The most recommended books about chickens

Who picked these books? Meet our 28 experts.

28 authors created a book list connected to chickens, and here are their favorite chicken books.
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Book cover of If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules: Ten Rules for Being Human as Introduced in Chicken Soup for the Soul

Jeff Davidson Author Of The 60 Second Innovator

From my list on becoming more innovative.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the recognized expert on work-life balance, harmony, and integrative issues, and since 2009, hold the registered trademark from the USPTO as the “Work-Life Balance Expert®." My books have been featured in 68 of the top 75 American newspapers and, in two instances, advertised in Time Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. In all, 16 of my books are published in Chinese, among them Simpler Living, appearing as a 3-volume set, Everyday Project Management, The 60 Second Innovator, The 60 Second Organizer, The 60 Second Self-Starter, Ten Minute Guide to Time Management, and Ten Minute Guide to Project Management. I also have 13 books published in Arabic.

Jeff's book list on becoming more innovative

Jeff Davidson Why did Jeff love this book?

The author was asked in an interview, why has this book sold? “My rules,” she said, “are basic instincts that people already know to be true. If seeing these rules on paper helps to release and validate my readers to take action then my purpose is accomplished.”

Your relationship with yourself is the essential template for all other relationships. Build a solid foundation based on who you are, and not on what another person wants you to be. If you are meant to be with another person it will happen naturally. Stay grounded when you are swept off your feet. Learn about the person over time. Do fact-finding before you move in, not afterward.

The 10 rules are simple enough. Lessons are repeated until learned. There are no mistakes, only lessons. You will receive a body. You may love it or hate it, but it will be yours for the…

By Cherie Carter-Scott,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Illustrated with anecdotes from the author's life, family, and friends, the motivational speaker, whose rules were included in "Chicken Soup for the Soul", elaborates on her ten ways to health and happiness.


Book cover of Chicken Soup for the Soul

Will Edwards Author Of The 7 Keys to Success: Awakening to Your Divine Life Purpose

From my list on personal development for business professionals.

Why am I passionate about this?

Will Edwards is a graduate of the University of Birmingham and an accomplished professional with extensive experience in the design and delivery of Technical, ITIL, Management, Soft Skills, and Professional Development training. Outside of the workplace, he has been actively involved in various voluntary organizations working with young people, the mentally handicapped, and the elderly. In his spare time, he enjoys writing books, both fiction and non-fiction under a variety of pen names.

Will's book list on personal development for business professionals

Will Edwards Why did Will love this book?

When we come to understand that successful people truly are just ordinary people, just like ourselves, who simply refused to give up on their dreams, it can provide us with the inspiration and motivation to push ourselves that little bit more, to reach higher and succeed too.

Nothing is quite as motivational as reading about the success stories of other people just like you; people who have set out to achieve some big goal, have overcome seemingly impossible obstacles, and have come through against the odds. This book is jam-packed with such stories and is a real pleasure to read.

By Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Chicken Soup for the Soul as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Features inspirational stories offering words of wisdom, hope, and empowerment.


Book cover of The Chicken Health Handbook: A Complete Guide to Maximizing Flock Health and Dealing with Disease

Erica Hannickel Author Of The Routledge History of American Foodways

From my list on chickens in history and in your backyard.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an American environmental historian with specialties in food and horticulture. I mostly write on alcohol, wine, garden history, and orchids, but I’ve also kept a small flock of backyard chickens since early 2020. In my preparation for my brood, I read every single chicken history and chicken-keeping book available. Here’s the best of the best.

Erica's book list on chickens in history and in your backyard

Erica Hannickel Why did Erica love this book?

My god, a book about keeping chickens and chicken heath that's actually based on science and experience! (Sorry, there are sooooo many terrible blogs and books and posts out there by people who care just cutting and pasting from other crappy blogs and books.) This is the very best source for everything health-wise on chickens. Check here for the real scoop on adding vinegar to chicken water (why and at what dose), what's up with garlic (neutralize the order of chicken poop, and I promise it won’t flavor your eggs), diatomaceous earth, and thousands of other chicken topics and ailments. As a new chicken keeper, I felt a lot safer keeping my backyard chickens healthy, and diagnosing their issues, with this book on my shelf.

By Gail Damerow,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Chicken Health Handbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Gail Damerow is the foremost authority on chickens in the United States, and her classic reference The Chicken Health Handbook (originally published in 1994) is now completely revised with up-to-the minute information and full-colour photography and illustrations. This essential guide thoroughly addresses every aspect of chicken health, including good nutrition; bacterial, viral, and fungal diseases; parasites and worms; reproductive issues; immune health; metabolic dysfunctions; and much more, with detailed solutions for any health problem your chickens encounter. This new second edition emphasizes natural and preventive approaches and covers issues specific to raising chickens in the city.


Book cover of Rosie's Walk

Petr Horacek Author Of A Best Friend for Bear

From my list on illustrations that inspire reading and writing.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an award-winning author and illustrator of 20 board books and over 20 picture books, who very occasionally illustrates books for other authors too. I was born in Czechoslovakia, but have spent the second half of my life in England. 

Petr's book list on illustrations that inspire reading and writing

Petr Horacek Why did Petr love this book?

Rosie’s Walk is a perfect example of what a picture book should look like. The text and the illustrations are in perfect harmony, although the text tells us one story and the pictures another. 

The story is about a hen who goes for a peaceful walk across the yard, around the pond, across the field... and back home for dinner. But through the beautiful illustrations you can see a different story. The hen is followed by a naughty fox all the way. The hen was lucky and purely by luck escaped unharmed from the fox, who stepped on the rake, fell into the pond, got stuck in the haycock, and was chased away by bees. 

The book gives the child a chance to participate, take over and become the narrator who tells the story.

By Pat Hutchins,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Rosie's Walk as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 2, 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

Rosie the hen is going for a walk. But she'd better watch out - there's a sneaky fox on the prowl . . .

This timeless classic is the perfect combination of funny, witty, child-friendly humour and iconic retro artwork. The spare text is cleverly complemented by pictures that tell more than the words give away - ideal for building visual literacy for the very youngest readers. This is one of the must-have books for any child's library.


Book cover of Tastes Like Chicken: A History of America's Favorite Bird

Erica Hannickel Author Of The Routledge History of American Foodways

From my list on chickens in history and in your backyard.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an American environmental historian with specialties in food and horticulture. I mostly write on alcohol, wine, garden history, and orchids, but I’ve also kept a small flock of backyard chickens since early 2020. In my preparation for my brood, I read every single chicken history and chicken-keeping book available. Here’s the best of the best.

Erica's book list on chickens in history and in your backyard

Erica Hannickel Why did Erica love this book?

Tastes Like Chicken is a seriously excellent book on the history and culture of chickens in America since its earliest days! The book is fun and well-crafted for a wide audience because it covers so much about the chicken industry, as well as the history, uses, and symbolism of chicken, as well as a wider range of foods in the United States.

By Emelyn Rude,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tastes Like Chicken as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

How did chicken achieve the culinary ubiquity it enjoys today? It's hard to imagine, but there was a point in history, not terribly long ago, that individual people each consumed less than ten pounds of chicken per year. Today, those numbers are strikingly different: we consumer nearly twenty-five times as much chicken as our great-grandparents did.

Collectively, Americans devour 73.1 million pounds of chicken in a day, close to 8.6 billion birds per year. How did chicken rise from near-invisibility to being in seemingly "every pot," as per Herbert Hoover's famous promise?

Emelyn Rude explores this fascinating phenomenon in Tastes…


Book cover of Is Everyone Ready for Fun?

Sheri Dillard Author Of Cowhide-And-Seek

From my list on picture books for preschool storytimes.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been a preschool teacher for several years, and now I’m a preschool librarian. When I was teaching, storytime was my favorite part of the day, so when I was offered the spot of librarian, I happily took it! I have storytimes in all the classes, which range in age from 1-year-olds up to PreK and kindergarten classes. My favorite moments are when the children are connecting to each other in some way, like sharing a laugh together. Such joy! Ultimately, the best books for preschool storytimes are the ones that a reader is excited to share, with the hope that the kids will love them, too. 

Sheri's book list on picture books for preschool storytimes

Sheri Dillard Why did Sheri love this book?

I love Jan Thomas’s books! This one starts with three charming cows who are excited to see a red sofa. “Look!” they say. “It’s chicken’s sofa!”

Why are they excited? One page-turn later and PLOP! The cows are all squished together, sitting on the sofa. “Is everyone ready for fun?” they ask. 

Turns out, the cows have lots of plans for this sofa. Jumping! Dancing! Wiggling! Poor chicken tries to get them to stop, but these fun-loving cows don’t notice the effect of their “fun” on chicken’s sofa. 

I love having the kids act out each scene of jumping, dancing, wiggling, and the final satisfying page. Books that get kids engaged, whether with a catchy refrain or physical actions are fun. (And like those cows, we are ready for fun!)

By Jan Thomas,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Is Everyone Ready for Fun? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Chicken has some unexpected and exuberant cow visitors who have exciting plans for jumping, dancing, and wiggling on his teeny-tiny couch, and Chicken is none too happy about it. That is until the fun concludes with a quiet, cozy and delicious nap for all!


Book cover of Why Did the Chicken Cross the World?: The Epic Saga of the Bird That Powers Civilization

Erica Hannickel Author Of The Routledge History of American Foodways

From my list on chickens in history and in your backyard.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an American environmental historian with specialties in food and horticulture. I mostly write on alcohol, wine, garden history, and orchids, but I’ve also kept a small flock of backyard chickens since early 2020. In my preparation for my brood, I read every single chicken history and chicken-keeping book available. Here’s the best of the best.

Erica's book list on chickens in history and in your backyard

Erica Hannickel Why did Erica love this book?

Why Did the Chicken Cross the World? might be the worst title of all time, but it is a wonderfully surprising and fascinating book. There are tasty nuggets here for everyone (sorry/not sorry for the pun). Did you know that Mexicans eat more eggs per capita than any other people in the world? Or how many different slang terms and metaphors there are for chickens through time? (“Biology can’t explain why our favored slang word for the male organ refers to a bird that lacks one.” Ha!) Or that in the mid-nineteenth century, Britain and America were absolutely obsessed with raising exotic “fancy” chickens? And that pound for pound, chicken releases only one-tenth the greenhouse gases of red meat such as hamburgers? Read up on the world’s favorite bird and laugh while you’re at it with Lawler’s book.

By Andrew Lawler,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Why Did the Chicken Cross the World? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Queen Victoria was obsessed with it. Socrates' last words were about it. Charles Darwin and Louis Pasteur made their scientific breakthroughs using it. Hailed as a messenger of the gods, powerful sex symbol, gambling aid, all-purpose medicine and handy research tool, the humble chicken has been also cast as the epitome of evil, and the star of the world's most famous joke. Beginning with the recent discovery, that the chicken's unlikely ancestor is the T. Rex, How the Chicken Crossed the World tracks the chicken from its original domestication in the jungles of Southeast Asia some 10,000 years ago to…


Book cover of Chicken Thief

Nancy Vo Author Of Boobies

From my list on with sideways humor and irony.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was born where the sun rose in the prairies and set behind the Rockies. Now I live on the West Coast of Canada. I am a picture bookmaker, and from my recommendations, you might think that I also have a thing for thieves: cupcake thieves, underwear thieves, hat thieves, chicken thieves, pie thieves. But I’m really here for the element of surprise and well-earned laughs in children’s picture books. They say comedy is hard, but comedy in picture books is even harder. These five picks are a great place to start if you like smartly silly picture books with a bit of off-kilter humor and a sense of irony. Bonus points for puns.

Nancy's book list on with sideways humor and irony

Nancy Vo Why did Nancy love this book?

You know those car chase movies? Well, this is a picture book version featuring animal chases. The Chicken Thief defies stereotypes in a fun wordless sequence. The reader sees that a fox has stolen a chicken and is being pursued by potential liberators. And the reader might worry that foxes like to eat chickens! Wait for the surprise ending.

By Beatrice Rodriguez,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Chicken Thief as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Chicken Thief


Book cover of A Cowboy's Best Friend

Isla Ryder Author Of Twin Springs Ranch

From my list on fictional ranches I want to visit.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been an equestrian all of my life, so when I pick up a story that promises horses, I have high expectations. I want to be immersed in the moment, and to be honest, that can be difficult to find. I have put down more ranch romances than I have finished. My cowboys really need to be cowboys, not just hot guys in hats that maybe ride a horse off-screen sometimes. But when I find that special something, I can’t put it down. I hang on for the ride and put the horses up wet. I do wish these places were real. I’d book my ticket in a heartbeat.

Isla's book list on fictional ranches I want to visit

Isla Ryder Why did Isla love this book?

Sweet Springs is the smallest of small towns and the ranch is well known in the community. The family is tight-knit and loving and the property is drawn lovingly by the author in the MCs’ various moments working the land and with the animals. Every time we venture out onto a task, we are transported to the cowboy’s side to help with whatever project is at hand. Sheep, horses, chickens, haying... Sweet Springs does it all and what a wonderful ride it is to be taken on. If they open reservations for guests, I will be the first to book my stay.

By Bee Brooks,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Cowboy's Best Friend as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A hardworking cowboy in danger of losing the ranch, his friend who built herself a new life, and the proposal that could cost them everything.

Eldon needs a wife to keep the old family ranch. But marrying is a problem – because secretly, his heart has always belonged to his sweet childhood friend.

Up-and-coming actress Kay is supposed to be in love with the movie’s hero - but she’d rather rake hay at high noon than kiss that particular actor. Told to fake feelings or get out, she’s about to lose everything.

Eldon’s time on the ranch is running out,…


Book cover of Living the Dream in Rural Ireland

Beth Haslam Author Of Fat Dogs and French Estates, Part 1

From my list on moving abroad to Europe.

Why am I passionate about this?

Beth Haslam grew up on a farm in Wales and was mostly seen messing around with her beloved animals. When she and her husband, Jack, bought a second home in France, their lives changed forever. Computers and mobile phones swapped places with understanding French customs and wrestling with the local dialect. These days, Beth is occupied as never before raising and saving animals, writing, and embracing everything their corner of rural France has to offer. And she loves it!

Beth's book list on moving abroad to Europe

Beth Haslam Why did Beth love this book?

As a doggy person, this sounded a fun book, an added attraction being that it is a memoir about moving overseas. The author, and his wife, Lesley, buy a property in a rural part of Ireland. Sounds simple enough, but having done the same ourselves, I guessed there might be challenges ahead. Nick skillfully draws the reader into his world. I felt as though I was alongside them as he describes the properties they visit and misadventures along the way. The anecdotes about their dogs are delightful. His descriptions conjure up pictures of a stunningly beautiful country filled with enchantingly quirky people. No wonder they quickly fall in love with it.

Nick’s sense of humour is infectious and wonderfully appealing. I finished wanting more. Luckily, through the success of this first book, he launched a series. I have read and loved each subsequent episode and look forward to his next…

By Nick Albert,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Living the Dream in Rural Ireland as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Nick and Lesley Albert yearn to leave the noise, stress and pollution of modern Britain and move to the countryside, where the living is good and has space for their dogs to run free. Suddenly out of work and soon to be homeless, they set off in search of a new life in Ireland, a country they have never visited. As their adventure begins to unfold, not everything goes according to plan. If finding their dream house is difficult, buying it seems almost impossible. How will they cope with banks that don’t want customers, builders who don’t need work, or…