Mini Ency Of Chicken Breeds & Care

Nice little reference book. Nice photos.

great little book, good pics but a little small

Great reference book, lots of good information and beautifully illustrated.

Great book

I bought this book for a care home in rural Kansas. I hoped for colorful pictures of a variety of chickens and I was not disappointed.I think there will be several residents who will enjoy the pictures possibly identifying the kind they had at home.

Great Book. Came on time. I read it every day.

I've worked with sheep and many breeds of poultry now for well over 40 years, ducks, bantams, light & large fowl & therefore already know quite a lot about how to look after them as they were kept by my parents from before I was born but I still find it interesting to read some books like this as there's always a few things you'll learn that you don't already know. I know this book would be really beneficial to someone especially from a town or city who isn't used working with poultry or animals but has an interest in doing so, it will give them a good idea what breeds are most suitable depending on the space they have or why they want to keep them if its high layers such as Sussex or Rhode Island Reds or just something more ornamental such as Pekins, Seabrights or Dutch bantams. It can be hard to decide the breed to choose as there's not only a large number of different breeds but many different varieties for most breeds although some can be hard to find.

We have a few books on this subject, but have to say, this one, is by far one of the best, for a very reasonble price we now have in our collection. Full of really good information and photo's to match. The only thing which is only a very slight negative, is that on some of the breed's it does not give the egg laying capacity/amount. Overall, we are delighted with this book, and it is a credit to the Author!

We are just setting up a chicken run etc & have no real knowledge of keeping chickens.This book is full of ideas & general help on looking after your birds.I am sure we will be using it as our “go to” book for advice in the future !!!

Great little book full of info needed for those who are just starting out keeping chickens.There were even bits that after all these years I didn’t know.I would recommend this to anyone

I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about starting to keep chickens.Not only does it have lengthy knowledge on many breeds of chickens, but it also contains lots of useful information on how to care for and look after your birds, finding the right housing, incubation, good husbandry tips, and information on chicken health.This book is also useful to people who already keep chickens, especially if they are hybrids, who what to purchas pure breed birds. It lists and details, with clear pictures, many of the pure breeds, (light and heavy, bantam and true bantam) so you can see what sort of pure breeds are out there, and make a more informed choice, when it comes to chicken expansion...or breeding!This book was my bible when I first started out and I was able to turn to it when looking for answers to many of the initial queries that pop up in your first year or so. I still enjoy looking through it now, and lusting over all the amazing pure breeds of chicken I would so love to help preserve.The only thing that the book doesn't say, that I would whole heartedly recommend to any newcomer to the enthusiasm, is to choose a breed and stick to it for your first year. As lovely as a mixed flock is prancing majestically about the garden in all the glorious colours imaginable, there are many many problems and logistics involved in keeping them happy together, that you would never even consider as you set out on your chicken journey.So to avoid later complications and potential distress, research your chicken breeds wisely. View the birds before you buy them. Never feel pressured into buying a bird. Get the seller to show you the correct way to hold and handle the bird. Always handle a bird before you buy it as you will be able to feel if all is well under those fluffy feathers. Never buy a sleepy/less active bird, because they are nice and 'calm' and 'chilled out', as they are likely sick. Make sure your first chicken coop is larger then what you need (if you are wanting 4 chickens, buy one that has room for 6-8, trust me). And buy birds of the same breed and size during your first year, as this will lower the chances of bullying.I would also recommend that if you are a fist time chicken owner you start out with a breed that has 'clean' legs and face. By this I mean to avoid any breeds with feathery legs, beards, muffs, tufts and crests, as these birds require much more thorough and regular care/inspections, as they are more susceptible to becoming infested with mite and lice.I'm not saying never get them, as they are most wonderful, I am saying to avoid starting off with them, and wait until you have a bit more experience and chicken no how.So to recap, this book is amazing for both new and even existing chicken keepers looking to find a new breed of bird to keep.If you are an existing chicken keeping enthusiast, and are not looking to expand or look into a new breed, then this book would probably be of little use.Hope this helps!Dede