2 3 4 First published 2010 by A & C Black Publishers Ltd, 36 Soho Square, London W1D 3QY Reprinted 2010 www.acblack.com This electronic edition published in 2012 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Copyright © 2010 text and illustrations by Celia Lewis The right of Celia Lewis to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988. ePub ISBN 978 1 4081 6998 8 Visit www.bloomsbury.com to find out more about our authors and their books You will find extracts, author interviews, author events and you can sign up for newsletters to be the first to hear about our latest releases and special offers A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. All rights reserved. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any 5 unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author and publishers have made every effort to ensure that all advice in this book is accurate and safe, and therefore cannot accept any liability for any resulting injury, damage or loss to persons or property, however it may arise. Commissioning editor: Nigel Redman Project editor: Julie Bailey Design by Sutchinda Thompson and Jocelyn Lucas 6 7 Contents Foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales Introduction Choosing the right chickens How the book works Cocks or cockerels Parts of a chicken Combs Dubbing Feathers Plumage Types of feather Feather markings Feather patterns Parts of a wing 8 Housing and fencing Hygiene Acquiring stock Buying hens or fertile eggs Bringing them home Pecking order Feeding What to feed How much? When? Anything else? Breeding your own stock Broodiness Preventing broodiness Caring for the broody Cocks and fertility Using an incubator 9 Breed profiles Common ailments Culling Breed classes Quick reference guide Egg colours Useful websites Acknowledgements Glossary 10