In the last few years, poultry-keeping has enjoyed massive growth, with heavy TV coverage featuring chefs such as Jamie Oliver. It is another symptom of our weariness of mass-produced, tasteless supermarket food - the appeal of being able to nip into the back garden to get fresh eggs for breakfast, knowing that the hens have been well kept, fed and loved. This highly practical book is aimed at beginners to the hobby and will explain everything you need to know to get started keeping chickens, from how to choose, house, feed and handle them to how many eggs they will lay, their affect on the local ecosystem and protection from foxes.• Part of successful series on environmental or green-fingered issues.

• Chicken welfare is an important and popular issue.

• Ideal for beginners to chicken keeping or those with an interest in animals.

• Written by a smallholder expert.

• Hundreds of useful photographs.

• Accessible layout, digestible text, bullet points and handy tips throughout.