Book Review - Chickens in Five Minutes a Day

I think it's safe to say the folks at Murray McMurray Hatchery, one of the largest hatcheries in the United States, know a thing or two about how to raise chickens. They've been in the business of selling chicks for 95 years and have just transferred those years of knowledge to the backyard chicken owner in a new book; Chickens in Five Minutes a Day.


I recently had a chance to preview this book and found it to be a wonderful resource; one that I'm glad to have added to my personal library. The premise of the book is that, providing your zoning laws will allow it, most everyone can easily have a flock of backyard chickens.

The book gives a well thought-out look at what raising chickens involves. It's comprehensive in covering everything from what to expect, to picking out breeds, setting up a coop, raising your chicks and day-to-day management of your flock.

What I liked best was the emphasis on planning and how much easier, more efficient and rewarding this can make owning chickens. Personally, I think planning is something many folks miss in the rush of picking out cute chicks and beginning to raise them. I like how planning is laced into every facet of the book from picking out breeds to the best coop for your backyard and everything in between.

With my own flock, planning what breeds to purchase has always been the fun part. And, if done correctly, really sets you up for success. Intentionally, my flocks are hardy and productive as well as beautiful. I like to try new breeds but always do my research ahead of time.

However, I could have used this book when locating my first coop. We are not blessed with flat land here and poorly located our coop at the top of a small hill in our backyard. While it drains well, multiple walks up the hill each day have left us with an incline that won't grow grass and becomes dangerous in wet weather. Needless to say, we're putting up a new coop this spring!

So, regardless of whether you're a novice or a veteran, there's something for everyone in this well-thought out book. I'm going to put some of this advice to work in my new coop and am looking forward to having more time to enjoy my chickens.

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