Book & Information 24 Jan 2007 09:16 am
Get a load of these chickens!
And for a book with a 2006 laydown date (yes we passed it but hey! it’s available everywhere!), but one with some really interesting information, I give you, “Choosing and Keeping Chickens” by Chris Graham.
A description, from the website,
Whether raising chickens as part of the family or as a livelihood, Choosing and Keeping Chickens provides detailed information about the appearance, key traits, general temperament, health concerns, and estimated life span of the most prevalent types of this popular bird. It also describes characteristics of the eggs laid by each type of chicken, which birds mix best in the coop setting, and seasonal guides that reveal the changing needs of chickens throughout the year along with the best housing arrangements during various climates.
This has some excellent information and photographs of chicken coops. It has information on feed, holding chickens, even incubation for eggs. One thing I particularly like about this book is that it gives real warnings about how chickens need to be checked on every morning and every night. Although they are easy to care for, you do HAVE to care for them. They need safe housing and food and water sources. Graham does an Excellent job of pointing out that although chickens are fun, they are also living animals that need care and respect. The part of this book that is the most fun however is the breed photographs. Some of the breeds, like the Polish Chicken (as seen here..) are just bizarre. But this book gives down-to-earth stats like, “striking looks, high maintenance, exhibition favorite, friendly,” which give you a real idea as to whether this would be a good breed for you.
This book seems to have included mostly chickens that do well in shows. Another segment to the book is how to show and care for show chickens. The Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Leghorn (FOGHORN LEGHORN), Jersey Giant, New Hampshire Red (I have two of these, and they are described as “a homely breed, good mother, robust, great in the backyard”) are the only chickens that you might see in backyards, but most of the other chickens in the book (like the Transylvanian Naked Neck Chicken) you will probably never see outside of a large fair. I was especially disappointed that besides a single picture of a bantam Araucana, the Araucanas and Ameraucanas did not have any information. For giggles, here is my own Araucana, Francesca (Frannie). She will be five years old this spring.
It really is easy to keep a small flock of chickens. If you can protect the birds from skunks, foxes and raccoons, can keep them warm in the winter, provide them water and feed, then you are all set. I have 2 flocks. The “outdoor” flock is Whitey the Leghorn (and as my mother says, “a very pretty one at that”), Rosie the New Hampshire Red, and Mr. Rooster, an Araucana rooster (he is 4 now!). The “inside birds” (named such because they sleep in a crate next to the kitchen as opposed to in the chicken coop) are Frannie (the Araucana seen above) and Isabella (aka Izzie, also sister to Rosie) who is a New Hampshire Red.
If you do raise your chickens for meat, I recommend NOT naming them. Our chickens are just for fun and the occasional egg, so, they get names! If you have any questions on having a “Barnyard in your Backyard” as the saying goes, just ask! Also, check out (at your local independent bookshop of course!) “Choosing and Keeping Chickens” by Chris Graham, because it really does have some great advice and amazing pictures!!
Tags: araucana, backyard, barnyard, barnyard in your backyard, black giants, chicken, chickens, Choosing and keeping chickens, chris graham, coops, feed, foghorn leghorn, Frannie, Izzie, Jersey Black Giants, Jersey Giant, keeping chickens, Leghorn, Mr. Rooster, New Hampshire Red, paperback, polish chickens, Rhode Island Red, Rosie, The Plymouth Rock, water, Whitey