Keeping Chickens is part of the Homemade Living Series that encourages people to embrace local, seasonal food and take an interest in knowing how and where your food is produced. It suggests people explore self sustainability and allows them to enjoy fresh local flavors.
Keeping Chickens offers advice on what newcomers should think about when considering raising chickens. Topics include amount of time available for their care, start up costs, climate, and space. It encourages people to check with their neighbors before purchasing chickens in an effort to keep the peace in their neighborhood. This is especially important if you live in close quarters to your neighbors. Those who live miles away from their nearest neighbor may not need to do this.
It also suggests that you check with local government to ensure you comply with whatever codes apply to livestock in your area. Keep in mind that roosters are louder than chickens although chickens make noise themselves.
I appreciate that the author took time to write about chicken and children. Not all chickens want to be pets so make sure you understand their temperament.
You'll also find a helpful chapter on how to select the right breed for you. It offers information on size, hybrid or pure breeds, layer versus fryer, anatomy, feather patterns, colors, and dispositions. It also offers information on which breeds are hardiest in the cold or heat and which breeds work well in both temperature extremes.
You will also learn how to obtain chicks and start to think about whether or not you want to start with eggs, chicks, pullets or mature birds. If you go with eggs, it discusses how to go about hatching chicks.
The section on housing is very helpful and will explain what is needed in both stationary and movable pens. It also discusses predators, fencing, light, bedding, cleaning, nesting and roosts.
Article comments
1 - Raquel Byrnes
I don't know if I'm ready to keep chickens, but visiting my brother in Seattle opened my eyes to local farm cooperatives. They have a store where you bring in reusable containers and they are filled with meals made from local farms...veggie lasagna, things like that.