An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping Backyard Chickens: Watch Chicks Grow from Hatchlings to Hens

by Jenna Woginrich

With delightful photographs, Jenna Woginrich chronicles the life journey of three chickens (Amelia, Honey, and Tilda) from fluffy, newly hatched bundles to grown hens laying eggs of their own. Following their progress from day to day and week to week, you'll learn everything you need to know to be successful in raising and keeping a happy, healthy flock. Topics covered include understanding chicken behavior; housing and feeding requirements; hygiene and basic health care. Both entertaining and educational, this highly accessible book provides just the right amount of information to get started and enjoy the pleasures of keeping backyard chickens. 

128 pages, Paperback

Published December 21, 2021

About the author

Former urbanite, future shepherdess and current farm writer — Jenna Woginrich has big plans. Plans that include living a more self-sufficient life with dogs at her side and wi-fi in the barn. She drives an orange pickup and shares her Vermont cabin and gardens with working sled dogs, a small flock of sheep, a hilarious goat, a flock of gregarious chickens, two awkward geese, wooly angora rabbits, and a hive of bees. She's also the author of Cold Antler Farm, a blog about her life as a beginner homesteader and several books.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for first time chicken parents! 🐣
The pictures are really great and the book does a good job documenting the physical changes you see while your chicks are growing. It also covers all the basics and adds some cute little extras such as songs you can sing to your girls. The only thing I do wish the book included was more detail about proper handling and red flag behaviors for sick/injured chicks. Overall, great book and would recommend!

[Breezy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super helpful! I would have liked a bit more info on handling chicks and introduction to outside/coop.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

My granddaughter wants chickens, so we are getting chickens. (Hey, it's cheaper than the horses I got for my daughter!) Even though I realize that theory and practice rarely meet, I don't venture into anything without reading about it first, and I would suggest this book to anyone who is looking at raising chickens from chicks. The author, Jenna Woginrich, does a beautiful job of taking readers through every stage of raising chickens. Her book is colorful, her writing is engaging, and her advice is easy to understand. In fact, I checked the book out from the library but may purchase one for future reference. I highly recommend this book.

[Kevin O'Keefe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun introductory book for people flirting with the idea of getting backyard chickens. Despite doing hours of research on the internet I still learned a thing or two. The author's prose is lighthearted and funny at times. She has a way of coming off as relatable to her target audience but also knowledgeable. This book seems to truly cover all the basics and seems to be a good starting point to dip your feet into the world of backyard chickens.

The breed chart at the end of the book that gives a synopsis of different breeds was one of my favorite parts.

[Jaclyn Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so easy to understand and really perfect for beginner level chicken keepers. It’s also the perfect level for young children who want to keep chickens. My 8-year old read along each week and took over most of the tasks with little adult support, that’s how easy it was to understand!

[Courtney Berg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read more interesting and helpful books. This one came across as a book by someone who has read the other books and decided to add her two cents. That said, I appreciate the view of the chick to hen process with the three birds.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads like a story and less like a manual which I love. Kept my attention and it's greatly informative on what to get you started and figure out any worries you may have getting started.