A Kid's Guide to Keeping Chickens

June 1, 2015
Grades 4-8 As many suburban families have joined the backyard chicken movement, older children and tweens have become interested in caring for these birds. Caughey, creator of the Tilly's Nest blog, brings firsthand experience and plenty of know-how to this guide for children. Before delving into basic chicken chores and care, Caughey explains the importance of understanding the town rules about raising poultry. Next, she describes the 10 best breedsemphasizing which do best in different parts of the countryand shows readers how to build a brooder for chicks and coops for when they're grown. A diagram of a chicken identifies its anatomical breakdown, so that readers can better understand the birds in their care. Feeding, managing health, and handling receive their own chapters, with the final chapter filled with enticing egg recipes. The book contains color photographsincluding pictures of children working with chickensand the text is broken into manageable chunks, with sidebar facts and testimonials. An index and other resources conclude. A good addition for public libraries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)