Reviewer Fran Lewis:
Fran worked in the NYC Public Schools as the Reading and Writing
Staff Developer for over 36 years. She has three masters degrees and
a PD in Supervision and Administration. Currently. She is a member of
Who's Who of America's Teachers and Who's
Who of America's Executives from Cambridge. In addition,
she is the author of three children's books and a fourth Alzheimer’s
book is Memories are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey: Ruth’s story
in honor of her mom. Fran
hopes to create more awareness for a cure of Alzheimer.
She
was also the musical director for shows in her school and ran the
school's newspaper. Fran writes reviews for authors upon request and
for several other sites. You can read some of my reviews on Ezine.com
and on ijustfinished under
the name Gabina.
Follow Here To Listen to Fran's Radio Show and Here
Author: Minnie Rose Lovgreen
ISBN:
9780982455395
Publisher: NW Trillium Press
Did you ever wonder why chicken takes so juicy and hens are so plump and delicious? Have you ever been to a chicken coop and listened to the chirping of the chicks and the clucking of the roosters? They flit around and look so cheerful. When the mother hen is there all of the little chicks listen to her voice and do what she says? They follow her directions and they are so obedient? Ever wonder why? The truth about chicks, hens and how to properly raise them will now and forever be told. Not by me of course. I will just relay the information to you the reader. It was told by a wonderful woman whose journey in life ended in 1975 but whose legacy and Recipe for Happy Chickens will live on forever. This brings me to my review of Minnie Rose Lovgreen's Recipe for Raising Chickens: The Main Thing Is to Keep Them Happy
Minnie
starts out with teaching the reader about bantams hens and their
natural mothering instincts. She explains the method of building a
nest and keeping the eggs safe and warm. Next we learn how to care
for baby chicks, and where to keep these chicks safe and warm after
they are born. You can even to keep them in your own house. Chicks
need to be spoken to and who better than their own mothers whose
voices they become accustomed to. Without their mothers there they
would have no one to teach them. I think that young parents must
learn a lot from this these hens on caring for their children when
they are born.
Hens make great mothers according to
our author. They stay close to their young chicks, never leaving them
for any length of time. Orderly bed times, getting them up to eat in
the morning and keeping them on a strict schedule, mother hen does
not require the skills of Nanny 911, she has it under control
herself. If one chick gets lost at bedtime she will go and find it
hoping not to get cold and find her way back to safety and the other
chicks. She definitely has great parenting skills. The author
explains to the reader that when she was home she would assist the
mother hen in finding and bringing her young chick home. The mother
hen even trains her chicks to understand and detect danger from
hawks, cats or owls. I wish that parents would teach their children
how to detect danger and not speak to strangers or go out
alone.
As I read this book I can hear the voice of the
author explaining and instructing the reader in the proper care for
hens, breeding them and teaching them their lifelong survival skills.
Minnie’s voice is heard on every page and you can feel the love she
had for these chicks and the hens. Sometimes being impatient and
getting on a different boat definitely benefitted everyone, not just
Minnie but those who run chicken farms and breed these great hens.
The love with which this story filled with humor and real emotion
comes through on each and every page.
The diet of
these chicks is very varied. They might be chickens but they do know
what they want to eat and not eat. From dandelion greens, clover,
alfalfa, leftover scraps from food we might not finish, these chicks
are really smart. Water is a must and they need plenty of it as we
do. Their instincts are sharp and they know what foods are safe to
eat and which are to be avoided. Imagine if we could do that too.
There would be less people coming down with food poisoning and other
diseases. Chicks will not eat toadstool, neither will I, nor will
they eat onion, green pepper or cabbage. Chicks need to eat tiny
rocks or pebbles.
With illustrations and captions that
make you smile. Pictures that tell the story even without the words,
this book is a great resource for anyone who wants to start their own
chicken farm, raise hens and chickens or just understand how
difficult it is to care for them.
Housing,
maintenance, medical care, fleas and more these chickens are well
cared for and guess what, no health insurance needed, no co-pays,
free housing, clean accommodations and food that is tailored made for
them. What more can a chicken or hen asks for!
In
case you are wondering whom the real boss is and who keeps these hens
in line that would be the rooster. He is considered the supervisor
and makes sure the chicks are called to eat, looks after them and
warns them against danger. He even plays mediator if there is a hen
fight. But, when two roosters fight, as our author related, she would
take action. What kind of action and how she solved the problem you
need to read for yourself.
One male rooster can take
care of at least 15 hens and keep him happy and their eggs
fertilized. Great for the male rooster. From laying their eggs, to
molting, keeping them fertilized and more, Minnie has really set the
bar for how to books and creating a great resource for those who want
to run their own farms. The last chapter Virtues of the Bantam hen
summarizes all that you need to know about caring for these precious
chicks, hens and their broods. Bantam hens have strong spirits and
will fight for the safety of their young. Just look at the picture on
the last page and you decide who won.
Minnie:
I dedicate this review to you and all the happy chickens raised on
your farm. Fran Lewis
Click Here To Purchase Minnie Rose Lovgreen's Recipe for Raising Chickens: The Main Thing Is to Keep Them Happy