Keeping chickens for dummies

✍ Scribed by Ludlow, Rob; Riggs, Pammy; Willis, Kimberley

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 435
• Edition: UK Edition
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Practical how-to advice for keeping chickens

 

''For me, raising chickens, for eggs and meat, has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of our family farm. I am a great admirer of ''chicken whisperer'' Pammy Riggs, and with her two co-authors she has produced an admirably thorough guide to enjoying the pleasures and avoiding the pitfalls of keeping chickens. Get the book, and take the feathery plunge!''
- Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall 

 

Keeping Chickens For Dummies provides you with an introduction to all aspects of keeping chickens, from constructing a hutch to the correct feeding regime. It offers expert advice straight from the River Cottage ‘Chicken Whisperer', so whether you're looking to raise chickens for eggs, meat, or just the entertainment value and fun - Keeping Chickens For Dummies is the perfect place to start.

Keeping Chickens For Dummies:

• Shows you how to keep chickens in different conditions
• Offers guidance on choosing and purchasing chickens
• Gives great step-by-step advice on constructing the right housing
• Provides expert advice on how to feed and care for your chickens

✦ Table of Contents

Content: Introduction 1 Part I: Choosing Chickens 7 Chapter 1: Enjoying Chicken-Keeping 9 Chapter 2: Understanding Basic Chicken Biology and Behaviour 23 Chapter 3: Getting Familiar with Chicken Breeds 41 Chapter 4: Buying Chickens59 Part II: Housing Your Flock 79 Chapter 5: Going House Hunting for Your Chickens 81 Chapter 6: Designing and Constructing Chicken Housing 105 Chapter 7: Furnishing and Housekeeping 129 Part III: Caring for Your Flock: General Management 145 Chapter 8: Feeding Your Flock 147 Chapter 9: Controlling Pests and Predators 173 Chapter 10: Keeping Your Flock Happy and Healthy 189 Chapter 11: Handling Health Problems 209 Part IV: Breeding: The Chicken and the Egg 237 Chapter 12: Breeding Your Chickens 239 Chapter 13: Incubating Eggs and Hatching Chicks 259 Chapter 14: Raising Chicks 289 Part V: Considering Special Management Issues 313 Chapter 15: Looking After Layers and Collecting Eggs 315 Chapter 16: Managing Meat Birds 341 Chapter 17: Taking Meat Birds through D-Day 351 Part VI: The Part of Tens 379 Chapter 18: More than Ten Tips for Keeping Healthy, Stress-Free Chickens 381 Chapter 19: More than Ten Misconceptions about Chickens and Eggs 387 Index 393