Beautiful Birds

Tom and Barbara Good from the 1970s British sitcom The Good Life were on to a great thing when they set up a small-holding in their back garden.

And their inspiration continues today – over the past few years, self-sufficiency has been booming, with more people than ever since the Second World War choosing to sign up for allotments or deciding to grow vegetables in their gardens.

In fact, the desire for greener living is so popular that some councils now have two-year allotment waiting lists.

If you're keen to go the whole hog and don't have the patience to sit on a waiting list hoping for an allotment, then raising a small flock of chickens is the next step to a greener, more self-sufficient lifestyle. And the great thing is you can raise them in your own backyard.

New book Keeping Chickens For Dummies provides readers with an introduction to all aspects of keeping chickens, from constructing a coop to the correct feeding regime.

Keeping Chickens For Dummies covers the following topics:

How to keep your chickens in a happy and healthy condition

Guidance on choosing and purchasing chickens

Step-by-step advice on constructing the right housing

How to feed and care for  your chickens

Breeding and rearing chicks

And much more.

Whether you’re looking to raise chickens for eggs, meat, or just for the entertainment  value and fun of it, Keeping Chickens For Dummies is the perfect place to start.

About the author
Pammy Riggs and her family moved away from mainstream life more than 20 years ago to create a different kind of reality, transforming a bare wet Devon field into Providence Farm – see providencefarm.co.uk.

They created a thriving, small organic farm and cosy low-carbon home, planting woodland and reinstating wild meadows along the way. In the warm light of this life-liberation, Pammy now nurtures a burning desire to share all of her invaluable knowledge and vast experience. From speaking and teaching at educational institutions to creating her writing, courses and ideas for getting reconnected with a more natural and creative life, her passion is to empower us all to get out from behind our computers and desks and get our hands dirty in the rich soil of life.

A well-respected figure in the farming and food industry, Pammy is a celebrity chef (Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's 'Chicken Whisperer' on Channel 4 series River Cottage) and also runs the poultry-keeping course at River Cottage.

Tips for healthy, happy chickens

1. Choose the right breed for your needs
2. Set up suitable housing
3. Supplement lighting when it's needed
4. Control pests
5. Protect against predators
6. Control parasites
7. Vaccinate
8. Feed a well-balanced diet
9. Make sure you provide enough clean water
10. Beware disease-transmitting dangers

Keeping Chickens For Dummies by Pammy Riggs, Kimberley Willis, Rob Ludlow is published by John Wiley.