The Backyard Field Guide to Chickens

by Christine Heinrichs

Overview

Every common breed of chicken, organized into one information-packed guide.

Fueled by the local and organic food movements, as well as a sea change in local ordinances, backyard chicken keeping is booming. Anyone who's decided to join the new wave of chicken keepers knows that the poultry breeds available are dizzying in their variety. Calm your anxiety with this book--a guide for backyard chicken keepers in search of chickens that best fit their needs.

Each breed of chicken listed in the field guide is thoroughly described and is illustrated by color photos. The book tells you all about the bird, detailing each breed's particular usefulness, adaptation to climate, coloration, number of eggs typically laid, foraging ability, temperament, and unique qualities. There are fun facts about varieties of chickens, as well as information about color and comb varieties, rare breeds, classification, and hybrids.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780760351215
Publisher:	Voyageur Press
Publication date:	05/15/2016
Series:	Voyageur Field Guides
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	32 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Christine Heinrichs is the author of How to Raise Chickens and How to Raise Poultry (both Voyageur Press, 2013) and has won many awards over the course of her 30-year writing career. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Oregon and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Society of Environmental Journalists, the Northern California Science Writers Association, and Ten Spurs, the honorary society of the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference. She is also a member of the American Poultry Association, where she serves on the Heritage Breeds Committee, the American Bantam Association, and the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. She lives with her husband, chickens, and cat in Cambria, California.

Table of Contents

Introduction 6

How to Use This Backyard Field Guide 10

Chapter 1 The Road to Domesticity 12

Chapter 2 The Benefits of Keeping Chickens 24

Chapter 3 Anatomy of a Chicken 32

Chapter 4 Preparing for Backyard Chickens 42

Chapter 5 Feeding and Care 52

Chapter 6 Breed Profiles 62

Games 64

Oriental Games 70

American Breeds 84

Asiatic Breeds 110

English Breeds 124

Crested Breeds 138

Mediterranean Breeds 148

Continental Breeds 164

Other Standard and Non-Standard Breeds 184

Appendix: Glossary and Showing information 200

Index 206

About the Author 209