Pure Poultry

Houdan. Nankin. Indian Runner. Naragansett. These may sound like exotic place names or unusual varieties of produce, but each actually refers to one of the many hundreds of lesser-known poultry breeds that tempt the livestock owner who's prepared to venture into less familiar territory. Providing an alternative to commercial breeds and hybrids, heritage breeds each boast their own unique set of characteristics and personality traits, and are a valuable (and entertaining) addition to a sustainable food system.

Pure Poultry is the first book in nearly a hundred years to focus specifically on heritage breeds of chickens, turkeys, and ducks and their role in a self-reliant lifestyle. This timely, beautifully illustrated resource includes:

Detailed guidelines on everything from housing, breeding, and day-to-day care, to processing, cooking, and preserving

Much-needed information on using heritage breeds for egg and meat production

Tips, inspiration, recommended reading, and additional resources

A unique planning worksheet that simplifies the process of starting out with poultry

Brimming with quiet humor, Pure Poultry is an immensely readable "how-to and why-to" based entirely on personal experience—including plenty of lessons learned the hard way. Pure Poultry shows how heritage-breed poultry can enhance and deepen anyone's quality of life, whether you have a farm, a small backyard, or a neighbor with space to share.

Victoria Redhed Miller is a writer, photographer, and off-grid homesteader who raises heritage poultry in the foothills of Washington's Olympic Mountains. Miller blogs about her experiences at potpiesandeggmoney.blogspot.com and canyoncreekfarms.blogspot.com.