Chicken & egg: raising chickens to get the eggs you want

If you own chickens or are thinking of owning chickens so you can have a steady supply of fresh eggs, then you'll want the expert advice in Chicken & Egg. The age-old question of which comes first, the chicken or the egg, has finally been answered. For the purposes of egg-centric chicken keepers, it's the egg! A new approach to chicken keeping, Chicken & Egg is specifically geared toward hobby farmers and casual chicken keepers who wish to produce eggs of a particular color, flavor, and type. Here, you'll learn: *How today's chicken breeds originated and became domesticated *The science behind egg production, incubation, and hatching *The difference between good quality and poor quality eggs *How and where to purchase your chickens *How much space you need *How to choose an appropriate henhouse *How to keep your chickens safe from predators *What to feed your flock *And more! Whether you desire the delectable turquoise eggs of the Araucana or the chocolate brown eggs of the Blue Copper Maran, learn how it's possible to put the egg before the chicken. Written by two expert poultry breeders and specialists, Andy Cawthray and James Hermes, this colorful handbook offers an edifying overview of the natural history of chickens and the science of egg production so that keepers better understand how to care for egg-layers, improve the quality of their eggs through diet and housing, and maximize their egg production for years to come. The authors have rounded up a few dozen chicken breeds and offer their hardboiled advice about which hens offer the most egg-cellent daily output. There is a directory of the best egg-laying chicken breeds, plus colorful two-page spreads of the 20 most popular choices. The authors offer advice on how to select and set up your flock, including safe and affordable housing, runs, and coops and selecting the best diets for your birds to maximize production and avoid egg failure. They offer essential information about brooding and laying, the birds' behavior, and solving problems within the flock. So, if you've been hesitating about raising chickens for eggs, go ahead and get started. All the information you need is here!