Backyard Chickens for Beginners: Healthy hens and fresh eggs, from chicks to first year

The Complete Guide to Raising Healthy Hens for Fresh Eggs: Local Rules, Breed Comparison, Brooder Temperatures, Coop and Run Dimensions, Predator-Proofing, Feed, Egg Safety, Bird Flu Biosecurity, Real Costs and a First-Year Calendar

Fresh eggs with deep orange yolks, kids racing to the nest box, garden scraps turned into breakfast. Backyard chickens are wonderful, and they're also living animals that need the right setup and daily care. This book shows you exactly how to do it right from day one.

Backyard Chickens for Beginners starts where most guides skip: how to check your city code, HOA covenants, hen limits and rooster bans before you buy anything. Then it walks you through choosing breeds with a comparison table for eggs, temperament and climate, deciding between chicks, pullets and hens, and setting up a brooder with week-by-week temperatures.

You'll get coop and run dimensions per bird, roost and nest box sizes, ventilation that prevents winter problems, and predator-proofing that actually stops raccoons, foxes, hawks and dogs. Feeding is explained from starter to grower to layer, with calcium, grit, treats and water. Egg collection and handling follow current CDC and USDA guidance, including why you dry-clean instead of washing.

You'll also learn to manage molting, broody hens, winter cold and summer heat, spot common health problems, and follow the biosecurity steps USDA recommends against bird flu, including how to report sick birds. The real costs are worked out line by line, with cost per dozen, and a month-by-month first-year calendar keeps you on track. Plain US units, honest numbers, and checklists throughout.

What you get:

• How to check zoning, HOA rules, hen limits and rooster bans
• Breed comparison table for eggs, temperament and climate
• Brooder setup with week-by-week temperatures
• Coop and run dimensions per bird, plus predator-proofing
• Feeding from starter to layer, with calcium, grit and treats
• Egg collection and safe handling based on CDC and USDA guidance
• Bird flu biosecurity and how to report sick birds
• Real startup and yearly costs plus a first-year calendar

Instant download: PDF ebook (6x9 in), readable on any phone, tablet or computer. Educational content; rules change, so check the official sources listed in the book.