A review of Barbara Kilarski´s "Keep Chicken".
I
admit that I bought this book mostly for its entertainment value. I mean,
several customer reviewers claim that the author must be a lesbian. Obviously,
a book about CHICKENS which prompts *such* comments must be worth reading, LOL.
The author, Barbara Kilarski, lives in a suburb (?) of Portland, Oregon. Apparently, many US cities permit the keeping of chickens within city limits, something absolutely verboten here in Sweden. Kilarski, being a hippie of sorts (there is much "sixties" rethoric in this booklet), decided to build a henhouse in her own backyard, in order to get fresh eggs every day, not to mention fertilizer for her garden plants (read chicken poop). Her three hens are almost like pets. She has given them personal names (Zsa Zsa, Lucy and Whoopee), and refer to them collectively as The Girls. Kilarski has even installed a TV camera inside the henhouse, so she can watch what the chickens are doing when out of sight. Yes, there is entertainment value in this book! In fact, a large part of the book isn't about chicken-tending in general, but about Kilarski herself, her neighbors, and (surprise) The Girls.
As for the how-to-do-it information in this rather short book (150 pages), I personally wouldn't keep even three chickens based on "Keep Chickens". The information is just to basic. Indeed, very often the advise goes something like "Make a contractor build the henhouse for you" or "Call the vet". However, I did glean one thing from the book: keeping chickens, even just three of them in a city backyard, is extremely time-consuming, expensive, and probably not worth it anyway. I guess you can say that the book made me CHICKEN OUT!
:D
OK, seriously. One of Barbara Kilarski's main points is that tending a small flock of chicken within city (and city ordinance) limits is easy and rewarding. Judging by her own description, however, it's not very easy, and easily takes up all your spare time, and more (the author doesn't seem to have kids). First, you need to build a henhouse and a coop, and even install electricity inside it, to drive the fens and heat lamps. The hens need PLENTY of food and water every day, and no, you can't just feed them scraps from your table. You need to clean the henhouse and coop at least twice a week, and both it and your house will be in constant danger of infestation by rats! They love the chicken food (and the eggs?). You even have to clean the hens themselves from time to time, to make sure they aren't infected by mites. I also got the impression that The Girls regarded their coop as too small, which forced the author to occasionally let them out into her garden. Once there, Kilarski had to chase the chickens with a broomstick to make sure they didn't destroy her flowery bushes! Somehow, this doesn't strike me as your avarage parakeet or golden hamster...
I got the impression that Kilarski puts up with all this not because she wants to be "self-reliant on food" (she really isn't - she is buying all the chicken food at a feed store) but simply because she is OBSESSED with chicken. I mean, a web cam inside the henhouse??!!
Well, I guess there's nothing wrong with being obsessed with chickens, per se. I'm more into magpies myself, heh heh. Still, I wonder whether tending chickens in Portland (!) is really such a good idea. Why not move to a smaller city, and give Da Girlz more space?
I'm not sure how to rate this book. Is it a fun read? Yes, definitively. This is the kind of book I would read on the plane, or on a long and tedious train trip. But is it really a how-to book? Despite its best pretentions, naah. It's more like a propaganda tract for chicken keeping, or perhaps an inspirational book to chicken-lovers, due to the personal anecdotes.
In the end, I settle for a compromise and give it THREE STARS.
Kentucky Fried Chicken, anyone?
:-)
The author, Barbara Kilarski, lives in a suburb (?) of Portland, Oregon. Apparently, many US cities permit the keeping of chickens within city limits, something absolutely verboten here in Sweden. Kilarski, being a hippie of sorts (there is much "sixties" rethoric in this booklet), decided to build a henhouse in her own backyard, in order to get fresh eggs every day, not to mention fertilizer for her garden plants (read chicken poop). Her three hens are almost like pets. She has given them personal names (Zsa Zsa, Lucy and Whoopee), and refer to them collectively as The Girls. Kilarski has even installed a TV camera inside the henhouse, so she can watch what the chickens are doing when out of sight. Yes, there is entertainment value in this book! In fact, a large part of the book isn't about chicken-tending in general, but about Kilarski herself, her neighbors, and (surprise) The Girls.
As for the how-to-do-it information in this rather short book (150 pages), I personally wouldn't keep even three chickens based on "Keep Chickens". The information is just to basic. Indeed, very often the advise goes something like "Make a contractor build the henhouse for you" or "Call the vet". However, I did glean one thing from the book: keeping chickens, even just three of them in a city backyard, is extremely time-consuming, expensive, and probably not worth it anyway. I guess you can say that the book made me CHICKEN OUT!
:D
OK, seriously. One of Barbara Kilarski's main points is that tending a small flock of chicken within city (and city ordinance) limits is easy and rewarding. Judging by her own description, however, it's not very easy, and easily takes up all your spare time, and more (the author doesn't seem to have kids). First, you need to build a henhouse and a coop, and even install electricity inside it, to drive the fens and heat lamps. The hens need PLENTY of food and water every day, and no, you can't just feed them scraps from your table. You need to clean the henhouse and coop at least twice a week, and both it and your house will be in constant danger of infestation by rats! They love the chicken food (and the eggs?). You even have to clean the hens themselves from time to time, to make sure they aren't infected by mites. I also got the impression that The Girls regarded their coop as too small, which forced the author to occasionally let them out into her garden. Once there, Kilarski had to chase the chickens with a broomstick to make sure they didn't destroy her flowery bushes! Somehow, this doesn't strike me as your avarage parakeet or golden hamster...
I got the impression that Kilarski puts up with all this not because she wants to be "self-reliant on food" (she really isn't - she is buying all the chicken food at a feed store) but simply because she is OBSESSED with chicken. I mean, a web cam inside the henhouse??!!
Well, I guess there's nothing wrong with being obsessed with chickens, per se. I'm more into magpies myself, heh heh. Still, I wonder whether tending chickens in Portland (!) is really such a good idea. Why not move to a smaller city, and give Da Girlz more space?
I'm not sure how to rate this book. Is it a fun read? Yes, definitively. This is the kind of book I would read on the plane, or on a long and tedious train trip. But is it really a how-to book? Despite its best pretentions, naah. It's more like a propaganda tract for chicken keeping, or perhaps an inspirational book to chicken-lovers, due to the personal anecdotes.
In the end, I settle for a compromise and give it THREE STARS.
Kentucky Fried Chicken, anyone?
:-)
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