In the last few years, poultry-keeping has enjoyed massive growth, with heavy TV coverage featuring chefs such as Jamie Oliver.

It is another symptom of our weariness of mass-produced, tasteless supermarket food - the appeal of being able to nip into the back garden

to get fresh eggs for breakfast, knowing that the hens have been well kept, fed and loved.

This highly practical book is aimed at beginners to the hobby and will explain everything you need to know to get started keeping chickens,

from how to choose, house, feed and handle them to how many eggs they will lay, their effect on the local ecosystem and protection from foxes.