Jay Rossier, "Living With Chickens"

I have read a lot of books about keeping chickens in the last year.  This book has become one of my favorite to read, if not one of the most informative chicken books.  If you are looking for a hard data reference, then this is probably not the best book for you.  But if you want a sample of what it's like to keep chickens, along with plenty of useful information in a relaxed and chatty atmosphere, then this is it.

This book was published by the American Poultry Association, and includes a forward by the APA president.  It was printed by a press in Connecticut, and I have to say that they did a fabulous job.  The typesetting, the photographs, and the layout are all outstanding.  

Rossier's anecdotal style of writing may be a little frustrating to beginning chicken keepers, but it is also the book's greatest strength.  When I was just starting out, I very much wanted hard data.  In hindsight I would probably have done better with something more like Rossier's book, even though its descriptions may be a little looser and less precise.  

Just as an example, you can read all the data you want on what proportion of chick grit to include with chick feed, and when.  But frankly you're probably better off with Rossier's advice, which is to "Sprinkle [the grit] on top of their feed the way your kid puts sugar on his cereal and your chicks will get what they need."

Rossier has obviously spent a lot of time talking to other chicken owners over the years.  He has a wealth of information on what other people have done, and whether or not it worked.  Or just as an illustration of life with chickens, as with the farmer he knew who kept his chickens in a clapped-out old car in a field.  (The hens used the trunk of the car as a nest box, which the farmer could then open from the outside to collect the eggs.)

Living With Chickens also collects a lot of the author's experience in the broader sense, and is able to provide advice on things that most other chicken books don't cover.  Like the pros and cons of obtaining your chickens as adults.  Every book I've ever read only talks about raising chicks, but Rossier dedicates an entire chapter to "Buying Adult Chickens."  And it includes a warning that the buyer should always be skeptical, because most free hens are worth what you paid for them.

Another interesting chapter at the end covers the topic of kids and chickens.  Rossier previously discussed killing and cleaning chickens in frank terms, and now discusses children watching the slaughter in the same way.  Rossier is a parent himself, and his affection for children shines as clearly here as his affection for chickens does in the rest of the book.  

Whether you are still in the early planning stages or have had chickens for a while, Living With Chickens is a great addition to your library.