Keeping Chickens

In the last few years, poultry-keeping has enjoyed massive growth, with heavy TV coverage featuring chefs such as Jamie Oliver. It is another symptom of our weariness of mass-produced, tasteless supermarket food - the appeal of being able to nip into the back garden to get fresh eggs for breakfast, knowing that the hens have been well kept, fed and loved. This highly practical book is aimed at beginners to the hobby and will explain everything you need to know to get started keeping chickens, from how to choose, house, feed and handle them to how many eggs they will lay, their affect on the local ecosystem and protection from foxes.

Tracey Smith is a passionate advocate for sustainability. A broadcaster, author of The Book of Rubbish Ideas and creator of InterNational Downshifting Week, her new series, The Great Downshift unlocks its secrets, warts and all. Her poultry-peak stands at 43 chickens, 10 ducks and 2 guinea fowl and she’s given away more eggs than you can shake a stick at...

Liz Wright has edited Smallholder magazine for over twenty years and is the author of a number of books, including Choosing and Keeping Ducks and Geese, Keeping Pet Ducks and Self Sufficiency, A Practical Guide to Modern Living. She also appears on the radio regularly. A keen poultry keeper, Liz’s love of chickens started as a child and she now keeps hybrid chickens for eggs, pure breeds for pleasure and also raises table birds.