Lissa Lucas - My Pet Chicken Handbook: Sensible Advice and Savvy Answers for Raising Backyard Chickens

Mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book does not imply endorsement by the author or publisher, nor does mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book, its author, or the publisher.

Internet addresses and telephone numbers given in this book were accurate at the time it went to press.

2013 by Traci Torres

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

All My Pet Chicken policies, practices, and recommendations described in this book were accurate at the time of publication but remain subject to change in the future.

Page number refer to the print edition. Photographs by Cristian Baitg/E+, photo 1; Michael Blann/Digital Vision, photo 1; Daily Herald Archive/SSPL/Getty Images, photo 1; Rachel Fiori, photo 1; Nick Gould (www.nickgould.net), photo 1 (#15); GK Hart/Vikki Hart/ Stockbyte, photo 1; Zena Holloway, photo 1; Jean-Philippe Ksiazek, photo 1; Lissa Lucas, photo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12; Derek Sasaki, photo 1, 2, 3(except #15), 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28; Johanna Siegmann, 1; Paul E. Tessler/Photodisc, photo 1; Christopher Testani, background on cover and on photo 1; Kathryn Weller, photo 1.

Book design by Chris Rhoads

On the cover: Silver Laced Wyandotte bantam hen

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the publisher.

ISBN-13: 9781623360016 paperback

ISBN-13: 9781623360023 e-book

We inspire health, healing, happiness, and love in the world. Starting with you.

RodaleWellness.com

This book is dedicated to my pet chickens,

including Lily and Galatea, Wheaten Ameraucanas

who taught me how affectionate and smart chickens can be;

Gautier, a Salmon Faverolles rooster who taught me

that fierce and gentle are not mutually exclusive qualities;

and Hildy, a blind Speckled Sussex hen

who taught me never to give up.

LISSA LUCAS

To my family:

you are my center of gravity;

and to my chickens:

I couldnt imagine life without you.

TRACI TORRES

In 2004, while planning for my very first flock of chickens, I began to form the idea for My Pet Chicken. There was so little how-to information on the web for novice chicken keepers. There wasnt a single e-commerce web site dedicated to hobbyists; how would people figure out which chicken breeds to get, among hundreds of choices? How could they painlessly determine whether theyd have the time, energy, and money to care for their own flock? The utter lack of information on the web inspired me.

But the idea was a long time incubating. While I wasnt sure if it might just be another wacky idea with little chance of succeeding (a pet chicken business, after all!), my husband Derek increasingly came to believe in it. Despite many friends thinking we were, well, clucking crazy, his persistence finally won me over.

Today, My Pet Chicken is a multimillion-dollar business, and our web site receives millions of visitors annually. The easy access to top-notch information, photography, and products on our web site helped to create the backyard chicken movement that has now swept the nation. We are so very proud to be a part of that and to be connecting people with chickens every day.

So why a book if our web site has done such a thorough job of introducing people to life with chickens? Well, after 8 years in business and after having hand-held 70,000 customers through their chicken-keeping experiences, weve learned a few things. This is the ultimate insiders guide to keeping chickens, and we explain everything you need to know to get startedall conveyed to you with our unique insight into the mind of a beginning chicken keeper. We also teach the incredibly important stuff nobody else is talking about. Stuff like what it means to cast your flock and how to do it like a pro; rookie mistakes to avoid when ordering chicks; how to think like a chicken so you can understand their behavior and culture; how to encourage good cold weather chickens, and more. Countless more chicken secrets. And were happy to share.

Starting with chickens is thrilling, and I wish you success and enjoyment for years to come. Im confident that, armed with what youll learn here, youll be beautifully prepared for your chicken adventure. And of course, should you have any questions, I welcome you to e-mail us at . A real, live, chicken-loving expert will write you a personalized response, usually within a day.

Traci Torres

If you have all of these questions covered, thats greatyoure well prepared! If not, dont worry. This book will guide you through all of the major decision points, and you can revisit this checklist when youve finished the book.

Do your towns zoning regulations allow for chickens?

Does your towns department of health have regulations regarding chickens?

Are you prepared to address any concerns neighbors may have?

Have you considered whether to purchase a chicken coop, build new, or adapt an existing structure (like a shed) and how these choices will impact your budget?

Have you determined the best site for your coop, taking into account sun, shade, grading, and proximity to electricity and water?

Have you thought about how a coop and run may affect your yards available space, foot-traffic flow, and its overall appeal?

If youre planning to purchase a coop, have you considered that it may take several weeks to build and ship?

If youre planning to build a coop or adapt an existing structure, have you considered the design features that will best suit your needs and your flocks needs?

If you have dogs, have you considered the necessary choices youll face in case the dogs cant be socialized with your chickens?

Have you educated yourself about predators in the area and how youll protect your flock against them?