The small-scale poultry flock An all-natural approach to raising and breeding chickens and other fowl for home and market growers
Book - 2022
"The most comprehensive book on how to raise and breed your own poultry flock is now fully updated and expanded. The first edition of The Small-Scale Poultry Flock helped thousands of small-scale farmers and homesteaders successfully adopt a practical and integrative model for working with chickens and other domestic fowl based on natural systems. In this expanded and thoroughly revised edition, readers will find plenty of all-new material. Author Harvey Ussery introduces readers to his new favorite breed of chicken, Icelandics; describes how he manages his breeding flock using a clan mating system; presents detailed information on the use of trapnests and record-keeping spreadsheets for evaluating breeding hen performance; and provide...s step-by-step instructions for construction of an ingeniously designed mobile poultry shelter...Ussery presents a sustainable and ecologically friendly model that can be adapted for use at a variety of scales. His advice and examples throughout the book will prove invaluable for beginner homesteaders, growers looking to incorporate poultry into their farm, or experienced flocksters seeking to close their loop."--provided by publisher.
- Subjects
- Published
-
White River Junction, Vermont :
Chelsea Green Publishing
[2022]
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Edition
- Revised edition
- Physical Description
- 420 pages : color illustrations ; 26 cm
- Bibliography
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- ISBN
- 9781645021018
- Introduction
- Part 1. Getting Started
- 1. The Abundant Ecology
- 2. The Integrated Small-Scale Flock
- 3. Your Basic Bird
- 4. Planning Your Flock
- 5. My Seven-Year Love Affair with Icelandics
- 6. Starting Your Flock
- Part 2. Basic Care
- 7. Housing
- 8. Manure Management in the Poultry House: The Joys of Deep Litter
- 9. Watering
- 10. Ranging Your Flock
- 11. Ranging Flocks Using Electric Net Fencing
- 12. Mobile Shelters
- Part 3. Working Partners
- 13. Putting Your Flock to Work
- 14. Chickens in the Garden
- Part 4. Feeding the Small-Scale Flock
- 15. Thoughts on Feeding
- 16. Purchased Feeds
- 17. Making Your Own Feeds
- 18. Feeding Your Flock from Home Resources
- 19. Cultivating Recomposers for Poultry Feed
- Part 5. Other Management Issues
- 20. One Big Happy Family
- 21. Protecting Your Flock from Predators
- 22. Helping Your Flock Stay Healthy
- 23. Managing Your Flock in Winter
- 24. Other Domestic Fowl
- Part 6. Breeding the Small-Scale Flock
- 25. Trapnest and Hatchet: Breeding Essentials
- 26. Managing the Breeding Season
- 27. Working with Mother Hens
- Part 7. Poultry for the Table
- 28. Butchering Poultry
- 29. Poultry in the Kitchen
- 30. Serving Small Local Markets
- Acknowledgments
- Appendix A. Making Trapnests
- Appendix B. Making a Dustbox
- Appendix C. Making a Mobile A-Frame Shelter
- Appendix D. A Robust Mobile Shelter with a Lift Kit
- Appendix E. A Feed Formulation Spreadsheet
- Appendix F. Layer Performance Spreadsheet
- Appendix G. Broody Performance Spreadsheet
- Appendix H. Hatching Chicks in an Incubator
- Appendix I. Duck Confit, Convenience Food Extraordinaire
- Appendix J. Resources
- Glossary
- Notes
- Index