What a delightful book! Chicken Coops for the soul is a middle class mum’s journey into keeping chickens! Julia Hollander’s book is a record of the five year’s trail and error that ensued when she got her first two hens.

It is a meticulously researched book, full of fascinating facts and details as she learned the art of keeping hens. I almost grabbed a highlighter pen to mark useful passages! That’s the genius of the book – it’s not a Bridget Jones Henkeeping Diary, it’s a beginner’s guide. Julia covers the basics very well with chapters on feed, eggs, foxes, sickness, battery hens, killing and hatching.

The chapter on Chicken feed was fascinating – Julia rejected pelleted feed with its yolk enhancing (i.e. colouring) additives and soya and went for an old-fashioned kitchen slops and grass approach. Her case was argued well, with a smattering of great anecdotes and facts. Did you know that while the average child has 10,000 tastebuds, hens have a few dozen?

The eggs chapter was similarly captivating. After detailing commercial egg prodution, Julia describes how eggs are formed and laid in great page-turning detail!

Mr Fox sadly makes frequent appearances and details of defences are given against this devastating fiend!

The chapter that has shocked many readers is when Julia decided to cull a chook – she described in jaw-dropping detail her research into how and then how she finally did it – skip the chapter if you are squeamish.

At the end of the book her list of thanks contains an impressive array of sources and in the book she cites helpful websites without naming them. Could it be she, like you, visited www.keepchickens.info?!

I loved this book, a great story and very helpful advice. Well worth buying!