Raising chickens at home is an enjoyable and fulfilling experience, and having fresh eggs from your very own chickens is incredibly rewarding! Thanks to Google, there is no shortage of information on raising your own chickens at home.
That said, nothing beats having an informative and illustrated book to hold in your hands and refer to occasionally. Books on raising chickens are usually written by experienced chicken keepers with a wealth of hands-on experience and knowledge and contain information, pictures, and anecdotes that can be difficult to find elsewhere, even on the ever-expanding internet.
Raising chickens at home has become even more popular in recent years, and as such, there are a ton of books available on the subject. If you’re looking for a great book on raising your own backyard chickens, you’ve come to the right place! We narrowed the myriad available options to 10 of our favorites and created in-depth reviews to help you find the best book on raising chickens to suit your needs. Let’s dive in!
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites This Year
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens, 4th Edition
Number-one bestseller
Up-to-date fourth edition
Packed with color photos and illustrations
Check Price
Best Value
The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens
Inexpensive
Ideal for beginners
Up-to-date information
Check Price
Premium Choice
The Homesteader’s Natural Chicken Keeping Handbook
Comprehensive guide from start to finish
Helps with starting your own egg and poultry business
Contains delicious recipes
Check Price
Best For Beginners
The Chicken Chick’s Guide to Backyard Chickens
Great for beginners
Award-winning author
Packed with photos and illustrations
Check Price
The Intermediate Guide to Raising Chickens
Available for free on Kindle Unlimited
Great for keepers looking to expand their flock
Up-to-date information
Check Price
The 10 Best Books on Raising Chickens
- Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens, 4th Edition — Best Overall Check Latest Price
Format Kindle, paperback, hardcover, spiral-bound
Print Length 424 pages
Publication date December 26, 2017
“Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens” has been one of the bestselling books for raising chickens for over 2 decades, and it has now reached its fourth edition. The book provides up-to-date details on chicken shelters and enclosures, what to feed your chickens, chicken health care, raising chicks, and getting meat and eggs. It also contains recent research on chicken behavior and communication. The book is packed with color illustrations and photographs, and almost every aspect of chicken care is covered by this thorough and information-packed fourth edition. It’s almost too thorough, though, as the book can get somewhat repetitive at times.
Pros
Number-one bestseller
Up-to-date fourth edition
Comprehensive guide to raising chickens from start to finish
Contains recent research into chicken behavior and communication
Packed with color photos and illustrations
Cons
Can get repetitive at times
- The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens: How to Raise a Happy Backyard Flock — Best Value Check Latest Price
Format Kindle, paperback, hardcover, spiral-bound
Print Length 192 pages
Publication date June 4, 2019
“The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens” is the best book on raising chickens for the money. If you’re new to raising chickens or simply want to expand your knowledge — and your flock — this book contains key information to get you started. The book was published in 2019 and contains up-to-date information on raising your own flock. It has plans on building a coop, choosing the right chicken breed, and raising chicks, along with what to feed your chickens and detailed chicken care advice and illustrations. This book is a great first addition for any first-time flock keeper!
Number-one bestseller
Up-to-date fourth edition
Comprehensive guide to raising chickens from start to finish
Contains recent research into chicken behavior and communication
Packed with color photos and illustrations
- Number-one bestseller
- Up-to-date fourth edition
- Comprehensive guide to raising chickens from start to finish
- Contains recent research into chicken behavior and communication
- Packed with color photos and illustrations
Can get repetitive at times
- Can get repetitive at times
The only issue we found with this book is that at only 192 pages, it’s not as comprehensive as some other available books and is aimed at beginners. If you have even a rudimentary knowledge of raising chickens, this book will not provide much new or unique information.
Pros
Inexpensive
Ideal for beginners
Up-to-date information
Detailed illustrations
Cons
Not that comprehensive
Not ideal for experienced chicken owners
- The Homesteader’s Natural Chicken Keeping Handbook — Premium Option Check Latest Price
Format Kindle, paperback, spiral-bound
Print Length 240 pages
Publication date May 1, 2019
“The Homesteader’s Natural Chicken Keeping Handbook” may seem pricey at first glance but is a comprehensive guide to raising a backyard flock from start to finish. The book will give you all the information that you need for raising a healthy flock, including understanding chickens and their behavior, producing eggs, starting your own poultry or egg business, preventing and treating ailments naturally, and setting up your property, brooder, and nesting area. The book also provides delicious recipes to make with your eggs and poultry!
Inexpensive
Ideal for beginners
Up-to-date information
Detailed illustrations
- Inexpensive
- Ideal for beginners
- Up-to-date information
- Detailed illustrations
Not that comprehensive
Not ideal for experienced chicken owners
- Not that comprehensive
- Not ideal for experienced chicken owners
This book is great for beginner and intermediate chicken keepers, but seasoned chicken keepers may be disappointed at some of the repetitive information.
Pros
Comprehensive guide from start to finish
Contains information on treating and preventing ailments naturally
Helps with starting your own egg and poultry business
Contains delicious recipes
Cons
Expensive
Not ideal for seasoned chicken keepers
- The Chicken Chick’s Guide to Backyard Chickens: Simple Steps for Healthy, Happy Hens — Best For Beginners Check Latest Price
Format Kindle, paperback, audiobook, spiral-bound
Print Length 180 pages
Publication date October 1, 2017
“The Chicken Chick’s Guide to Backyard Chickens” is an ideal companion if you’re just beginning to raise your own backyard flock and is written specifically with beginners in mind. It covers all the essential aspects of raising chickens, from coops and chick care to breed selection and chicken health. The author, Kathy Shea Mormino, partnered with poultry veterinarians, nutritionists, and professors to provide readers with up-to-date, expert advice on chicken care. Mormino has been running an award-winning chicken care blog for years, and this book is a culmination of those years of research and contains all the same accurate and hands-on knowledge, complete with an abundance of illustrations.
Comprehensive guide from start to finish
Contains information on treating and preventing ailments naturally
Helps with starting your own egg and poultry business
Contains delicious recipes
- Comprehensive guide from start to finish
- Contains information on treating and preventing ailments naturally
- Helps with starting your own egg and poultry business
- Contains delicious recipes
Expensive
Not ideal for seasoned chicken keepers
- Expensive
- Not ideal for seasoned chicken keepers
Much of the information in this book is common knowledge to novice chicken keepers and focuses on small-scale egg farming and keeping chickens as pets — there is no information about raising chickens for meat production.
Pros
Great for beginners
Contains vital info on chicken care and health
Advice from poultry veterinarians, nutritionists, and professors
Award-winning author
Packed with photos and illustrations
Cons
For novice keepers only
No information about raising chickens for meat
Advice for small-scale keepers only
- The Intermediate Guide to Raising Chickens Check Latest Price
Format Kindle, paperback, hardcover
Print Length 142 pages
Publication date June 22, 2021
If you’ve already raised your own backyard chickens and want to expand your knowledge and flock, “The Intermediate Guide to Raising Chickens” is a great book to help you move forward. It was released in 2021, so it contains the most up-to-date information on how to grow your flock, provide for your chicken’s needs at scale, breed and raise chicks, and turn your growing flock into a small business. It also contains vital information on keeping your flock healthy, dealing with ailments, and ensuring that your flock gets proper nutrition, but it is not the book for you if you’re just looking to get started in keeping chickens.
Great for beginners
Contains vital info on chicken care and health
Advice from poultry veterinarians, nutritionists, and professors
Award-winning author
Packed with photos and illustrations
- Great for beginners
- Contains vital info on chicken care and health
- Advice from poultry veterinarians, nutritionists, and professors
- Award-winning author
- Packed with photos and illustrations
For novice keepers only
No information about raising chickens for meat
Advice for small-scale keepers only
- For novice keepers only
- No information about raising chickens for meat
- Advice for small-scale keepers only
Pros
Available for free on Kindle Unlimited
Great for keepers looking to expand their flock
Up-to-date information
Details breeding and raising chicks
Contains information to help you turn your flock into a business
Cons
Not ideal if you’ve never owned chickens before
- Backyard Farming: Raising Chickens: From Building Coops to Collecting Eggs and More Check Latest Price
Format Kindle, paperback
Print Length 128 pages
Publication date May 28, 2013
“Backyard Farming: Raising Chickens” is a comprehensive primer for first-time chicken keepers and will help guide you in raising chickens for eggs, meat, fun, or profit. The book is packed with detailed illustrations and photographs that help you plan and build your first chicken coop, along with details on raising chicks, choosing the ideal breed, and keeping your flock healthy and happy. It also contains tips and tricks from experienced farmers to help you avoid common mistakes and get your flock going the right way from the beginning.
Available for free on Kindle Unlimited
Great for keepers looking to expand their flock
Up-to-date information
Details breeding and raising chicks
Contains information to help you turn your flock into a business
- Available for free on Kindle Unlimited
- Great for keepers looking to expand their flock
- Up-to-date information
- Details breeding and raising chicks
- Contains information to help you turn your flock into a business
Not ideal if you’ve never owned chickens before
- Not ideal if you’ve never owned chickens before
This book is fairly short and provides a basic overview of raising chickens, so it will not provide you with any new information if you already have experience raising chickens. Also, it was printed in 2013, so it doesn’t contain the most up-to-date information.
Pros
Great for novice chicken owners
Packed with detailed illustrations and photographs
Details constructing your first coop
Contains tips and tricks from experienced farmers
Inexpensive
Cons
Basic overview only
Somewhat outdated
- How to Speak Chicken: Why Your Chickens Do What They Do & Say What They Say Check Latest Price
Format Kindle, paperback
Print Length 144 pages
Publication date November 28, 2017
“How to Speak Chicken” is a unique look at how to understand the minds of your birds and thus, be better equipped to take proper care of them. The bestselling author, Melissa Caughey, has spent a great deal of time around chickens and has observed that they are much like our other favorite pets. With this guide, she provides hands-on insights into how chickens communicate and interact with vocalizing and behavior. This book includes how chickens use their senses to understand their environment and how they establish a pecking order in the flock. It also contains in-depth information on chickens’ anatomy, emotions, and their ability to solve problems.
Great for novice chicken owners
Packed with detailed illustrations and photographs
Details constructing your first coop
Contains tips and tricks from experienced farmers
Inexpensive
- Great for novice chicken owners
- Packed with detailed illustrations and photographs
- Details constructing your first coop
- Contains tips and tricks from experienced farmers
- Inexpensive
Basic overview only
Somewhat outdated
- Basic overview only
- Somewhat outdated
This book is a great addition to any chicken keeper’s library but does not detail much information on caring for and raising a flock if you’re a beginner.
Pros
Free on Kindle Unlimited
Number-one bestseller
A unique insight into chicken communication
Contains in-depth information on chicken anatomy
Cons
Not informative for beginners
- Raising Chickens for Dummies Check Latest Price
Format Kindle, paperback
Print Length 432 pages
Publication date December 5, 2019
The “For Dummies” books have taken the world by storm, exploring almost every subject imaginable, and “Raising Chickens for Dummies” is the franchise’s foray into raising backyard chickens. The book was published in 2019, so it contains up-to-date information on everything from choosing and purchasing chickens to constructing coops and controlling pests and predators. This book will also teach you how to optimize egg production and combat laying issues, along with feeding for optimal health and dealing with common health issues. It also has a comprehensive guide on raising chickens for both eggs and meat, with tips on collecting and storing eggs and butchering meat birds.
Free on Kindle Unlimited
Number-one bestseller
A unique insight into chicken communication
Contains in-depth information on chicken anatomy
- Free on Kindle Unlimited
- Number-one bestseller
- A unique insight into chicken communication
- Contains in-depth information on chicken anatomy
Not informative for beginners
- Not informative for beginners
The only issue we had with this book is that it reads more like a textbook or encyclopedia and lacks personal stories and anecdotes from experienced flock owners.
Pros
Up-to-date information
Provides details on coop construction
Helps with choosing and purchasing chicken breeds
Explains how to optimize egg production
Details raising birds for meat and for eggs
Cons
Lacks personal anecdotes and tips from experienced keepers
- Raising Chickens: Beginners Guide to Raising Healthy and Happy Backyard Chickens Check Latest Price
Format Kindle, paperback, audiobook
Print Length 184 pages
Publication date October 25, 2020
Up-to-date information
Provides details on coop construction
Helps with choosing and purchasing chicken breeds
Explains how to optimize egg production
Details raising birds for meat and for eggs
- Up-to-date information
- Provides details on coop construction
- Helps with choosing and purchasing chicken breeds
- Explains how to optimize egg production
- Details raising birds for meat and for eggs
Lacks personal anecdotes and tips from experienced keepers
- Lacks personal anecdotes and tips from experienced keepers
While this book contains helpful photographs, they’re all in black and white. Also, it’s a great guide to raising chickens for beginners but doesn’t contain much about producing meat, scaling your flock, or starting a business.
- Backyard Chickens: A Practical Handbook to Raising Chickens Check Latest Price
Format Kindle, paperback
Print Length 123 pages
Publication date August 31, 2018
“Backyard Chickens: A Practical Handbook to Raising Chickens” is an in-depth guide from a fourth-generation chicken keeper and is suited to novice chicken keepers and veterans alike. The book provides a practical guide to everything from raising chickens and selecting the perfect breed to feeding your flock and dealing with common health issues. It also goes into detail about chicken behavior, including bullying, to help you gain a deeper understanding of the inner workings of your flock. Lastly, it’s packed with color illustrations and photos that provide specific examples of health and behavior.
Photos are black and white
For beginners only
Little information on scaling your flock
- Photos are black and white
- For beginners only
- Little information on scaling your flock
This book contains a great deal of narrative into the author’s personal experiences, rather than a comprehensive manual for raising chickens. Also, the material is fairly generic in places and is suited to beginners more than experienced keepers.
Pros
Written by a fourth-generation chicken keeper
A practical guide for beginners
Details chicken behavior
Packed with color illustrations and photos
Cons
Suited to beginners only
Not that concise
Written by a fourth-generation chicken keeper
A practical guide for beginners
Details chicken behavior
Packed with color illustrations and photos
- Written by a fourth-generation chicken keeper
- A practical guide for beginners
- Details chicken behavior
- Packed with color illustrations and photos
Suited to beginners only
Not that concise
- Suited to beginners only
- Not that concise
Buyer’s Guide – Purchasing the Best Books on Raising Chickens
Do you really need a book on raising chickens?
There are so many books on the market on raising backyard chickens, and it can be overwhelming to choose which one to buy. With so much information freely available on the internet, many novice chicken keepers choose blogs and articles over books, which is understandable, considering how simple it is to do a Google search.
That said, books are still valuable, especially when it comes to raising animals. Books on raising chickens offer detailed, step-by-step instructions on raising chickens, without the need to trawl through hundreds of blog posts before finding what you’re looking for. Of course, this is not to say that the internet does not provide any value when looking for information on chickens — it most certainly can — but a book can be a more concise and simple way to get what you’re looking for, especially when you’re first starting.
Many of these books also offer personal experiences and anecdotes on raising chickens, which is priceless information to help you avoid making the same mistakes that others did, so you can be successful from the beginning.
Things to consider before buying a book on raising chickens
Author
This is arguably the most important consideration when buying a book on raising chickens. The author should have personal experience with raising chickens and provide personal anecdotes, successes, and mistakes for you to learn from. While the usual information on chickens is essential too, it can help so much to learn about the personal experiences of other chicken keepers.
Content
Are you a complete novice when it comes to chicken keeping? Do you have a bit of knowledge already and want to grow your flock? Or are you a chicken-keeping veteran who would simply like to learn more about chickens? These are important questions to consider, as some books are catered completely to beginners, while others contain unique, in-depth information that’s helpful to chicken keepers with some experience.
Illustrations
Illustrations and photographs are great tools in conveying knowledge, especially when it comes to things like choosing chicken breeds, identifying health issues, and building and maintaining coops. Books that detail subjects like building coops should have highly detailed instructions and photographs of the steps to do. Similarly, books helping identify breeds and health issues should be the same, especially with color photos.
Many of the books listed here are available as audiobooks too.
Conclusion
We highly recommend any of these books on raising chickens, but “Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens” has been one of the best-selling books for raising chickens for over 2 decades, and as such, it is our top choice overall. The book is packed with color illustrations and photographs, and almost every aspect of chicken care is covered, making it ideal for beginners and veterans alike.
“The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens” is the best book on raising chickens for the money. If you’re new to raising chickens, this book contains up-to-date information on how to build a coop, how to choose the right chicken breed, what to feed your chickens, and detailed chicken care advice.
“The Homesteader’s Natural Chicken Keeping Handbook” is a premium, comprehensive guide to raising a backyard flock, with all the information that you need for understanding chicken’s behavior, producing eggs, starting your own poultry or egg business, and preventing and treating ailments naturally.
With all the available choices of books on raising your own chickens, finding the right one can be overwhelming. We hope that our in-depth reviews have narrowed the options and helped you find the best book on raising chickens, whether you’re a complete beginner or seasoned veteran!
Featured Image Credit: Elena Blokhina, Shutterstock
