Enslaved by Ducks
by Bob Tarte
from Algonquin Books
The book that Entertainment Weekly called "hilarious," Publishers Weekly declared "a true pleasure," Booklist called "heartwarming," and the Dallas Morning News praised as "rich and funny" is now available in paperback.
When Bob Tarte bought a house in rural Michigan, he was counting on a tranquil haven. Then Bob married Linda. She wanted a rabbit, which seemed innocuous enough until the bunny chewed through their electrical wiring. And that was just the beginning. Before long, Bob found himself constructing cages, buying feed, clearing duck waste, and spoon-feeding a menagerie of furry and feathery residents. His life of quiet serenity vanished, and he unwittingly became a servant to a relentlessly demanding family. "They dumbfounded him, controlled and teased him, took their share of his flesh, stole his heart" (Kirkus Reviews).
Whether commiserating with Bob over the fate of those who are slaves to their animals or regarding his story as a cautionary tale about the rigors of animal ownership, readers on both sides of the fence have found Tarte's story of his chaotic squawking household irresistible--and irresistibly funny.
Chicken Coops: 45 Building Plans for Housing Your Flock
by Judy Pangman
from Storey Publishing, LLC
Bring your chickens home to roost in comfort and style! Whether you're keeping one hen in a small backyard or 1,000 hens in a large free-range pasture, you will find the perfect housing plan in this comprehensive handbook.
Author and farmer Judy Pangman combed the country to select these 45 plans for housing both laying hens and meat birds (chickens or turkeys). The coops range from fashionable backyard structures featured in the annual Seattle Tilth City Chickens Tour and the Mad City Chickens Tour in Madison, Wisconsin, to the large-scale, moveable structures Joel Salatin has fashioned for Polyface Farm in Virginia.
You'll also find plans for converting trailer frames, greenhouses, and backyard sheds; low-budget alternatives for working with found and recycled materials; and simple ways to make waterers, feeders, and nestboxes. A gallery of color photographs provides other creative ideas to get you going. With basic building skills, a little elbow grease, and this book of plans, you've got all you need to shelter your flock.
The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw: One Woman's Fight to Save the World's Most Beautiful Bird
by Bruce Barcott
from Random House
“The first time we came here I didn’t know what to expect,” she told me as we paddled upstream. “What we found just blew me away. Jaguars, pumas, river otters, howler monkeys. The place was like a Noah’s Ark for all the endangered species driven out of the rest of Central America. There was so much life! That expedition was when I first saw the macaws.”
As a young woman, Sharon Matola lived many lives. She was a mushroom expert, an Air Force survival specialist, and an Iowa housewife. She hopped freight trains for fun and starred as a tiger tamer in a traveling Mexican circus. Finally she found her one true calling: caring for orphaned animals at her own zoo in the Central American country of Belize.
Beloved as “the Zoo Lady” in her adopted land, Matola became one of Central America’s greatest wildlife defenders. And when powerful outside forces conspired with the local government to build a dam that would flood the nesting ground of the last scarlet macaws in Belize, Sharon Matola was drawn into the fight of her life.
In The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw, award-winning author Bruce Barcott chronicles Sharon Matola’s inspiring crusade to stop a multinational corporation in its tracks. Ferocious in her passion, she and her confederates–a ragtag army of courageous locals and eccentric expatriates–endure slander and reprisals and take the fight to the courtroom and the boardroom, from local village streets to protests around the world.
As the dramatic story unfolds, Barcott addresses the realities of economic survival in Third World countries, explores the tension between environmental conservation and human development, and puts a human face on the battle over globalization. In this marvelous and spirited book, Barcott shows us how one unwavering woman risked her life to save the most beautiful bird in the world.
"Barcott’s compelling narrative is suspenseful right up to the last moment." –Publisher's Weekly
"An engrossing but sad account of a brave and quirky champion of nature."–Kirkus
“…A riveting account of one woman’s fight to save one of the last bastions of an endangered
Species. . . Barcott writes of international politics, ecology and endangered species, and human relations with equal facility. This real page-turner of narrative nonfiction is hard to put down.”
–Booklist
Chickens: Tending a Small-Scale Flock for Pleasure and Profit (Hobby Farms)
by Sue Weaver
from BowTie Press
Helps hobby farmers to become more knowledgeable about their poultry and to better appreciate the bountiful gifts they bestow.
Attracting Birds to Your Backyard: 536 Ways to Create a Haven for Your Favorite Birds (A Rodale Organic Gardening Book)
by Sally Roth
from Rodale Books
Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior
by Mattie Sue Athan
from Barron's Educational Series
- Barrons Parrot Behavior Guide
A companion parrot is to a bird lover what a favorite lapdog is to its owner -- a friend through thick and thin. This book offers a wealth of advice on such topics as choosing between a young parrot and an older bird, selecting and training a talking parrot, modifying some of a companion parrot's behavior traits and periodically reinforcing behavior changes, keeping the bird groomed and away from household safety hazards, and virtually all other aspects of care. The author, a respected parrot expert, discusses ways of coping with occasional problems that include excessive screaming and feather chewing, and describes general differences in behavior among various companion birds - budgies, lovebirds, cockatiels, macaws, conures, lories and others. Paperback / 176 Pages / 6 1/2 x 7 7/8 / 1999
The Birds in My Life
by The Supreme Master Ching Hai
from The Supreme Master Ching Hai Intl Assoc Publishing Co.,Ltd.
...recites Sunny the parrot, one of Supreme Master Ching Hai's precocious birds that shares Her household. In this beautifully illustrated book, Master Ching Hai lovingly writes about each one of Her feathered friend's unique biography, complemented by life-like photographs and captions filled with amusing telepathic exchanges between Master and bird. As one views these colorful vibrant beings among the trees and flowers, singing their love for God, one feels a soulful retreat from the daily grind of the urban jungle. Simply opening this book of Master Ching Hai, instantly brings forth a magical forest animated with birds and flowers.
Twenty-three beautiful feathered beings, frequently seen nestling in the Master's arms, brings Her endless joy. She is often moved by their words and actions and is greatly inspired by them as well. Master Ching Hai pleasantly surprises the reader by revealing that inside these God s creations are very highly developed souls whose love know no boundaries.
Each bird comes with an inimitable life history and possesses its very own quirky personality. Some of them have had sad past making one s heart ache. Nevertheless, their funny antics will surely entertain and put smiles on faces, just the way they do to their beloved Mom. Supreme Master Ching Hai demonstrates in this work of love, the tenderest love a human can have for other creatures. Moreover, She shows how deeply animals can feel and that when one peers into their emotions a wide spectrum of feelings emerge.
Master says: "I wish we could all understand others like birds, and treat them as we would ourselves...Their companion and friends mean a lot to them, sometimes as life itself, their loyalty is so incredible! They suffer loss and sorrow much like we do." All who have birds should consider their feeling and have respect for their dignity and love."
These two hundred seventy pages of wonderful pictures and stories walk you to a world graced by beautiful birds and inspire to understand their lives and wide range of thoughts and emotions.
Keeping Chickens: The Essential Guide
by Jeremy Hobson
from David & Charles
*Raising chickens as pets is a fashionable--and increasingly popular--hobby
*Responds to market demand: Sales of chicken-keeping supplies and books have skyrocketed
*Appeals to the growing number of people interested in a healthier, more organic lifestyle
Colorful, lively characters, chickens have become the hottest new garden accessory. This book shows enthusiasts exactly how to care for these endearing pets. The book covers everything from choosing the right breed to feeding and housing. In addition, there are fun sections on egg recipes, feather-and-egg craft projects and even a look at how chickens interact with children and other pets. From buying their first chicken to cooking with truly fresh eggs, readers will find advice and counsel for every step along the way!
Guide to a Well-Behaved Parrot (Barron's)
by Mattie Sue Athan
from Barron's Educational Series
This expanded new edition of a popular parrot-training book explains parrot psychology and discusses the ways in which parrot owners can apply it to solve behavior problems. The author cites the most common problems—screaming, biting, and feather-chewing—and tells how to remedy them. She also stresses the need for periodic reinforcement of desirable parrot behavior traits and advises on many aspects of good parrot care, including proper nutrition and providing the bird with steady companionship. The text is complemented with many attractive and instructive color photos and line art.
Parrot Training: A Guide to Taming and Gentling Your Avian Companion (Pets)
by Bonnie Munro Doane
from Howell Book House
In paperback at last — the definitive guide to parrot training.
Originally published as The Pleasure of Their Company: An Owner's Guide to Parrot Training, this amply illustrated book is just what parrot owners need to bring up happy, well-behaved pets. You get:
- Hands-on advice from one of the nation's foremost parrot authorities
- A thorough explanation of "normal" parrot behavior and the benefits of training
- Coverage of everything from gentling fledglings and basic obedience to potty training, speech, and tricks"
+++
