Last Updated on June 13, 2023 by Georgie Smith
First, let’s talk about Chicken’s
Chickens are without a doubt the most famous domestic farm bird. With a lifespan of around 10-15 years, chickens have a way of making you fall in love with them. The male bird is larger and has more vibrate colors than the female chicken although both traits are common in the birds.
The male bird attracts female chickens with its vibrant, colorful feathers. The chicken has combs on the top of their head with two “waffles.” under their neck. The male has a more extensive comb compared to the female. The male dominant yard bird is the Rooster.
The female chicken is the hen while the young are called chicks. The female is usually ready to lay her first eggs when she is around six months old.
The recent chicken revival continues to move forward with momentum. You can travel anywhere and see that coops are steadily becoming common in both suburban and urban backyards. Why? In the last decade, the world has shown a growing interest in organic and local grown foods.
A move such of this has undoubtedly impacted to the trend. However many people are raising chickens because they make such great pets.
See Also:
- What To Feed Baby Chickens After Hatching? What Do Baby Chickens Eat?
- Best Chicken Coops for sale: 2023 Reviews (top picks) and Guide
- How to Tell if my Chicken is a Rooster or Hen
Other than being friendly and easy to care for, chickens can be astoundingly beautiful, and what other pet helps you make breakfast? If you are ready to bring some farmyard into your backyard, here’s what you need to get started.
Be Sure You Know the Law
Before you spend a load of money on your chickens make sure you check with the local regulations and any association rules. Some areas have a ban on roosters (hens can have eggs without a rooster, so, no biggy.) Some Homeowner association limits the number of animals each homeowner can have.
Some communities require agreements signed by neighbors, permits, or appearances presented to the zoning board. While there are others that maintain ordinances to restrict the placement and the size of outside buildings. Then, there are those that have no limitations at all.
Making Your First Addition
One of the many rewards there is to keeping chickens is you have the chance to raise beautiful birds that produce unusual colored eggs. With most breeds, there are two different sizes; Standard size refers to the large type and Bantam which are usually one-quarter of the usual size birds.
Both do well in backyards; however standard chickens produce noticeably larger eggs than the bantam due to the size and weight and they are typically less flighty. There are dual-purpose breeds, meaning they are for meat and eggs. The majority of breeds either lay brown or white eggs. However, the tint will vary from time to time.
Learning More Through Books
All the above information is just the beginning of learning about chickens and how to pick, choose and raise your own. However, becoming successful in raising your own takes a lot more educating. There are many books available that teach you the proper technique.
The following are The Best Chicken Raising Books as well as Backyard Chicken Books for Beginners for 2022:
Gardening with Chickens: Plans and Plants for You and Your Hens:
Plants and Plans for You: If there were ever one person that can teach those interested in raising chickens, it is the author of this book, Lisa Steele. Lisa is a five-generation chicken extraordinaire. She shows her readers the simplicity of how to prepare and raise chickens safely and productively.
Lisa’s love for what she does shows on every page you read. From planning to planting your garden as well as constructing the perfect coop, it is all here in this fantastic book. The book is 176 pages long and is more than just a learning guide; It is an excellent read as well.
Buy from Amazon
The Chicken Chick’s Guide to Backyard Chickens: Simple Steps for Healthy, Happy Hens
When this book title reads “Simple Steps for Healthy, Happy Hen” it is precisely what you get. Filled with knowledge and examples, Kathy Mormino is the queen of raising chickens, and she offers her readers the experience needed to be successful in raising backyard chickens.
Kathy, known internationally as The Chicken Chick, offers a fresh perspective with an informative style to readers around the globe. You get 187 pages of information as she keeps it real and fun to read. If you need simplicity as well as a clear understanding of chickens, look no further. With a five-star rating, you will not be sorry for investing in Kathy’s work.
Buy from Amazon
3rd Edition of Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens:
Whether you are a novice or have experience in how to pick and choose the right chicken this book is for you. Gail Damerow is a master in teaching you how to select the chicken you need.
Whether you plan to raise broilers or hope to score a blue ribbon at the local county fair, you can never lose by learning from Gail. In this book, she guides her readers in:
- Choosing the perfect breed
- Erect efficient coops
- Necessary medical needs for animals
- Which chickens are the right choice
Everything you want to know about chickens is all in one simple-to-understand book. From health issues to meat and egg production, Gail shares it all. Pictures and illustrations are added to help her educate her readers. The book is a one-stop shop that you will want in your library.
Buy from Amazon
Raising Chickens For Dummies:
With a title such as this, it speaks for the majority of newbies who wish to dabble in raising chickens. If you are even thinking about starting a new hobby of raising chickens, then you have come to the right place.
This edition is the 2nd edition that offers current, thorough information covering numerous details of how to successfully raise chickens right in your backyard. This book is indeed one that everyone needs to read that is interested in chickens.
Here you will find easy-to-understand instructions for buying your chickens, constructing homes, feeding regimes, and combating predators and pests. The book offers everything you need to learn all in one place and on a level you can understand.
Buy from Amazon
Fresh Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens…Naturally
Now more than ever, most American families are concerned about their health and the foods they consume. Instead of great deals, consumers are looking more into the safety and quality of the food for their families.
In this book, you will not only learn the tricks and trades of raising chickens, but you also learn that it really is simple to grow your own food, in the natural way. Fresh Eggs daily enlighten its readers with topics such as nesting boxes, coops, feed, runs, and a healthy alternative to keep your chickens healthy and happy. (you can see Best Chicken Feeder And Waterer here).
If this is interesting to you, then this book is for sure a must-have on your list of books to read. It is 160 pages filled with details, photos, and tons of information to help you get on a healthy track with your backyard chickens.
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Backyard Farming: Raising Chickens: From Building Coops to Collecting Eggs and More
From Building Coops to Collecting Eggs and More. The title reveals so much about what a reader will gain from front to back of this book. Whether you are a beginner in raising chickens or you want to add some additional birds to your flock, it is all here to help guide you.
Raising Chickens is your complete guide to help you manage your chickens. Whether it be for meat, eggs, profit, or just for fun, everything you need you will find through the content, pictures, and illustrations provided by the author.
Raising Chickens guides you from the beginning all the way through to the nurturing stage of new chickens. Your job is to keep your birds healthy, happy, and well-fed so that you get to enjoy your very own farm-fresh eggs each day.
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Free-Range Chicken Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful, Chicken-Friendly Yard
How to Create a Beautiful, Chicken-Friendly Yard: If you ask gardeners why they are afraid of adding chickens to their gardens many will tell you that they fear the chickens will peck away at their well-kept landscapes. Oddly enough, ask any chicken lover why they avoid adding a garden to their chicken coops, and you will more than likely get the same response.
However, in this book, Jessi Bloom, the award-winning garden designer provides readers with step-by-step tools on how to incorporate both while maintaining functional and beautiful landscapes and a happy flock.
Jessie discusses everything a gardener should know, including:
- Starting with the basics of raising chickens
- How to teach them to be accustomed to a garden
- How to generate the perfect chicken-friendly landscape
- How to build innovative coops
The book offers 224 pages of content, pictures, and illustrations to help you with merging your two passions into one. The book provides something for the reader on every level. Whether you are new to raising chickens or a pro and just want tips on gardening, with this book you cannot go wrong.
Buy from Amazon
Backyard Chickens for Beginners: Getting the Best Chickens, Choosing Coops.
The title alone should be enough to have this handy piece of work in your library today.
This valuable short guide for beginners needing some input on how to begin a small-scale backyard flock that will average two to four eggs per day is worth its weight in gold. This booklet of 36 pages may be simple, but you will gain plenty of information that will help you get started and how to progress.
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Backyard Chickens Beyond the Basics: Lessons for Expanding Your Flock
Whether you are a novice or an old-school chicken keeper, you will learn something from every book the author, Pam Freeman provides. Pam is the master of taking her years of experience and turning it into a learning tool for anyone on every level.
From molting to odd eggs, and feeding and preparing for each season, this read offers the reader an easy to understand set-by-by guide on every topic. With 192 pages, you will see and learn from every page something exciting and new. Every chicken keeper will want to add this to their library.
Buy from Amazon
A Chicken in Every Yard: The Urban Farm Store’s Guide to Chicken Keeping:
The name may be simple, but the first edition, “The Urban Farm Store’s Guide to Chicken Keeping” is more than what you could ever hope to learn from experience. The authors, Robert and Hannah Litt, bring you more knowledge in this edition than what it would take years to learn on your own.
There is an art to establishing a successful backyard chicken farm, and you will find it all right here to help you choose all the right things to get your coop going. Don’t get in the habit of spending your hard-earned money on books that lead you down an empty path. Learn from others who are successful in the business and use their success to teach others.
Buy from Amazon
There you have it. Ten of the top-selling books on the market to help you no matter what level you are in the chicken-keeper business. There is something for everyone, and each book is worth the investment just to have handy in your library.
What came first, the chicken or the egg?
Come up with the perfect way to raise your chickens is as hard as answering the question above. There are no “perfect ways.” Do your research and make the decision on which type is the best for you.
With the books we have discussed you can see, having a backyard filled with chickens is no longer just to provide the family with food on the table. Raising chickens is more popular now than ever. Consumers want healthy food instead of processed foods that are unhealthy.
Do your homework and choose what is best for you and your family. Picking and choosing quality over quantity will always put you ahead of others. Be creative with choosing which birds you want then take it from there. Moreover, as always, happy farming.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ):
Q: Should I look for books that are written by professional farmers or from people who have backyard chicken coops?
A: This depends on what type of chicken keeping you plan to do. Are you going to try your hand at a commercial business? Is this just to suffice you and your family with a means of gaining food for your table? Usually, buying books like the ones listed above is plenty to get you started and/or grow your business. I say read all you can.
Q: Can I only have one chicken?
A: You can, but it is not recommended. Chickens are social animals and tend to do well when they have other chickens in the flock. By reading any of the books listed above, you will get your answer to this question and even more.
Q: Will my cat attack my chickens?
A: It is not common but then again we are talking about a wide variety of animals. Check out the books mentioned, and I am sure you will get a more detailed answer.
Q: How big should I expect my chickens to be?
A: This question is hard to answer due to there being so many different types of chickens. You will gain a better understanding of this topic through any of the books we have listed above. Each one offers an array of information on this subject and much more.
Q: Will I be breaking the law if I have a pet chicken?
A: Possibly. There are many ordinates that you will need to understand before investing in chickens. You can find this information in several of the books we have listed. You never can learn too much to be more safe than sorry.
