There are many benefits to keeping chickens. They produce fresh eggs and meat for your family; they provide natural fertilizer for plants in the garden; they’re a great teaching tool about where food comes from – and who doesn’t like fresh eggs? Today we are talking about five of our favorite books on backyard chicken farming. These books are a great resource to help you get started with everything from how to care for your new feathered friends to what breeds are best suited for different climates. So go ahead, take some time out of your day to enjoy these beautiful birds and all their yummy rewards!
(Hint: this is not a sponsored post, just books I’ve personally found helpful)
Why Read Backyard Chicken Books?
The internet is an endless source of information. Even here, I try to provide relevant and reliable information to help you on your chicken-keeping journey. So why would I suggest offline sources of information for you? I am a self-taught backyard flock-keeping enthusiast, and while some of my knowledge has come directly from my own experiences, much has been sourced from books that I consider to be the most reliable and complete sources of information related to chicken keeping. These books are highly researched by experts and well-known authorities in the chicken-keeping field.
Should You Buy or Borrow These Chicken Keeping Books?
I am a huge fan of my local library, but they don’t always have books I am looking for available, and some books I just want to keep for my own reference because you never know when a situation you’re unsure of how to deal with will pop up! If you want to start building your chicken keeping book library slowly, or only want to keep one or two books I highly recommend purchasing Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens and The Chicken Health Handbook. These books are an amazing resource to have available & I consider these them ESSENTIAL for chicken keepers!
5 Best Backyard Chicken Books That You MUST Read
- Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, 4th Edition: Breed Selection, Facilities, Feeding, Health Care, Managing Layers & Meat Birds
- Fresh Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens...Naturally
- The Chicken Health Handbook, 2nd Edition: A Complete Guide to Maximizing Flock Health and Dealing with Disease
- The Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens: How to Raise a Happy Backyard Flock (Raising Chickens Guide)
- Backyard Chickens: A Practical Handbook to Raising Chickens
Storey Publishing is known for their practical and informative books that have been a trusted resource to generations of gardeners. In Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, author Gail Damerow shares her knowledge on how to raise chickens and the basics of their care. The book is broken down into six sections: planning your coop; choosing breeds; building or buying a coop; feed and feeding equipment; health concerns in poultry farming; and marketing your eggs. This book has all the information you need to get started raising chickens at home!
When you think about raising chickens, do you picture a traditional farm with hens roaming freely and laying eggs in the ground? If so, this book is for you. Fresh Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens Naturally Book Review by fellow blogger Lisa Steele is just what any modern-day chicken owner needs to know.Author Lisa Steele has spent years researching and developing her methods of raising healthy chickens naturally on small farms and in backyards. This book teaches readers how to provide fresh food sources such as insects, vegetables and fruits for their flock while also educating them on natural ways to keep their birds clean and happy without chemicals or antibiotics.
The Chicken Health Handbook, 2nd Edition is a complete guide to maximizing flock health and dealing with disease. This book contains everything you need to know about keeping your chickens happy and healthy. It covers topics such as raising chicks, identifying symptoms of diseases in adult birds, prevention techniques for common illnesses like coccidiosis and influenza, how to treat sick animals without veterinary care, extensive resource lists for medications and supplements that can be purchased online or locally at feed stores or farm supply outlets. Packed with detailed illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions on every aspect of chicken healthcare this is the perfect handbook for all backyard farmers who want their flocks to thrive!
If you're thinking about raising chickens in your backyard, this book has everything you need to know! Author Anne Kuo shares her knowledge and experience with readers. Ahe starts by explaining the benefits of raising chickens, including how they can provide fresh eggs, fertilizer for your garden, a way to keep pests away from your crops and much more. The next chapter covers chicken breeds - which ones are best for laying eggs or providing meat? After that there's all sorts of information on housing, feed sources and caretaking. There's also some great coop! All together it makes for an excellent guide to getting started with raising backyard chickens.
The Backyard Chickens: A Practical Handbook to Raising Chickens is a great book for anyone that wants to learn more about raising chickens. This book covers everything from the basics of chicken coops and nesting boxes, to caring for chickens with illnesses or injuries. The author also goes over important topics like how to manage your flock and dealing with predators. If you are interested in raising chickens, this is a must read!
So, what books have you found helpful? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear about your experience with these chicken keeping books. What other topics or resources do you find useful for raising healthy and happy chickens?