Keeping Pet Chickens: Bring Your Garden to Life And Enjoy the Bounty of Fresh Eggs from Your Own Small Flock of Happy Hens

by Paul, Johannes; Windham, William; Stahlkuppe, Joe

• ISBN13: 9780764132629
• ISBN10: 0764132628
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-06-06
• Publisher: Barrons Educational Series Inc

Summary

When fresh eggs are needed for the kitchen, what could be better than going out to the back yard and collecting them, courtesy of home-bred chickens? Food simply doesn't come any fresher, and the good news is that keeping two or three chickens is quite easy. They don't require farmland or much special equipment, and today's modern chicken houses are designed so that anyone with even a little backyard space can keep chickens. The authors of this enlightening new book offer essential advice, provide the basic, easy-to-follow chicken-raising facts, and present their information in clear jargon-free text. Keeping Pet Chickensis arranged as a series of clearly-captioned pictorial spreads, each of which focuses on a particular topic of importance to chicken owners. Topics covered include pure breeds and hybrid chicken varieties, maintaining daily routines, catching and handling hens, keeping chickens in good health, and much more. Sidebars on every two-page spread present additional information and fascinating facts about chickens and chicken raising. Approximately 100 color photos.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 6
Basic Anatomy	p. 8
Pure Breeds	p. 12
Crossbreed Varieties	p. 18
Bantams	p. 22
Traditional Chicken Houses	p. 26
A 21st-Century Chicken House	p. 30
The Run	p. 32
Food and Water	p. 34
Preparing Your Backyard	p. 36
Buying a Chicken	p. 38
The First Day at Home	p. 40
Eggs	p. 42
Chickens' Daily Routine	p. 44
Seasonal Tips	p. 46
Keeping Things Clean	p. 48
How to Handle a Chicken	p. 50
Chicken Behavior	p. 52
Making a Health Check	p. 54
Health Care	p. 56
Raising Chickens	p. 58
Glossary	p. 60
Index	p. 62
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