The Small-Scale Poultry Flock, Revised Edition: An All-Natural Approach to Raising and Breeding Chickens and Other Fowl for Home and Market Growers

When I started keeping chickens over a decade ago, I only had the first edition of this book and that is all I needed. I have since then bought a number of chicken keeping books, and this one is still the best for homesteaders and those taking the natural approach. When I saw the new edition, I didn't hesitate to get it too. It is even better than the first one, expanded and even more pictures. Planning your flock, chicken breeds, housing, manure management, gardening with chickens, basic health, harvest and processing, breeding, making your feed, fencing, pasturing ...lots of pictures. If only get one chicken keeping book, get this one. If you don't just have a handful of hens in a suburban backyard, but plan on an actual flock, raising it naturally, breeding, and leaning towards homesteading, I would say this book is a must have. Everything else is optional.

This book was well thought out and provides the small scale poultry farmer with all the information they need to get started and maintain a small flock. It's also provided me a lot to think about for the future of my flock. Highly recommend for anyone with a small flock thinking about scaling up. It provides the reader of lot of good information to make the right decision for their position.

I was hesitant to buy this. I have read a handful of similar books for free on KU but decided to risk the expense because of the author’s notoriety. I AM SO GLAD I DID. He provides tips, tricks, and advice you can only get from years of experience and mistakes. If there is a subject he doesn’t cover in depth (because it’s off topic of the book) he provides quality resources to explore.

For anyone looking to really understand what chicken husbandry looks like, this is THE book. No stone is left unturned, talking about the good, bad, and the ugly in all things chicken care. Whether you are just starting, or looking to improve your skills, add this book to your book shelf. You won't regret it.

Harvey does a wonderful job of educating and perhaps a bit of swaying you to use chickens to our advantage...garden, kids and offers great ideas for sustainable resource management! Thank you! Job well done sir!

Clear cut, honest things that work. It’s great when someone takes the time to share years of wisdom.

My sister is a veterinarian who lives on a small farm. She has experience with almost everything in this book and has given her approval of the content. I knew nothing on the topic but after reading this book, I feel like I now have the benefit of decades of knowledge and experience. This book is packed with great information and was fun to read with beautiful color pictures, which made it even better. I'm glad I bought this book.

It's a one stop shop. Everything you need to know is presented in these pages. Great for beginners and experienced alike.