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How to Raise Chickens: Everything You Need to Know, Updated & Revised Third Edition
Whether you want to raise 5 chickens or 50, have a 40-foot city lot or a 40-acre farm, the expert advice in Future Farmers of America (FFA)–licensed How to Raise Chickens makes it easy for young readers and beginners to get started raising a healthy flock.
Whichever comes first for you, the chicken or the egg, this book shows what to do next with the help of longtime chicken breeder Christine Heinrichs, who explains all the helpful dos and important don'ts. Easy-to-follow advice helps How to Raise Chickens provides information on breed types , obtaining stock , housing , feeding , flock management , breeding programs , incubation and care of chicks , selection and culling , showing , health care , and the legal aspects of raising chickens . Reviewed and approved by Dr. Clint Rusk (Purdue University Associate Professor in the Youth Development and Agriculture Education Department), this book will give you the tools you need to succeed in raising these challenging but rewarding animals.
Beautifully designed and authoritatively written, How to Raise Chickens is a trusted source of information to new chicken keepers of all ages, sure to inspire further investigation of the hobby.
Whichever comes first for you, the chicken or the egg, this book shows what to do next with the help of longtime chicken breeder Christine Heinrichs, who explains all the helpful dos and important don'ts. Easy-to-follow advice helps How to Raise Chickens provides information on breed types , obtaining stock , housing , feeding , flock management , breeding programs , incubation and care of chicks , selection and culling , showing , health care , and the legal aspects of raising chickens . Reviewed and approved by Dr. Clint Rusk (Purdue University Associate Professor in the Youth Development and Agriculture Education Department), this book will give you the tools you need to succeed in raising these challenging but rewarding animals.
Beautifully designed and authoritatively written, How to Raise Chickens is a trusted source of information to new chicken keepers of all ages, sure to inspire further investigation of the hobby.
216 pages, Paperback
Published January 8, 2019
3 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 19, 2019
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
How to Raise Chickens: Everything You Need to Know is an updated re-release of a guide from 2007 for the FFA. Reformatted and updated, this edition was released 8th Jan 2019 by Quarto on their Voyageur imprint. It's 216 pages and available in ebook and paperback formats.
The FFA textbooks and guides have always been high quality and sensibly written in my opinion. Between them and the Storey's publications, folks wanting to increase their food security and independence have a rich selection of good guidance at their fingertips.
This book on chickens covers literally everything I could think of to ask. We've had a home flock for years and even looking through my garden journals and notes, I couldn't find any problems we've encountered which weren't discussed in this guide.
There's a lot of information here. Happily, it's very logically divided and there's a complete cross-referenced index. There's also a resource list (slanted toward North America) with some online resources.
Well written, no-nonsense, scientifically accurate, and complete, this is a really solid resource for both beginner and experienced keepers.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
How to Raise Chickens: Everything You Need to Know is an updated re-release of a guide from 2007 for the FFA. Reformatted and updated, this edition was released 8th Jan 2019 by Quarto on their Voyageur imprint. It's 216 pages and available in ebook and paperback formats.
The FFA textbooks and guides have always been high quality and sensibly written in my opinion. Between them and the Storey's publications, folks wanting to increase their food security and independence have a rich selection of good guidance at their fingertips.
This book on chickens covers literally everything I could think of to ask. We've had a home flock for years and even looking through my garden journals and notes, I couldn't find any problems we've encountered which weren't discussed in this guide.
There's a lot of information here. Happily, it's very logically divided and there's a complete cross-referenced index. There's also a resource list (slanted toward North America) with some online resources.
Well written, no-nonsense, scientifically accurate, and complete, this is a really solid resource for both beginner and experienced keepers.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
January 22, 2019
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.
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.
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.
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.
February 4, 2019
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.
This review is part of a blog post: https://patch405.com/2019/02/02/chick...
I received an advance copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This review is part of a blog post: https://patch405.com/2019/02/02/chick...
I received an advance copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 26, 2022
As someone intrigued with the idea of raising chickens, I have to admit, How To Raise Chickens was exactly what I needed. It was honest, informative, and goes into some details that new chickens owners need to hear. It clarifies that it is hard work but rewarding and even goes into some of the details I would have never even considered about owning chickens. I also didn’t know there were many different varieties, learning that we move further north; the varieties I need to consider are more cold-weather hardy. Coming from a farm community and having friends on farms, I thought I had a realistic view of things, and some of it was more manageable than I had considered (they had hundreds of chickens). Overall, I highly recommend that anyone who wants to raise chickens consider purchasing this book!
February 1, 2019
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.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews