This book is thoroughly modern and comprehensive. It is highly recommended by Backyard Poultry Magazine. It's geared toward and supported by the FFA and with lots of color pictures, makes a nice introductory guide.
Whichever comes first for you, the chicken or the egg, this book shows you what to do next. In this hands-on, easy-to-use guidebook, longtime chicken breeder and poultry expert Christine Heinrichs tells you everything you need to know to raise chickens in your backyard--from laying out the yard and designing a coop, to choosing breeds, caring for chicks, egging, sexing, and butchering. Whether you're interested in rare breeds or the garden variety; whether you want to show your chickens or serve them, this brightly illustrated, clearly written guide will prove an indispensable resource.