Which books ?

[Wetherwell]

Which book(s) would y'all recommend for the best information on raising hens and their health ?

 

[OnceAroundTheBlock]

I've had my nose buried in "Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens" that I picked up at Tractor Supply last week. It's got info on shelters, feed and watering, health care, routine management, breeds, hatching eggs and chick care, even putting meat on the table.

 

[NevadaRon]

I love Storey's Guides. They are very informative, no nonsense. Definitely a good place to start!

 

[Sonic Pug]

I also recommend Storey's. For a really nice read and great recipes, I also recommend "Chicken and Egg".

 

[Clay Mudd]

Here's another recommendation for Storey's. My copy never gets put in the bookshelf.

Depending on your goals, The Small-Scale Poultry Flock by Harvey Ussery is a great book. I've been referring to it a lot lately as I've started making and growing my own feeds.

"The Small-Scale Poultry Flock is the only complete guide available to using your poultry as an integrated part of a self-reliant farmstead—a topic not addressed at this depth and breadth in any other poultry book. Author Harvey Ussery combines his clear, down-to-earth writing style with creative strategies throughout. He comprehensively explores a wide range of topics including chicken behavior, anatomy, holistic health care, making your own poultry feeds and finding alternative home feeds, breeding your own poultry stock, butchering poultry, and much more. This book covers it all."

—Elaine Belanger, Editor, Backyard Poultry magazine

Mr. Ussery also recommends the Storey book, so why not buy both?

 

[Johnboy78]

Read every book in my library system before the chicks arrived,
including Storey's as per my obsessive nature.

Raising Chickens For Dummies was loaded with info, more than I wanted to know.
I also found the 4H Guide To Raising Chickens was concise and clear although
aimed at a younger audience.
Chickens for Dummies would probably be my first choice.

 

[jgaepi]

I have A Chicken in Every Backyard by Litt. A pretty good book. They give information based on real world experience from their customers at the Urban Farm Store. They typically give hard and fast rules, mostly recommendations and lots of anecdotal info from their customers.