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Keep Chickens! Tending Small Flocks in Cities, Suburbs, and Other Small Spaces
No matter how small your lot is, you can keep chickens and enjoy fresh eggs every morning. Barbara Kilarski shares her passion for poultry as she fills this guide with tips and techniques for successfully raising chickens in small spaces. Spotlighting the self-sufficient pleasures of tending your own flock, Kilarski offers detailed information on everything from choosing breeds that thrive in tight quarters and building coops to providing medical care for sick animals. You’ll have fun as you keep happy and productive chickens.
160 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2003
17 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
November 17, 2009
Good beginning primer, however I question the author's authority. She speaks with "expert opinions" on the best options (for raising chicks properly, what to feed the birds, etc.) but she only has three chickens. Though she did raise them from day-old, it doesn't appear she has any experience with chickens other than her three personal chickens.
She leans toward the traditional and the cautious with respect to raising her birds, but is none-the-less a quick and easy beginner read. It is more a campaign book to convince you that keeping chickens is a good idea than a real down-and-dirty how-to.
She leans toward the traditional and the cautious with respect to raising her birds, but is none-the-less a quick and easy beginner read. It is more a campaign book to convince you that keeping chickens is a good idea than a real down-and-dirty how-to.
September 23, 2021
This was such a cute book! It's a little outdated on information, but I still found it pretty helpful and learned a few things about my chickens! I thoroughly enjoyed Barbara's anecdotes about her own chickens' antics as well. You should definitely give this a read! It's a great starter on knowing the basics of chicken ownership!
April 26, 2013
This is a great book if you're thinking about keeping chickens. The first half will convince you either that it's a good thing or that you don't have the time/space for it. The second half will help you avoid some pitfalls and get you started on a good home for your small flock. If you can get this book from the library, even better, because the book you really want if you *do* decide to keep chickens is Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens.
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December 10, 2024I’m not saying I’m going to start keeping chickens, but I figured I could learn about it. I started with this book because it says it is specifically about keeping chickens in the city, and I live in the city. Author Barbara Kilarski says that raising chickens in the backyard used to be commonplace. Lots of people had a small flock, and, consequently, the knowledge of how to do it was also commonplace. That is probably true.
I think it is appropriate that the title includes an exclamation mark, because Ms Kilarski spends about half the book in giddy, gushing praise of chickens. She herself keeps three hens in the yard of her Portland, Oregon home. She says they are fun, entertaining, affectionate, and the whole neighborhood gets eggs. The whole neighborhood also gets poop-infused bedding straw for their compost, which they are apparently happy about.
Ms Kilarski says that chickens are really not that much work, and they really don’t make a lot of noise, and really aren’t stinky, as long as you keep the coop cleaned out. Then in the second half of the book she gets down to the facts about how to care for chickens, from the time they are little fluff balls under a light in a box in your home, until they are laying eggs in your yard. And, I don’t know, they sure sound like a lot of work to me.
You have to keep them at a relatively constant temperature. They can overheat in summer, so the coop needs ventilation, and maybe a fan and they can freeze in the winter, so the coop needs a warming lamp. They eat and drink voraciously, and will eat anything, so you have to keep an eye out so they don’t eat screws and bits of metal. They poop all over, all the time, so their bedding has to be changed at least once a week. And where are you going to put the old bedding? It makes great fertilizer, but I don’t think I have enough gardening lining up with their wheelbarrows.
And the chickens have to be monitored for diseases. It says that sometimes their eggs get stuck. Warming the chicken under the lights is recommended, but if that doesn’t work, she says to rub the chickens butt with one hand while rubbing its tummy with the other. Who’s up for massaging a chicken butt? Yeah, I would probably do it.
It may be that the positives of keeping chickens outweigh the negatives, but there definitely are negatives.
I think it is appropriate that the title includes an exclamation mark, because Ms Kilarski spends about half the book in giddy, gushing praise of chickens. She herself keeps three hens in the yard of her Portland, Oregon home. She says they are fun, entertaining, affectionate, and the whole neighborhood gets eggs. The whole neighborhood also gets poop-infused bedding straw for their compost, which they are apparently happy about.
Ms Kilarski says that chickens are really not that much work, and they really don’t make a lot of noise, and really aren’t stinky, as long as you keep the coop cleaned out. Then in the second half of the book she gets down to the facts about how to care for chickens, from the time they are little fluff balls under a light in a box in your home, until they are laying eggs in your yard. And, I don’t know, they sure sound like a lot of work to me.
You have to keep them at a relatively constant temperature. They can overheat in summer, so the coop needs ventilation, and maybe a fan and they can freeze in the winter, so the coop needs a warming lamp. They eat and drink voraciously, and will eat anything, so you have to keep an eye out so they don’t eat screws and bits of metal. They poop all over, all the time, so their bedding has to be changed at least once a week. And where are you going to put the old bedding? It makes great fertilizer, but I don’t think I have enough gardening lining up with their wheelbarrows.
And the chickens have to be monitored for diseases. It says that sometimes their eggs get stuck. Warming the chicken under the lights is recommended, but if that doesn’t work, she says to rub the chickens butt with one hand while rubbing its tummy with the other. Who’s up for massaging a chicken butt? Yeah, I would probably do it.
It may be that the positives of keeping chickens outweigh the negatives, but there definitely are negatives.
February 9, 2019
An enjoyable and entertaining introduction to keeping chickens. Exactly what I was looking for as an overview for considering doing this in the future. It is not a step-by-step detailed guide but lots of helpful and interesting info is provided. I particularly liked the author's emphasis on the ties to nature and our natural environment that keeping chickens satisfies.
April 7, 2022
Picked this up at the library book sale and I'm glad I did. It's a fun quick read but I wouldn't say there's anything new and groundbreaking in here that you couldn't pick up by scrolling through Pinterest or Instagram.
If you don't know anything about keeping a backyard flock you'll enjoy this book as a starter to get you hooked.
If you don't know anything about keeping a backyard flock you'll enjoy this book as a starter to get you hooked.
May 11, 2017
Simple and to the point. Good information for the novice. Older (2003) so some of the selected city municipal codes may be out of date. However all black-n-white with little pictures (more drawings) so it's hard to get an idea of the various chicken breeds when comparing.
March 11, 2020
Far too many bad chicken puns and random chatty asides; this book doesn't seem as up-to-date with chicken care as others I've recently read.
June 5, 2020
Very good resource.
September 6, 2022
I love how this looks old fashioned inside
July 7, 2013
"They stop peeping only when they sleep, which they do suddenly and without warning. Sleeping comes naturally and abruptly to chicks. To sleep, the baby chicks simply fall down wherever they are standing and peeping, and they close their tiny chick eyes.
"The first time I saw a chick asleep in a cage, I had such a scare. I thought she was dead. She was lying face down , wings slightly opened and splayed away from her body, looking lifeless. I tentatively touched her through the wire and she popped up, peeping, and ran to the food tray while pooping. Whew. If you see your chicks lying this way, don't panic. They may scare you to death the first time you see them lying there on the bottom of the brooder like a cottonball carcass, but they are probably just taking a quick nap."
This is a fun and entertaining book that is a urban-folksy and trimmed-down rehash of the Storey's Guide Raising Chickens with the exact same illustrations throughout. It's a fun intro and got me feeling confident enough to go forward, but I have other books I like better and more importantly real people locally who have helped me make decisions about feed, equipment, socializing, and accommodations on the fly (heh). In typical fashion, we brought chicks home before we knew anything or had anything ready. This book provided me with an excellent (false) sense of competency—just what I needed to finally get off the fence (heh heh) and commit to doing the most awesome thing I almost never got around to doing. So, kudos for that, Barbara Kikarski!
"The first time I saw a chick asleep in a cage, I had such a scare. I thought she was dead. She was lying face down , wings slightly opened and splayed away from her body, looking lifeless. I tentatively touched her through the wire and she popped up, peeping, and ran to the food tray while pooping. Whew. If you see your chicks lying this way, don't panic. They may scare you to death the first time you see them lying there on the bottom of the brooder like a cottonball carcass, but they are probably just taking a quick nap."
This is a fun and entertaining book that is a urban-folksy and trimmed-down rehash of the Storey's Guide Raising Chickens with the exact same illustrations throughout. It's a fun intro and got me feeling confident enough to go forward, but I have other books I like better and more importantly real people locally who have helped me make decisions about feed, equipment, socializing, and accommodations on the fly (heh). In typical fashion, we brought chicks home before we knew anything or had anything ready. This book provided me with an excellent (false) sense of competency—just what I needed to finally get off the fence (heh heh) and commit to doing the most awesome thing I almost never got around to doing. So, kudos for that, Barbara Kikarski!
June 8, 2009
I was hoping for more. All of the sparse information included in the book is fairly easily available on the internet. I was hoping for a list of things the chickens cannot eat, or things that they can. Or a description of nest boxes beyond a simple definition. Or something more accurate than "supplies and equipment for a simple coop and henhouse can run as low as $100." A quick search on the internet will show dozens of examples of people making them for cheaper with reused materials.
The best advice in the book is kind of counterproductive for book sales. "If you are computer shy, read the books at the library to get you started. Great books about keeping chickens are available at all good bookstores, feed and supply stores, and yard and garden shops." I would have thought though, that if one had bought this book, one would assume that this would be a great book about keeping chickens. It isn't.
I have a coworker who's trying to talk her husband into raising chickens. This book would be good for her to give to him, as it is a good *intro* to get someone interested in chicken keeping.
The best advice in the book is kind of counterproductive for book sales. "If you are computer shy, read the books at the library to get you started. Great books about keeping chickens are available at all good bookstores, feed and supply stores, and yard and garden shops." I would have thought though, that if one had bought this book, one would assume that this would be a great book about keeping chickens. It isn't.
I have a coworker who's trying to talk her husband into raising chickens. This book would be good for her to give to him, as it is a good *intro* to get someone interested in chicken keeping.
September 13, 2013
Although I haven't actually tried out any of the advice in this book, it seems like a good primer on starting to raise chickens, especially if you are getting your start in the city. She tends to spend a good amount of time focused on chickens as pets, even going so far as to suggest that even if you don't want chickens for eggs or meat, you may still enjoy them as pets. Maybe I'm just too practically minded, but I thought that was a bit goofy. On the other hand, I did enjoy some of the stories of the hijinks her chickens got into.
The book covers the basics on choosing and ordering or buying chicks, breeds, building a coop/henhouse, caring for chicks, feeding and caring for chickens, what to expect from neighbors and the law, and even some recipes to use up your eggs. I think I'm going to want to look at a book that's more detailed in some areas, but this is definitely a good start and a quick read.
The book covers the basics on choosing and ordering or buying chicks, breeds, building a coop/henhouse, caring for chicks, feeding and caring for chickens, what to expect from neighbors and the law, and even some recipes to use up your eggs. I think I'm going to want to look at a book that's more detailed in some areas, but this is definitely a good start and a quick read.
June 3, 2008
This is a pretty good introductory work for those interested in cheap and great tasting eggs, reducing their carbon footprint, and simplifying life.
Keep Chickens finds its greatest contribution to suburban agriculturalist literature by showing just how simple and easy it is to incorporate a small flock of hens (2-3 birds) into the tiniest backyard. Her enthusiasm for the subject is contagious, and one can certainly tell that she loves "her Girls" and her lifestyle. The writing occasionally reads like a "stream of consciousness" at the expense of concision (esp. for an introductory reference) but the book as a whole is valuable and mildly entertaining, nonetheless.
Keep Chickens finds its greatest contribution to suburban agriculturalist literature by showing just how simple and easy it is to incorporate a small flock of hens (2-3 birds) into the tiniest backyard. Her enthusiasm for the subject is contagious, and one can certainly tell that she loves "her Girls" and her lifestyle. The writing occasionally reads like a "stream of consciousness" at the expense of concision (esp. for an introductory reference) but the book as a whole is valuable and mildly entertaining, nonetheless.
November 12, 2007
This is my second reading of this book...which I view more as a reference piece than just enjoyable reading. We intend on raising chickens in the coming year and are both learning as much as we can. This resource is especially valuable as the author is from Seattle and knows what our specific environment is like - which is a good resource for selecting chicken species and with regards to coop design for wetter weather.
December 2, 2007
It's so easy! A quick read that will be interesting even to those who don't have any (yet...). It tells the tale how just a few short decades ago everyone had hens in their yard and how this turned into something to be ashamed of: that you could not afford to purchase your eggs from a market. Then move on to a simple guide for building your own coop to hen healthcare. Amazing how much one clove of garlic can cure!
November 20, 2010
It was ok. I can't imagine thinking a person who only has three chickens should write a book on chicken keeping. There are way better resources out there.
However, it's relatively amusing, and if you happen upon it in library shelves, you can check it out and read through it quickly. If I had had the chance, I would have spent the money I used on this book on a subscription to Mother Earth or something more useful.
However, it's relatively amusing, and if you happen upon it in library shelves, you can check it out and read through it quickly. If I had had the chance, I would have spent the money I used on this book on a subscription to Mother Earth or something more useful.
May 6, 2011
Great book for an intro to keeping chickens in the city. Fortunately I don't live in the City - but the chapter on chicken keeping laws was interesting. I had no idea how hard some cities make it to keep chickens. Make me want to fight some of those laws and help my city friends keep chickens! And it just overall was packed with good advice and information. Will stay on my reference shelf for some time to come.
September 18, 2011
I was just looking for a little updating on my current chicken knowledge. The book was okay. Informative but not my favorite writing. She loves her chickens like over-indulged persian cats and that's a little much for me. This is really for people who live in the city and want to keep two or three hens. I have a flock of thirteen and would have liked more general information for larger flocks of chickens. Her chicken names were funny; Zsa-Zsa, Lucy and Whoopee.
May 8, 2016
Anything you want to know about undertaking urban chicken raising can be found in this informative, fun read. The author talks about the reasons the idea has become popular (fresh eggs, pest control, and pets!), as well as the yard space they require, the food they need, as well as the kinds of places you can provide for them. Particularly interesting are the photos and brief explanations of the breeds, including I formation of their general disposition.
May 25, 2008
If you can stand the corny chicken puns page after page after page, then I recommend the book. It has solidly good information, but I disapprove heartily of the recommended 'pest control' techniques. Don't use rat poison anywhere near where domesticated animals or wildlife could access it, for cryin' out loud!!
October 29, 2008
The Easter Bunny put this book in my basket a few years ago, and after reading it, I got chickens. My three girls are very sweet, so I would recommend that everyone read this book and get their own pet chickens. It has tips on many aspects of chicken care, from coop building to rat control, and always considers chickens to be pets and egg layers, not meat.
February 18, 2009
I really enjoyed this book. I remember keeping chickens as a child and saw it as a nasty business with equally nasty animals. However, I have considered having a very small flock and got this book. It was refreshing to read suggestions from someone who absolutely loves it, and shows how you can have beautiful companions, with a neat coop, and a great time.
March 12, 2009
This book was much more "chickens as pets" oriented than the others I've read thus far and advocates keeping hens for their natural lives. Very practical and detailed - with the exception of coop design. I would like to visit this book if I get serious about the chicken project. Definitely oriented to the urban chicken raiser.
August 22, 2009
This slim book is a good, clean beginners book to "urban" chicken keeping. It's nice because shes' coming from a chicken as part of the family (that just HAPPENS to pay for its keep in eggs) and not just as a livestock/ egg laying machine. her writing is clever and light and the arrangement is nice. recommend for those intersted in chicken keeping.
January 22, 2010
I can't WAIT to keep my own chickens! This book is great because it's:
1. informative
2. entertaining
3. helpful
4. a quick read!
5. probably other reasons I'm missing
Learn all the basics about keeping a small backyard of city chickens, and enjoy learning it. A fantastic guide for the beginner, especially one who doesn't want to read an encyclopedia.
1. informative
2. entertaining
3. helpful
4. a quick read!
5. probably other reasons I'm missing
Learn all the basics about keeping a small backyard of city chickens, and enjoy learning it. A fantastic guide for the beginner, especially one who doesn't want to read an encyclopedia.
May 19, 2010
I should probably hold off on reviewing this until after I've read some more information on keeping chickens. I will say, the anecdotes are sweet and the information seems good. I think it's an introduction to the topic, and I will certainly need to hit some more "reference"-type books before I take the plunge. However, I learned a lot, and I enjoyed the read.
March 22, 2013
Easy read. I read it in two hours. Simple, easy to find information. Persuasive in its simpleness because she tells you one way to do things and is always reinforcing how easy an urban chicken flock is. Gives you the basics that will get you started and keep your chickens alive (she really discourages eating your pet chickens), but sends you to the book with all the answers.
January 17, 2008
I learned how to keep chickens in my yard, just as the book says! This book is easy to read, funny, practical, encouraging, and lots of fun. It was my only manual for small-scale chicken-raising, and we've kept hens for five or six years now.
May 30, 2011
The woman who wrote this book has way too much money to spend on her hobby, and assumes that her readers will as well. . . I want chickens cuz I'm broke, not cuz I want to spend hundreds of dollars on something fun so I can donate my excess eggs to a homeless or women's shelter.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews