Links:
- Lots of information on how to raise chickens in an organic manner. Includes feed recipes, housing types and much more!
- A discussion list at yahoogroups devoted to raising chickens for eggs and meat in a humane manner, advocating organic feed, free-ranging on pasture, and natural methods for prevention and treatment of disease and parasites.
- The ALBC is a nonprofit membership organization working to protect nearly 100 breeds of cattle, goats, horses, asses, sheep, swine and poultry from extinction.
- ATTRA is a sustainable farming information center that provides resources on sustainable agriculture, organic farming, and alternative enterprises.
- A national mail order house providing most of the main breeds, as well as a few rare breeds of chickens.
- Lots and lots of photos of the many chicken breeds!
Books:
Free-Range Poultry- by Katie Thear ISBN 0-85236-368-0 The most comprehensive book on raising chickens organically, written by the editor of Country Garden & Smallholding magazine. Every aspect of poultry husbandry is covered, including depictions of many moveable henhouses and a recipe for mixing your own feed.
Chickens in your Backyard- by Rick and Gail Luttmann ISBN 0-87857-125-6 An older book, written from a mostly organic perspective, but still useful. Includes a recipe for mixing your own feed.
The Backyard Poultry Book- by Andrew Singer ISBN 1-85327-087-3 The author has a "nature knows best" approach, advocating humane and organic approaches to keeping chickens. Drawings of many styles of portable housing are included in this book.
Living With Chickens- by Jay RossierISBN 1-58574-452-2 This book is full of photos of chickens from small flocks in New England. While not necessarily written in an organic frame of mind, there are many valuable tips in here, for beginners and experienced alike!
Backyard Poultry Naturally- by Alanna MooreISNB 0-9585590-1-5 This book from Australia has many alternative ideas on keeping poultry, including feed recipes, home made portable bamboo housing, herbal and homeopathic worming methods and more.
Chicken Tractor, The Permaculture Guide to Happy Hens & Healthy Soil- by Andy Lee and Pat Foreman ISBN 0-9624648-6-4 Advocates raising chickens in portable systems called "tractors", to utilize their services in creating lush garden beds, while also keeping disease and parasites at bay using constant rotations of the portable pen.
The Chicken Health Handbook- by Gail Damerow ISBN 0-88266-611-8 The best book on disease descriptions. It will help you determine any problems in your flock and how to treat them.
The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable- by Juliette de Bairacli Levy ISBN 0-571-16116-2 A comprehensive book on treating livestock with benign herbs.
The Contrary Farmer- by Gene Logsdon ISBN 0-930031-74-1 Describes farming in a lyrical, yet concise manner. The author lists chickens as the first choice of livestock for the cottage farmer, and sheep as the second.
Why Grassfed is Best- by Jo Robinson This book explores the newly discovered benefits of eating meat, eggs and dairy products from grassfed animals. Written by the co-author of The Omega Diet.
A Conservation Breeding Handbook- by D. Phillip Sponenberg and Carolyn J. Christman ISBN 1-887316-00-0 An excellent book on the methods of conserving various types of livestock. Includes details on various types of breeding systems; including linebreeding, linecrossing, crossbreeding, inbreeding and random breeding or multi-sire mating.
Magazines:
When You Have Problems:Website where you can look up symptoms, find solutions, and even purchase the book.
