What are the absolute BEST books for educating yourself on all this?

[muddler6]

Three other books I use as reference are "Chickens" by Weaver and produced by Hobby Farms, Raising Poultry the Modern Way by Mercia, and the Homesteader's Handbook to Raising Small Livestock by Jerome Belanger (that one is not too specific, but has a little bit of info on lots of livestock)

 

[jnjross]

"chickens" has some really nice pics

 

[chookchick]

The book that put me over the edge into chickendom was The Urban Homestead by Kelly Coyne and Eric Knutzen. Chickens are just a small but well written part of this book. If you are interested in farming and self-sufficiency at all check it out.