What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World’s Most Familiar Bird

Noted author and naturalist Montgomery (The Hawk’s Way; The Hummingbird’s Gift) invites readers into the cozy, companionable world of her chickens, known as the Ladies. Beginning with day-old chicks delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, Montgomery and her husband have raised chickens for several decades. Montgomery immerses herself in what she calls the “Chicken Universe,” and when the chicks’ feathers emerge, everything in her office, including herself, is coated in keratin dust. Her involvement in the lives of her Ladies never diminishes. This sometimes tragic and frequently comic chicken-chronicle acquaints readers with a variety of personable hens and is infrequently garnished with photographs. Montgomery weaves research results into her tales of daily life with her Ladies, challenging commonly held notions that chickens are not terribly smart. In addition to generations of hens (and a few roosters), Montgomery introduces readers to other chicken enthusiasts, including a couple who run a rooster sanctuary and a neighbor who engages in small-scale construction projects for the benefit of the Ladies. Back matter includes a selected bibliography.