Spring Fever

Yep, I got it.  We're planting our container garden today.  I'm also going crazy wanting to hatch out quail chicks.  I think I'll get this Brinsea Incubator

If you're working on Proactive and Diligence in your backyard farming too, I suggest a pop over to Becky's Homestead 
She's cool.  ;)
Here's her intro on her YouTube Channel -   https://www.youtube.com/user/scottpictures

MY PET CHICKEN by Lissa Lucas & Traci Torres

***This book comes out February 2014.***
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Description

The backyard chicken is the new "it" pet—and with good reason: These birds are personable, beautiful, and (mostly) low maintenance. But they’re not without their quirks and sometimes puzzling behaviors.
That’s where the experts at MyPetChicken.com have a beak up on the competition—they hear from chicken keepers daily and offer advice about common mistakes and pitfalls that occur when raising a flock of chickens in the backyard. And customers tell them that the advice they most appreciate is actually how not to raise chickens, what not to do, and why not to panic.

The handbook helps potential chicken owners decide whether chicken keeping is right for them, how to make the best choices for their situations, how to start planning for the new pets, and—most importantly—how to head off potential trouble before the chicks arrive. Detailed care instructions for baby chicks and mature hens help to ensure a friendly and enjoyable flock. Covering both the good and the "oh no" experiences that beginners and avid backyard farmers experience, topics include choosing coops, planning a daily routine, learning about sanitation practices, and discovering signs of distress. Then the joy of chicken keeping comes full "ovoid" with 50 recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, featuring the incredible and versatile egg, from homemade egg noodles and sesame mayonnaise to a vegetable frittata and caramel custard.

 

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My Take:   As a chicken-keeper, I can remember starting out and gleaning information wherever I can find it on the Internet, books, and magazines.  MY PET CHICKEN gives you all that in one beautiful book.  There are even graphs comparing the different breeds.  I can tell you it's important to have an appropriate breed for you living situation and lifestyle.  If you live in suburbia, you need a quiet, docile chicken who is not driven by instinct to go foraging all over your neighborhood.  We had one of those, a Buff Orpington.  Unfortunately, she defied her breed and went foraging all over the neighborhood anyway, a real Houdini.  Thankfully, the neighbors loved her!

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The traits of each breed are described well.  Besides the above, you should look at whether the breed does well for your area's climate.  We lived in Alaska when I started with chickens!  I can tell you there's a lot of chicken-keeping chores during a Northern winter, like making sure the water doesn't freeze, that no one's getting frostbite, etc...

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The authors also discuss how to go about getting your chickens.  If you're suburbia and especially if you have children, I suggest starting with chicks.  That way, they grow up used to being played with and with no interest in wandering the neighborhood because they know they got it good with you.  It's more work to start with chicks and you have to wait longer for eggs, but in my experience it's worth it!

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So, if you're thinking about chickens, the hottest new pet in town, I strongly recommend this book as a great place to start.  You can pre-order it from Barnes and Noble

FREE RANGE CHICKEN GARDENS by Jessi Bloom

BLURB:  

Many gardeners fear chickens will peck away at their landscape, and chicken lovers often shy away from gardening for the same reason. But you can keep chickens and have a beautiful garden, too! Fresh eggs aren't the only benefit — chickens can actually help your garden grow and thrive, even as your garden does the same for your chickens.

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In this essential handbook, award-winning garden designer Jessi Bloom covers everything a gardener needs to know, including chicken-keeping basics, simple garden plans to get you started, tips on attractive fencing options, the best plants and plants to avoid, and step-by-step instructions for getting your chicken garden up and running.

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For anyone who wants a fabulous garden where colorful chickens happily roam, Free-Range Chicken Gardens is the guide that will bring the dream home to roost.

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I've read, but haven't used the ideas in this book.  When I first got into chickens a few years ago, I imagined doing it something like this.  But, I never imagined it so well or so beautiful!  This is a great book to learn from, but it's also a great book to push away the Winter Blues with Springtime Dreams.  Can't wait to order my chicks!
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Turns out, Jessi Bloom is a organic gardener extraordinaire.  Here is her company website-   http://nwbloom.com/