A comprehensive and richly illustrated guide to keeping chickens. Chickens kept as pets are increasingly popular, even in urban environments, as more and more people discover it is easy to keep chickens, even in a small backyard. They make excellent pets and offer the immeasurable benefit of a free and ready supply of fresh eggs. The expert author alerts the many newcomers to chicken-keeping to the amazing variety of breeds available -- more than 100 registered pure breeds and bantams, as well as many hybrids. This beautifully illustrated reference provides essential advice about the housing and care of chickens, as well as profiles of more than 70 of the most popular breeds, with details such as: History and origins Weight ranges Egg characteristics Physical appearance Behavior. The "Mini Encyclopedia of Chicken Breeds and Care" provides an unrivalled depth of practical information, and it features more than 500 specially commissioned color photographs. From the plump, cushionlike beauty of the Buff Orpington to the extravagantly ornamental bantams, readers will discover there is a chicken breed that ideally suits them.