Self-sufficiency and organic living have never been more prominent and hen keeping is becoming increasingly popular. This authoritative book provides an introduction to the key aspects of acquiring a self-sufficient lifestyle by keeping your own chickens and benefiting from the produce. You don't need a large garden to keep poultry and an average family only needs a couple of hens to keep them well stocked in fresh eggs all year round. The set-up costs are minimal and you don't need a whole host of expensive gadgets or equipment to care for your chickens. Packed with information on poultry keeping (housing, food and water, daily care, disease prevention and cure, encouraging egg production and breeding), there is also comprehensive information on available breeds and a list of useful resources.

MIKE HATCHER, retired President of the Poultry Club of Great Britain, has a lifetime's experience in keeping poultry. He began his career in commercial poultry and later crossed into pure breeds. He holds a qualification in Poultry Husbandry from the Lancashire College of Agriculture. He has judged in the UK, USA, Canada and Holland, and writes for various poultry magazines. He has worked with DEFRA to reduce the impact of avian influenza on small poultry keepers.