Raising chickens can be a rewarding and practical venture whether you’re an experienced homesteader or just starting your journey toward self-sufficiency. Chickens provide fresh eggs and meat, offer pest control, and produce rich fertilizer for your garden.
But how do you ensure their health and happiness? How do you build the perfect coop? Or choose the right breed? The answer to all these questions and more lies in the comprehensive guidebooks that we believe are the best for raising chickens for homesteaders. These books are a treasure trove of wisdom, delivering all the knowledge you need to embark on this rewarding journey of raising chickens.
Here are our top picks for the best books on raising chickens for homesteaders:
Backyard Chickens Book Review:
A Practical Handbook to Raising Chickens By Claire Woods
This book is penned by the fourth-generation chicken keeper Claire Woods and stands out as a wealth of wisdom packed into a single volume. Woods’ authoritative guide offers an expansive and practical knowledge base for anyone venturing into raising chickens. The book covers various topics, from selecting the perfect chicken breed to feeding protocols for maintaining healthy hens.
The handbook delves further into the intricacies of ensuring healthy egg laying and understanding chicken behavior, including the often-overlooked problem of bullying among chickens. Woods also leverages her expertise to guide readers on treating common chicken health issues, making this a comprehensive guide for chicken health management.
From novices embarking on their first poultry-raising expedition to seasoned veterans, this handbook caters to readers at varying stages of experience by providing differing levels of detail to keep all engaged. The full-color photos and illustrations embedded throughout the book serve as specific pointers, shedding light on chicken anatomy, health, and behavior, thus enriching the reader’s understanding. In essence, “Backyard Chickens: A Practical Handbook to Raising Chickens” is a must-have resource for every homesteader’s library.
Gardening with Chickens Book Review:
Plans and Plants for You and Your Hens By Lisa Steele
Venturing into the harmonious world where gardens and chickens coexist, we discover Lisa Steele’s “Gardening with Chickens: Plans and Plants for You and Your Hens.” Steele, a renowned chicken keeper and founder of Fresh Eggs Daily, takes readers on a unique journey, beginning with meticulous planning for a garden and providing strategies to keep plants safe while they grow.
The book invites readers to plant with purpose, offering a selection of twelve theme garden plans, such as the ‘Orange Egg Yolks’ or ‘Nesting Box Herbs.’ Alternatively, Steele encourages designing an abundant edible garden for your family and feathered friends. The pleasure of this journey unfolds as readers reap their harvests, even allowing the chickens to graze, adding fun to homesteading chores.
Steele’s friendly narrative and inspiring photos and illustrations motivate readers to get their hands dirty with garden tools. The author also addresses topics specifically for chicken keepers, including composting with chickens, using chickens for aeration and tilling, coop window boxes, plants to avoid when keeping chickens, and much more. Besides, she lists the most valuable crops and herbs and advises harvesting and using these plants.
“Gardening with Chickens” is a gardening book and an insightful guide to a harmonious homesteading lifestyle. Whether you’re an experienced chicken keeper, a seasoned gardener, or a beginner in these two hobbies, this book is an indispensable asset. The practical knowledge and the joy derived from it resonates with its readers, making it a must-add to every homesteader’s books list.
How To Speak Chicken Book Review:
Why Your Chickens Do What They Do & Say What They Say By Melissa Caughey
Melissa Caughey’s bestseller, “How To Speak Chicken”, is a delightful discovery for anyone who has ever marveled at the secret lives of chickens. A cherished pet for many, chickens are not just intriguing to observe but also provide fascinating insights into their world when we take the time to understand them.
Melissa, an established author and chicken enthusiast, has spent countless hours among the flock, and her experiences have culminated in this quirky, irresistible guide. She takes readers on an enlightening journey through the unique world of chickens, deciphering their behavior, communication methods, and their understanding of the world around them through their senses.
The book is a compelling blend of firsthand observations, scientific findings, and interviews with fellow chicken enthusiasts. Caughey unravels the enigmatic world of chickens, answering questions that might surprise even seasoned chicken keepers. How do chickens name each other? How do they perceive the world through their eyes? How do they learn?
Every page of this Silver Award Winner at the Foreword INDIES contains insights about these feathered friends that will captivate readers. Whether you are a seasoned chicken keeper or just starting, “How To Speak Chicken” is a must-read. It offers a deep dive into the intricate social dynamics within the flock, thereby enriching your chicken-keeping experience. This wonderful guide promises a newfound appreciation for these fascinating creatures and is a valuable addition to your library.
The Chicken Health Handbook book Review:
A Complete Guide to Maximizing Flock Health and Dealing with Disease By Gail Damerow
“Chicken Health Handbook, 2nd Edition” by Gail Damerow is an invaluable guide that addresses the health issues that affect chickens of all breeds and ages. This unique reference book provides practical charts that identify common symptoms and causes of infection alongside an alphabetic listing of diseases with treatment advice. From poor egg production to crooked toe syndrome, this book offers insightful descriptions of various ailments and practical remedies for them.
Gail Damerow, who operates a family farm in Tennessee with her husband, brings a wealth of experience to this book. She has written extensively on raising livestock, growing fruits and vegetables, and related rural skills; she shares her knowledge and expertise through her books and blog.
This edition goes beyond merely updating the 1994 Chicken Health Handbook. It is a completely modernized and recalibrated guide, making it a distinct and standalone title. Damerow has kept abreast of innovations, advances, and trends in chicken management, making this book more than just a guide to chicken health—it encourages thoughtful and informed decision-making in chicken care.
The book has pragmatic health-keeping information that embraces a holistic wellness model. It provides troubleshooting tools and a wide array of real-world solutions based on solid science. Damerow’s approach to chicken care is refreshingly grounded in reality. She presents facts, allowing readers to make science-based decisions for their flocks. She emphasizes that alternative remedies are not a cure-all but can be effective when used appropriately.
In short, the “Chicken Health Handbook, 2nd Edition” is an indispensable resource for every chicken keeper. It balances traditional wisdom with a modern understanding of chicken health. This book is a must-have for anyone seeking authoritative and accurate chicken-keeping information. It’s a gift to those passionate about caring for their chickens.
Chicken Health For Dummies Book Review
This masterpiece provides everything a chicken owner needs to ensure the health and happiness of their flock. This book is written by renowned experts in the field. It combines practical advice with accessible, user-friendly information about common and uncommon chicken diseases, injuries, symptoms, and treatments.
The guide stands out for its nuanced approach to chicken well-being, which includes effective strategies to diagnose and treat various ailments and detailed suggestions on maintaining chickens in optimal condition. The book’s strength lies in its balance between being a reference manual and an easily navigable guide, making it an invaluable resource for chicken owners of any experience level.
Furthermore, the book is lauded for successfully teaching the reader how to thoroughly examine their chickens to identify and isolate potential health issues before they can affect the entire flock. This proactive approach enhances the book’s practicality, underscoring its role as a genuinely all-inclusive resource.
If you want quality advice on maintaining your chickens in top form, then “Chicken Health For Dummies” is the book for you. It provides clear and concise information that will help new chicken owners learn the fundamentals of caring for their birds and more experienced owners stay up-to-date on industry best practices. Whether choosing a breed, caring for chicks, or dealing with parasites, this book provides all the information you need to be a responsible and successful chicken keeper.
How To Raise Chickens Book Review:
Everything You Need to Know, Updated & Revised (FFA)
“How to Raise Chickens,” licensed by Future Farmers of America (FFA), is an invaluable guide for beginners and young readers interested in raising chickens, whether on a 40-foot city lot or a 40-acre farm. The book’s expert advice simplifies starting and maintaining a healthy flock, regardless of size.
The author, Christine Heinrichs, a seasoned chicken breeder, provides practical advice, highlighting essential dos and don’ts in chicken rearing. The reader-friendly guidance offered in this book covers the following:
- Choosing breeds and obtaining stock.
- Housing and feeding chickens.
- Managing your flock and ensuring its health.
- Selecting and culling for breeding programs.
- Incubating eggs and caring for chicks.
- Raising chickens in different environments: the country, suburbs, or city.
“How to Raise Chickens” presents comprehensive information on various breed types, stock acquisition, housing, and feeding protocols, flock management, breeding programs, chick care, selection and culling, showing health care, and the legal aspects of raising chickens.
The content has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Clint Rusk, an Associate Professor in the Youth Development and Agriculture Education Department at Purdue University. This endorsement assures readers that the book equips them with the necessary tools to succeed in raising these rewarding but challenging animals.
Elegant in design and authoritative in content, “How to Raise Chickens” is a reliable source of information for new chicken keepers of all ages. The book is sure to inspire further exploration of this engaging hobby.
Fresh Eggs Daily Book Review:
Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens_Naturally By Lisa Steele
It is a timely and invaluable resource for novice and seasoned chicken keepers in today’s environment, where food quality and safety are paramount. Steele, a fifth-generation chicken keeper with over a decade of practical experience, has crafted an authoritative guide covering all aspects of raising backyard chickens—from designing coops and nesting boxes to planning runs and choosing feed.
Steele’s approach is firmly rooted in natural health care, and she strongly advocates for the therapeutic value of herbs, edible flowers, and natural supplements in maintaining a healthy environment for chickens. Her methods aim to keep chickens content, active, and in optimal health without using chemicals and antibiotics.
The book goes beyond providing practical tips—it also emphasizes the joy of raising chickens and the companionship they offer. Moreover, it addresses a growing trend of self-sustainability as Americans increasingly turn to raising chickens for eggs.
Whether you’re just starting out with your first flock or are a seasoned chicken keeper, Steele’s insights and advice are invaluable. “Fresh Eggs Daily” is a book for our times, providing practical guidance on achieving food security right in our backyards.
Final Thoughts
By now, it is easy to see that chicken-keeping has evolved into an enjoyable and rewarding hobby. Anyone can become a successful chicken keeper between the wide variety of books about the subject and the ever-growing community of passionate enthusiasts.
The key is to start with reliable sources like those reviewed above, from which you can build your knowledge base and form your own methods and strategies. With the right resources, raising chickens can be a rewarding experience for you and your feathered friends. So get out there and get started!
Most cities, towns, or counties have ordinances for raising backyard chickens. It is important to familiarize yourself with these laws before starting a flock. Local regulations often limit the number of chickens allowed, require permits or licenses, and set specific parameters for how they should be kept. It is also important to consider the noise level of different breeds before purchasing any chicks. Some breeds may be noisier than others, which can be a nuisance in residential areas.
Moreover, you must check with local animal control officials to ensure you can legally own chickens in your area. Once you have done the necessary research and are confident in your decision to raise backyard chickens, you’re ready to enjoy all the benefits of it!
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