Top Books on Poultry

Top Books on Poultry

​Storey’s Guides are probably the most popular series of books for beginners to learn about caring for animals. Not surprisingly, all my recommendations are either Storey’s Guides or books from authors who also write Storey’s Guides. We raise both layer and meat chickens every year; we have also raised turkeys (one year only, as they are more trouble than chickens, although I wish to try again). We have also recently started raising geese, and we quickly realized that geese are very different from ducks. When I get a good goose book, I will update my recommendations here.

1. Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow
This comprehensive guide covers the process of raising chickens, including both egg-laying birds and meat birds. It includes information on breeds, nutrition, and common health concerns. Once we decided to raise chickens in addition to ducks, this was the first chicken book I bought.

2. Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks by Dave Holderread
This book is a great guide on how to raise ducks. Although there are some similarities, caring for ducks differs from raising chickens. Ducks have different nutritional requirements, need access to deeper water than chickens when they eat, and require additional resources. This book highlights everything you need to know before and after getting ducks. Another great resource is the Metzer Farms Hatchery website. Metzer Farms has specialized in waterfowl for decades, and the amount of information available on breeds, nutrition, health issues, and basic care reflects that expertise.

3. Storey’s Guide to Raising Turkeys by Don Schrider
Like the Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens, this is a comprehensive book that provides the basics you need to get started with turkeys. Raising turkeys is different and more challenging than raising chickens, as the poults are more delicate than chicks. We found that turkeys are more curious and tend to get into more trouble.

4. Storey’s Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds by Carol Ekarius
Aside from the information provided on breeds in this book, it is worth buying for the pictures alone. They are fantastic! Although the book does not cover every breed of bird, it does an excellent job of highlighting the most common breeds of chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys. It also has a section on less common birds such as guinea fowl, ostrich, emu, peafowl, quail, swan, partridge, dove, pigeon, and pheasant.

5. The Chicken Health Handbook: A Complete Guide to Maximizing Flock Health and Dealing with Disease by Gail Damerow
The Chicken Health Handbook is a comprehensive guide to health issues you may encounter when raising chickens. It gives more details on nutrition and diseases caused by parasites, worms, protozoa, bacteria, and viruses. Most people who raise chickens do not live near a veterinarian that specializes in birds, and unless a chicken is a pet, many people are not willing to spend money on veterinary care. This book helps you diagnose problems and gives you guidance on how to treat birds on your own.