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Book Review of Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance : Reflections on Raising Chickens

Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance : Reflections on Raising Chickens
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With two books under his belt, Martin Gurdon is fast becoming to chickens what Jon Katz is to dogs. Except for the fact that he is funnier, cruder (there is swearing in this book and lots of references to poultry fornification), and English. This book chronicles his adventures with a small backyard flock. Anyone who has had pet chickens will recognize the behaviors he talks about (Bossy Chicken definitely reminds me of my Gertrude!) and laugh out loud, but readers who pick up this book without ever owning chickens may just think he is insane.

This book is a short read. The font is the size one would expect from a child's chapter book and there are illustrations of chickens that seem to exist to make this book seem worth the $12.95 cover price I paid. Despite what the cover implies, this is NOT a chicken care book (though gross diseases are discussed). However, any person who has chickens and considers them part of the family will find something to enjoy in this book.