Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance: Reflections on Raising Chickens [Paperback]

Martin Gurdon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

Owning chickens is fast becoming the latest in metropolitan chic. If you can't own them, you'll still want to read about them-witness the recent success of books such as Extraordinary Chickens and Living With Chickens. Another book is soon to hit the poultry bestseller list: This hilarious account of a rookie poultry-owner's experience raising birds in his backyard. Move over Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt (both rumored to raise chickens), Martin Gurdon has written the first "chicken memoir" of its kind. Bound to be a classic, Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance follows the Gurdon family through the ups and downs of this wonderful hobby. In addition to providing eggs, the hens offer distractions from everyday life-BB has terrific telephone etiquette, the spirited but weak Yvette requires Gurdon to act as a personal trainer, and Wimpy is soon renamed Psycho when she's allowed to brood three of her eggs. The book chronicles the daily life of a chicken, including dust baths, brutal pecking-order rituals, gender-bending encounters, and, for its owner, the possibility of huge vet bills. The relationship between bird and human is by turns heartwarming and bewildering, but always entertaining. In fact, readers might even learn a thing or two about raising chickens in this lively book.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In this warmly funny paean to pet chickens, Gurdon chronicles life with a garden flock of hens. As a boy he had kept pet chickens, but they had mostly been worn-out hens culled from the local factory farm. When he and his wife decided to start their suburban flock, a visit to a local breeder resulted in a potpourri of hens in various sizes, colors, and personalities. The author was immediately inducted into the more brutal side of hen keeping when his new girls began to peck and terrorize each other as they sorted out their hierarchy--the classic "pecking order" of psychology. What follows is a wryly amusing memoir of the hens as the author tries to prevent escapes, rescues other lost chickens, teaches his hens to sit on his lap (food is a powerful inducer), and discovers how to do physiotherapy on a lame hen. Illustrated with line drawings, Gurdon's tales of hens will be popular among readers who love true animal stories in the James Herriot vein. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A lovingly told romp through the adventures of an amateur chicken keeper and his flock." -The Guardian

" A real hoot . . . a book on keeping chickens in the town and the country, but also a humorous look at the bird and its idiosyncrasies." -The Bookseller

"In this warmly funny paean to pet chickens, Gurdon chronicles life with a garden flock of chickens... Gurdon's tales of hens will be popular among readers who love true animal stories in the James Herriot vein."--Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592287700
• ISBN-13: 978-1592287703
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #124,822 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Animal Care & Pets > Birds

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Such an accurate portrayal of raising chickens, October 15, 2004

By 

chicken lover "Katherine" (Kentucky, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance: Reflections on Raising Chickens (Hardcover)

I absolutely loved this book. It is an account of both the funny moments and the challenging moments of raising poultry. There are sad times and glad times, and they all make you remember your own personal experiences if you have chickens. If you don't, I would think you would want them after hearing the stories. In addition, there are some knowledgeable tips for raising them and for their care. Wonderful account of having chickens! I wished the book had a sequel to it. Kat - Kentucky

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story, especially for those who don't own chickens, August 31, 2005

By 

M. Levine (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance: Reflections on Raising Chickens (Hardcover)

I checked this book out at the local library and after several bellyaching laughs, I decided I had to add it to my collection! Needless to say, it did not stay in my collection long since it was borrowed several times and kept by my MIL (none of whom own chickens). The author has such a funny way to "get into the mind of a chicken".

This book is not a handbook or how-to text but, you will definitely learn from his rather "twisted" experiences. If you enjoy easy-to-read corky real-life novels, then this is a book for you.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it!, June 20, 2005

By 

Carolyn - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance: Reflections on Raising Chickens (Hardcover)

I have been keeping Speckled Sussex Chickens and Guinea Fowl for several years. My friends are tired of hearing my chicken stories and no one ever tells me any so I picked this up to hear someone else's story and boy is it a hoot! Well written and easy to read, the author keeps your attention as easily as a novel. The stories are real, I know because I've lived some of them, and the information is accurate. I even learned some things I didn't know. I've found myself quoting it many times. Excellent!