Gail Damerow has written extensively on raising chickens and other livestock, growing fruits and vegetables, and related rural know-how in more than a dozen books, including What's Killing My Chickens? and the best-selling Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, The Chicken Encyclopedia, The Chicken Health Handbook, and Hatching & Brooding Your Own Chicks. Damerow is a contributor to Chickens and Hobby Farms magazines and a regular blogger for Cackle Hatchery. She lives in Tennessee with her husband, where they operate a family farm with poultry and dairy goats, a sizable garden, and a small orchard. Visit her online at gaildamerow.com.

Why Chickens? An Introduction

1 A Breed for Every Need - Choosing Your Chickens

2 How to Think Like a Chicken - Understanding Your Chickens

3 Chickens Come Home to Roost - Housing Your Chickens

4 Feeling a Bit Peckish - Feeding Your Chickens

5 The Egg and You - Egg Management

6 Which Came First? - Breeding and Hatching

7 From Egg to Chick - Caring for Your Chicks

8 The Well Chicken - Keeping Your Chickens Healthy

9 Show and Tell - Showing Off Your Chickens

10 Eggonomics - Costs and Income

Flock Maintenance Summary

Helpful Sources

Glossary

Index

Full of expert advice and plenty of encouragement for the youngest poultry farmers, this introductory guide is designed to show children ages 9 and up how to safely and successfully raise their own chickens. With age-appropriate language and clear diagrams, Gail Damerow provides everything kids need to know to choose, purchase, house, and show their own chickens. Whether they're interested in raising chickens for pleasure or to make money, this easy-to-use guide will help children achieve their chicken-raising goals.