Includes index.

Bibliography: p. 149-150.

Your backyard can be the source of the best eggs and meat you've ever tasted. The answer is chickens--endearing birds that require but a modest outlay of time, space and food. As they learned to raise chickens, the Luttmanns came to realize the need for a comprehensive but clear and nontechnical guide. Their book covers all the basics in a light and entertaining style, from housing and feeding through incubating, bringing up chicks, butchering, and raising chickens for show. Throughout the book, the Luttmanns express their wonder at the personalities of chickens--the role of brash protector played by roosters, and the instinctive motherliness of the hens. Given some freedom and attention, these birds can become much more than egg-and-meat machines--they can provide backyard farmers with an enjoyable pastime as well as a supply of good food.--From publisher description.