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Books that we think will help you keep some hens at home in the garden.
We've rated
them on the basis of how useful we find them. Following the link to to Amazon
does not commit you to buying but you can find more details on the individual
book, other people's reviews etc. If you buy from Amazon via the links
here they pay us a small commission, which helps pay our hosting costs.
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The Right Way to Keep Chickens
By: Virginia Shirt
Straightforward information from someone who obviously loves keeping chickens and knows her subject well. It covers all you need to know to get going with some hens in the backgarden.
It's not got fancy photographs but every page is stuffed with what you need to know. Read it twice and then keep it on the shelf for reference.
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Starting with Chickens
By: Katie Thear
Katie Thear has been keeping poultry for many years, I recall reading her articles in the 1970s! This book is solid information, no fluff. It's a book for someone who wants to keep chickens but doesn't want to wade through chatter to find out how.
A little dated in its format, but that doesn't really matter.
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Keeping Pet Chickens
By: Johannes Paul & William Windham
I'm tempted to say "Does what it says on the tin" or cover in this case. It's really designed for those interested in keeping 3 or 4 laying hens as pets in the back garden. Nothing wrong with that at all.
Its contents includes: basic anatomy, breeds, housing and runs, food, garden preparation, the 1st day home, eggs, daily routines, seasonal tips, cleaning, chicken handling, chicken behaviour, health and breeding.
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Choosing and Keeping Chickens
By: Chris Graham
Written in association with Practical Poultry magazine, this is a great book that surprises me by not being more popular. It covers the basics well and has a fantastic section on the different breeds of chicken available with great photographs.
Strongly recommended.
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Keeping Chickens: The Essential Guide to Enjoying and Getting the Best from Chickens
By: Jeremy Hobson & Celia Lewis
A pretty solid guide for the new chicken keeper, covers all you need to know to get going. A little bit mid-Atlantic, I think it's trying to cover both the US and UK markets but nonetheless worthwhile.
Lots of nice photographs but a little light on hard facts in some places.
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Hens in the Garden, Eggs in the Kitchen
By: Charlotte Popescu
The first part of the book gives an introduction to chicken keeping and includes chapters on housing, feeding, egg laying, hatching chicks plus information on breeds and common ailments. The second half contains egg recipes with helpful ideas for surplus eggs and left over yolks or whites. Savoury and sweet recipes include tarts, souffles, mousses, cakes, Swiss rolls, Ice creams, roulades and meringues. The book is illustrated with black and white drawings and with an 8 page colour section.
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The Urban Hen
By: Paul Peacock
Paul's produced an excellent guide for the new chicken keeper - it covers the basics in a no-nonsense practical way. The book is sub-titled: A Practical Guide to Keeping Poultry in a Town or City and that's an accurate description.
There's a few small points I'm not sure he's right on, but nothing that would send the backyard chicken keeper in the wrong direction.
A definate "Buy Me!"
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Poultry: A Guide to Management
By: Carol Twinch
Back when this was written in 1985 it would have been a 5 star book but it's dated badly now, despite a revision in 1998.
It's one of those books that's worth a skim if you find it in a second hand shop for a pound but there's too much out of date to make it worth buying at full price now.
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