The Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens: How to Raise a Happy Backyard Flock

by Anne Kuo

Overview

A beginner's guide to ruling the roost and raising happy backyard chickens

The Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens makes it easy to start keeping these surprisingly smart birds right in your own backyard. From constructing coops to rearing chicks, you'll learn everything you need to know to make sure your chickens stay happy and healthy all year round.

Which breed of chicken is right for you? What's the best bedding material? What sort of feed should you use? Expert chicken keeper Anne Kuo answers these questions—and many others—in this fun and friendly reference book that will get you excited to raise your new feathered friends.

This book on raising chickens guides you through:

• Getting from the chicken to the egg—Find out how to raise chicks, keep your birds safe from predators, introduce new birds to the flock, and more.
• Creating a custom coop—Build the perfect home for raising chickens with detailed backyard coop construction guides.
• Expert care advice—Learn how to identify different behaviors in your chicken, help solve egg shortages, and navigate a range of potential surprises with confidence.

Get your first flock started successfully with The Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781641524056
Publisher:	Callisto Publishing
Publication date:	06/04/2019
Series:	Raising Chickens Guide
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	124,850
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

ANNE KUO is a backyard chicken keeper, avid gardener, urban homesteader, crafter, and proponent of living sustainably. She is the voice behind the popular Instagram account @RealHensOfOC and the Real Hens of Orange County blog.

Table of Contents

Introduction viii

Part 1 BC Before Chickens xii

1 Why Raise Chickens? 2

Something to Crow About: The Pros of Raising Chickens 3

What the Flock!?: The Cons of Raising Chickens 6

I Want to Bea a Feather Parent, but Is It Legal? 8

Other Things to Consider 9

2 A Home for Your Future Flock 14

What Not to Do 15

A Cozy Coop 15

Other Coop Considerations 19

Buy or Make Your Chicken Coop? 26

3 Coop and Run Plans 28

Building Your Own Coop 29

All-in-One Stationary Coop with Run 33

PVC Hoop Chicken Tractor 39

Stand-Alone Coop 45

Creative Coop Conversions 49

Feathering the Nest 50

4 Picking Your Chickens 54

Which Breed Is Right for You? 55

Chicken Breeds Explained 58

Where to Get Your Chickens 70

Buyer Beware 71

Part 2 AD After Delivery 74

5 Chick Nursery 76

What Baby Chicks Need 77

Setting Up the Brooder 81

Chick Health and Safety 83

They Grow Up So Fast! 85

Flock Introductions 88

6 All About Food, Water, and Treats 92

Balanced Nutrition 93

Clean Water 98

Treats, Scraps, and Scratch 99

Toxic Plants and Foods 101

Keeping Pests at Bay 103

7 Eggs Eggsplained 106

First Things First: What Is an Egg? 107

How to Lay an Egg 108

Egg-Laying Behaviors Explained 110

Gathering Your Eggs 114

8 Getting to Know Your Girls: A Chicken Behavior and Psychology Primer 116

Smarter Than a Toddler 117

Pecking Order 119

Chicken Calls 121

Rooster Dynamics 123

Bad Behavior: Egg Eating and Henpecking 125

What Else Do Chickens Do? 129

9 Keeping Your Flock Healthy 132

Keep It Clean 133

Biosecurity 136

Signs of a Healthy Bird 138

Signs of an Unhealthy Bird 140

Isolate Sick Birds 141

Common Illnesses 144

Chicken Death 148

10 The Future of Your Flock 150

Egg Shortage 151

Solving the Egg Shortage 153

Broody Hens 155

Chick Fever 158

Resources 161

References 165

Glossary 170

Index 174

Editorial Reviews

"As an avid urban gardener looking to start raising chickens, Anne's book is a beautiful, informative, one-stop-shop for the beginner chicken owner."—Kevin Espiritu, founder of Epic Gardening and author of Field Guide to Urban Gardening

"We’re blown away by this impeccable resource for backyard chicken owners, and want to shout out it from the coop tops. It’s a fun-to-read go-to guide for raising happier, healthier chickens. Every last detail you could possibly wonder, worry, or dream about is in here. Whether you’re new to owning chickens, or a well-seasoned chicken parent, there’s so much to discover. The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens is one of those ‘buy one for me, get 5 for my friends’ books."—Hailey Dray, head of marketing at Grubbly Farms

"For years folks have asked me for a book on raising and keeping chickens and I did not have anything I could confidently point them to. It is with great joy that I now recommend The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens because I am completely aligned with how Anne cares for her animals and the consciousness she has around her ecological footprint and raising of the birds. Rejoice chicken keeping novices and veterans: the book you have been waiting for has finally hatched!"—Franchesca Duval, head chicken wrangler at Alchemist Farm

"Being a chicken enthusiast myself, I was thrilled to read The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens. Anne Kuo’s book is a comprehensive, enjoyable, and informative guide for any chicken keeper, and her expert chicken care knowledge is apparent. If you follow Anne’s journey with her flock on social media and her blog, you know that she takes great care of them. I am glad that she wrote this complete guide to raising chickens so that more flock owners can get off to a fabulous start."—Janet Garman, owner of Timber Creek Farm (www.timbercreekfarmer.com) and author of 50 Do it Yourself Projects for Keeping Chickens

From the Publisher