed, and packed with details. I put it down part way through only because I'm pretty sure we're not getting chickens, but I wanted to leave a review to remind myself that if we ever decide we're taking the leap to raising poultry, this is absolutely the book I want to have on-hand.
March 26, 2018
There is no better resource for the homesteader or poultry flock owner who is looking to be more input independent and healthy. I loved reading about the owner's flock. Each chapter gave me something new to explore. Since geese are my first love, though, I wished there was just a bit more on waterfowl.
July 14, 2020
As a beginner, I was worried about going into backyard chickens unprepared. Mr. Ussery's book, however, is comprehensive and covers every conceivable topic regarding selection of the flock, breeding, egg and meat production, and medical/emergency care, among other things. It's a great read, but an intensive one, for the beginner -- but a valuable investment for the future of my little flock!
July 16, 2021
Excellent investment
Great explanation of what it is to raise poultry. Whether the poultry will be a pet or food for your table, or servicing a niche clientele, this treatise covers it all in detail. Well worth the investment of the books cost and also the investment of time to read and study. It clarified where I wanted to go with my future flock!
Great explanation of what it is to raise poultry. Whether the poultry will be a pet or food for your table, or servicing a niche clientele, this treatise covers it all in detail. Well worth the investment of the books cost and also the investment of time to read and study. It clarified where I wanted to go with my future flock!
December 31, 2016
Bar none the best and most thorough, most practical book on poultry husbandry. Relevant to all scales of personal poultry management (ie, not factory farms). Awesome. Like it says on the back, if you buy just one book about chickens, this is it.
February 28, 2023
A superb guide to every aspect of raising backyard poultry. This was my Bible while planning a small flock and building a mobile coop. Nearly a year later, my wife and I are eating eggs every day and enjoying the occasional roasted chicken, and we spend many happy hours of free time watching our flock of Delawares.
March 5, 2018
Everything you need to start raising your own chickens. I borrowed this one from the library but I will most definitely be purchasing it!
April 4, 2018
Such a great resource for a sustainable, small operation of keeping chicks and other birds! I really got a lot of excellent information out if it!
November 21, 2018
A perennial classic I consult every week, if not daily. Imminently readable, re-readable, and a must-have for any flockster's library.
May 4, 2019
Got it from the library, going to buy it to keep as a reference.
January 15, 2020
Good reference for those working with chickens...
July 29, 2020
There is so much useful information and tips and tricks in here!!! I liked his style of writing and how it's organized.
December 30, 2020
This is the most comprehensive guide to raising chickens that anyone could ever ask for. I will be referencing this book regularly for as long as I raise poultry, and I will try to implement as many of his management practices as possible
May 9, 2021
This has to be the BEST book on EVERYTHING you could want to know about keeping chickens. I know I will reach for this many more times in the life of our flock!
November 12, 2021
Chickens!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews