This book never would have been written if not for the insistence of my online flock/readers/fans/followers/peeps over the past five years. I am honored by your requests and grateful for your encouragement.
Thanks to my editor, Dennis Pernu, for inviting me to write a book, for his patient guidance, and for not sending Cousin Rocco to break my kneecaps at any given point in the process.
To Gail Damerow, whose books and articles have long been the gold standard for chicken-care information: I appreciate the precedent you have set for accuracy and reliability and am grateful for the influence you have had on my personal chickening journey and writings. It’s an honor to have you as a mentor, collaborator, and friend in my pursuit of Chicken Care Truths.
My sincerest appreciation to Dr. Annika McKillop, Dr. Mike Petrik, Dr. Michael Darre, Dr. Patrick Biggs, Dr. Gordon Ballam, and Dr. Martin Ficken for freely sharing your time, expertise, and passion in improving the welfare of backyard chickens, and for your generous contributions to my continuing poultry education.
To my family, especially my ever-patient and loving husband, Tom (Mr. Chicken Chick), and my daughters, Sophia and MaryKate, thank you for your love and support and for sharing me with this hobby gone wild.
To Julie Harrison, John Cote, Brettan Hawkins, and Susan Burek, I am beyond grateful for sharing your talents, time, and support in innumerable ways. Many thanks, also, to Lorri Eddelman, Ellen Deffenbaugh, and artist Sarah Hudock for all your help.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not give credit to coffee for being the official fuel of The Chicken Chick.