Dinner from Scratch: How to Raise Meat Chickens : A Complete Guide to Raising Better Tasting, Happier Chickens for Meat

Why raise your own meat?

Because you know you will make the right choices. The chicken you eat will have been raised the way you want it to be raised. Exactly. You choose its feed, you choose its home, you choose how it is treated. You keep them healthy and content.

Because you love food. The texture will be exquisite. The taste will be unique to you and your land.

Because you’ll also develop a deeper connection with your humanity as a meat-eater. You will directly connect with your meals. You will earn your food. You will be a real provider.

Because you will truly make your dinner from scratch.

The real question you need to ask if you have the land and resources is: why not?

Everything in this book comes from several years of experience working with hundreds upon hundreds of chickens first hand. Processes and plans are original and have been developed and refined as the author learned from successes and failures.

Here's a glimpse at what is covered in this comprehensive guide:
- Thorough, step-by-step guidance to planning, preparing, raising, and processing chickens
- Checklists for everything you'll need
- Sequential instructions for everything you need to do
- Criteria for raising meat chickens
- Information on selecting breeds
- Guidance for determining how many chicks to order
- Complete, detailed, and simple plans for building brooders and movable pens
- Guidance on feeding practices to optimize the health of your birds
- Troubleshooting

Brian is a passionate supporter of local food. On nights and weekends he works alongside his wife, Amy, to supply all of their family’s maple syrup, chicken meat, eggs, and garlic. They seek out local sources for all other foods to supplement the other crops in their garden. They are also avid cooks and bakers. By day, Brian is an experienced project manager, focused on improving process and achieving quality results with clear, simple procedures. He brings these skills to books like this one to help everyone achieve their own goals of living local and enjoying food deeply.