Raising Chickens for Dummies

by Kimberly Willis, Rob LUDLOW

Practical how-to advice for raising chickens in virtually any backyard! Raising chickens on a small scale is a popular-and growing-pastime. And Raising Chickens For Dummies provides an up-to-date, thorough introduction to all aspects of caring for chickens, including choosing and purchasing chickens, constructing housing, and proper feeding. Raising Chickens For Dummies provides authoritative, detailed information to make raising chickens for eggs, meat, or backyard entertainment that much easier.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, How To, Animals, Sustainability, Gardening, Self Help

388 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2009

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned about chickens and I'm no longer a dummy!

[Kristen Nickels · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was free on Audible and I listened at 1.5-2x speed. It was WAY more information than I needed but helpful nonetheless.

[C is for **censored** · Rating 4 out of 5]

The star rating given reflects my opinion within ‘the official goodreads rating system’.

1 star: Didn’t Like it
2 stars: It’s Okay
3 stars: Liked it
4 stars: Really Liked it
5 stars: It Was Amazing

I don’t really give a rat-fuck that there are some who think I ‘owe’ an explanation for my opinion. Nope, nada, and not sorry about it.

Sometimes I may add notes to explain what my opinions are based on, and sometimes I don’t. I do this for me, on my books, in my library and I don’t ‘owe’ any special snowflakes a thing. Fuck off if you don’t like it and stop reading my shit.

Particularly given the ‘modifications’ to reader’s personal content going on (and outright censorship), unless particularly motivated I will not comment in detail.

It would help if GR was forthcoming in the new ‘appropriate’ and would make a site-wide announcement delineating the new focus from a reader-centric site to one that is now for authors and selling.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I certainly know more about raising chickens than I did before I read this book. I'll admit, this was not my preferred nighttime reading material and so I banished it to the less coveted spot of lunchtime perusal. Embarrassingly enough, on more than one occasion of this eat and read routine, I would find myself in the middle of a particularly delightful bite of some type of chicken dish (chicken salad sandwich, spicy buffalo chicken dip, etc.) and I would wonder if I was being just a little callous and unfeeling flaunting the fact that chickens can be just plain delicious, but statements from the authors such as, "Hens that eat eggs may need to be eaten by someone else" helped keep it all in perspective. I could tell the authors have an appreciation and a great affection for chickens and chicken raising. And now I feel not quite as ignorant of what we are getting ourselves into when we bring home those cute little chicks.

[Kosolush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful book for a first time chicken keeper that doesn't know hardly anything about how to care for and house chickens. This book helped me become educated on chicken keeping and I have successfully established a small coop in my backyard.

[Alec Longstreth · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a few years to read this book. It is hard to imagine a more thorough resource on raising chickens. I didn't know much when I started, but now feel confident that I know what I'm doing, raising chickens in my backyard!

[Linda Is on her way · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers a broad range of topics concerning chickens. I skipped the chapter about showing chickens but everything else was pretty interesting. The last chapter was a bit unnecessary, since it repeated things that were already said, just in the structure of ten questions.

[Margaret E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book when you're getting started.

[Lynn Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great info!

Great read on chickens. Each section hits the highlights and helps you learn what you need to know. Easy read if you need to learn the basics quick.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information.

[Mitch Please · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great practical guide for beginner chicken farmers on raising chickens. Not anything you couldn’t find on the net, but it’s nice to have it all in one, easy to access guide.

[Lisa McDowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful when I was just starting out!

[sylvia forrester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information for beginners.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, thorough book! I hate the title of this series, they're good books--I think because they don't rely on beautiful pictures, they have to focus on actual detail and good, enumerated advice.

[Alex Grimsley]

Informative book.

I would reccomend this book to any dummy that has chickens.

[Mairead the Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid information, good as a quick reference.

[Jacob Cruzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very informative for those starting to raise chickens for eggs or meat.

[Mary Mink Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

🐓

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

i have learned that I prefer my non-fiction books on chickens to include pictures.

[Barbara Harris Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the title says, for Dummies. However, not so dumb now. I learned a lot and enjoyed reading about this species of fairly happy birds. A quick read, I read again, as soon as I finished it.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was easy to understand (duh) and organized in a way that makes sense. I've been doing a lot of research, and this book was by far the most comprehensive without being downright scary.

[Krista]

I’ve read as much of this book as I’m going to in the past two years so I’m marking it done here 😂
Two chickens still alive, one dummy still doing my best.

[Marc Bunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

well it was with bated breath I awaited this books arrival into my life.
would it stand up Storey's Guide to Raising chickens? Would I be as captivated? as Utterly Engrossed as I was during my Storey's guide read.
The only answer now I can summon, is yes!!
Right from the start it pulled me in! What is the joy of chicken raising? I found my answer. How do I house them? I found the shelter I desperately seeked.
As each paged turned I found myself looking at the world through the eyes of the chicken. In essence I had become one with the chicken. I began to scratch through the book hunting for more and more juicy morsels to peck from its highly detailed pages. And then I came to the section on Breeding. The cocks in this book put Christian Grey to shame! No red room of pain needed. want pleasure mixed with pain? need to be controlled and tamed? Try a 12 pound cockerel on your back digging with talons as he has his way with you. when he is done he leads you to your home and carefully monitors your every need as you raise his mighty brood.
I know as I type these words E.L. James is feeling her body clench deliciously in places she never knew existed before. And as a single solitary tear falls from her cheek and alights upon my humble review of this amazing book, I can only hope it inspires her to dig deeper into her characters as Kimberley Willis and Rob Ludlow have done with their book.
Every question answered. Every want is met. I know the chicken. I am the chicken. Thank you Kim. Thank you Rob.

[Bobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent go-to reference for the small flock owner. Knowledge provides confidence and removes fear based on ignorance, and specialized knowledge of this sort can be hard to find in one place. I got this book to dispel some of my anxiety and clumsiness about owning chickens for the first time, and it fulfilled that need very well. What it doesn't cover can be found at www.backyardchickens.com. Could use more illustrations or diagrams in some parts, but this is definitely staying on my shelf (and getting pulled down often) as long as I have chickens.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I studied this book for a couple of months before getting my three chickens. I now consult it on a regular basis to answer the questions that keep popping up as I get my hands-on experience with my chickens.

This is an all-around great book for getting started with chicken raising. It is also a great reference book. The only fault I found with it is that it could use a few more pages on coop designs and specifics.

[Britt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had this book given to me when I worked on a farm many years ago. It taught me so much that I hadn't discovered yet and also helped me raise babies into full grown beautiful adult chickens 😂. I recommend it. I'm sure there are better sources for learning how to raise chickens but this worked for me at the time.

[Tamara Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE best book I have found for chicken keepers. Very comprehensive, covers everything you need to know to have a backyard flock or a small farm operation. I would recommend to anyone looking at getting into chickens.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great resource for the first-time chicken owner. Straightforward, easy to read and understand, and structured well for finding the answer to a particular question about feed, housing, etc. I recommend this book over any of the others I've read for someone new to raising chickens.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very helpful to us as we were setting up our backyard coop. There is tons of information on everything you could want or need to know. I would recommend this book to anyone just starting out with chickens.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a research book and not a story kind of book. If you are thinking of getting chickens this one is for you.