Hatching and Brooding Your Own Chicks - By Gail Damerow, From Storey Publishing

The moment you see the images on the front cover you're going to want this book! But, you know the saying, "Don't judge a book by it's cover."

No, don't . . . because it gets even better! Ever since I've had my website, people have emailed me questions, mostly about baby chicks. I love hearing from people and answering their questions (so please continue to keep in touch!), but why wait for me to answer (some issues need an urgent response) when you can have the answers to everything about baby chicks right at your fingertips! Detailed answers . . . from someone whose expertise and experience I've relied upon for years - with excellent results.

It's not a good idea to take on the responsibility of caring for the precious lives of tiny helpless animals without having a couple of reference books on hand to guide you, and the information in this book is reliable, factual, and based on the author's years of experience. There are two reasons why some books lack the level of detail of Gail Damerow's books. Either the author is inexperienced; or they are very experienced but feel that "everyone already knows that", so they don't drill down to the basics. You can rely on all the important details being there for you in this book, even if you're brand new to raising chickens or other poultry. She's very gifted at including even minute details, as well as the reasons and background to support all the facts.

After you buy this book, be sure to keep track of it because it probably won't stay on a bookshelf for long at a time. Somebody in your household will always be cabbaging onto it. That's to be encouraged, of course as they'll be a lot smarter after reading it. But, you may want to 'lay down the law' to ensure it always gets put back in a specific place, so you can reference it quickly if you need to - and you most likely will!

It covers the breeds and guides you to select the right ones for you to help you start off on the right foot. It's full of educational charts and images that are clear, colorful, and heartwarming. And, it's not just about chickens, but covers other poultry, as well. If you're raising babies from one of the hatcheries, letting a hen hatch a brood, or, especially, if you're going to use an incubator - you really need this book. There are so many things to know about maintaining the proper humidity, temperature, and other conditions you'll want to be aware of these factors ahead of time.

And, especially, if you're going to use an incubator to raise babies partly as an educational project for your kids or for a classroom you'll certainly want a successful outcome. Reading this book first can ensure that you get the best results and that it'll become a happy and cherished memory for the kids, instead of a sad disaster.

I can't think of anything that isn't covered in these 200 plus pages to help you become a knowlegable baby poultry caregiver. It's apparent that a lot of effort was put into producing this book, organizing the latest data, ensuring that poultry related vocabulary was included in all thr right places, and cautioning the reader so as to avoid innocent, but sometimes fatal mistakes.

Typically, a book review will include a critique about some detail, but I'm at a loss when it comes to Gail Damerow's books, they've all been comprehensive, complete as possible, and should be interesting to anyone who enjoys learning about diverse topics - if only to improve their conversational skills. One last thing to appreciate is the free or affordable options included for you, even if you're on a tight budget - or just wisely frugal.

This book can be purchased from www.storey.com, and probably through other book sellers, as well - if not yet, in the near future.