Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance: Relections on a Life of Raising Chickens

(Paperback, 2nd edition)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Owning chickens is fast becoming the latest in metropolitan chic. If you can't own them, you'll still want to read about them. Primal urges, the quest for ultimate power, sex, death, gender bending and huge vet billsthese are the things that chickens are made of. Martin Gurdon's hilarious Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance relives the highs and lows of chicken ownership. This unique chicken memoir follows the Gurdon family through the ups and downs of a wonderful hobby. In addition to providing eggs, the hens offer distractions from everyday life.

You'll meet a cast of unusual characters, from the frightening disciplinary measures of Bossy Chicken, and the maternal instincts of Psycho Chicken, to the bizarre tales of Mike the headless chicken from Colorado, and the physical rehabilitation and sexual transformation of Yvette. 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.

Reviews

Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance is a delight to page through, and an unforgettable glimpse into the trials, tribulations, and joys of raising backyard chickens. Highly recommend! --Midwest Book Review

Author Bio

Martin Gurdon is a freelance journalist, author and editor who specializes in cars and hens. Martin has written regularly for the Evening Standard, The Independent, Daily Telegraph, Octane and Classic Cars magazine, where he spent six years as a columnist. Martin shares his garden with chickens, doves and ducks and was a little surprised to discover that their lives made good copy, thanks to a massive increase in amateur chicken keeping. He wrote a regular column about the birds for the Sunday Telegraph's Life supplement, is a regular columnist and contributor to Your Chickens magazine, and blogs on the www.allotment.org.uk website.