J.C.J. Hobson, Backyard Poultry Keeping, The CrowoodPress, 2007, ISBN 9781861269584, 128 pp.; £10.99 (soft).

This book has been compiled by a knowledgeable andenthusiastic poultryman. It is directed primarily at anyonewho wishes to have a small-scale poultry enterprise as ahobby and/or a source of food and/or a source of income.The opening chapter describes the benefits and hazards ofpoultry keeping and provides information on the factorsthat influence which of the available domesticated species –fowls (including bantams), ducks, turkeys, geese, quail andguinea fowl – would be the most suitable for a particularbackyard or garden.

There follows a very useful chapter on choices that indi-cate the features of good healthy birds and descriptions ofthe breed variation that occurs within most species. Thereis some mention of crossbreds but the emphasis throughoutthe book is on purebred stock. Surprisingly the possibilityof acquiring commercial hybrid fowls at the end of theirfirst year of lay is not mentioned. Such birds would pro-duce lots of eggs, are inexpensive to buy and would appealto a number of inexperienced keepers. Costs of acquiringpurebred birds and the equipment needed to feed andhouse them are included but these can quickly becomeoutdated.

The chapter on Housing should enable anyone to con-struct a building that is suitably sited and meets the needsof the birds for space, ventilation and lighting. Similarlythe chapter on Feeding is full of good practical advice onwhat, how and how much to feed including the use of lim-ited amounts of household scraps and green vegetation and

the means of providing an unlimited supply of clean water.The chapter on Breeding, Hatching and Rearing is forenthusiasts who wish to breed their own replacement stock.Information on the setting up of breeding groups for thedifferent species is followed by incubation and hatchinginstruction using a broody hen or incubator. The final sec-tion focuses on the special needs of the different speciesduring the brooding phase.

The penultimate chapter on Health and Hygiene empha-sises the importance of the latter together with the controlof endo- and ecto-parasites. Avian influenza is mentionedbut there is little about vaccination programmes to controlother diseases. The final chapter deals with the main prod-ucts and how to present eggs and meat for sale includingthe legal complexities of selling to the public. There is auseful glossary and a list of addresses relevant to the poul-try industry.

Although intended for the practical poultry keeper thereis much in this book for anyone who wishes to obtain agood background knowledge of domesticated poultry andas such it would be a valuable library reference source inany College or University that provides courses on avianspecies.

Alun DaviesUniversity of Liverpool

Leahurst, Neston

South Wirral

CH64 7TE, UK

E-mail address: a.davies@liv.ac.uk

doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2008.07.008

thesia is only one of several necessary disciplines. This sec-tion also includes euthanasia, analgesia, a particularly clearchapter on remote drug delivery, and field techniques forinhalation anaesthesia.

The second and third sections include general supportivecare and monitoring, covering standard anaesthetic moni-toring and maintenance of vital function, and then topicsof particular relevance to exotic wildlife restraint andanaesthesia: stress, thermoregulation, capture myopathy,human safety and physical restraint.

The remaining sections are divided into separate chap-ters on individual animal types ranging from invertebratesto mammals. It is refreshing to see considerably more thanone chapter each on fish, amphibians and reptiles, and sim-ilarly three chapters on different types of bird. Then follow36 chapters on individual mammal orders, families andspecies. This allows considerable detail with respect tothe peculiarities and requirements of individual types ofanimal, and clearly shows the wealth of experience of theauthors. Each of these chapters includes a brief description

304 Book reviews / The Veterinary Journal 178 (2008) 302–305

G. West, D. Heard, N. Caulkett, Zoo Animal and WildlifeImmobilization and Anesthesia, Blackwell Publishing, 2007,

ISBN 9780813825663, 718 pp.; £79.50 (hard).

This book has to be regarded as the current definitivetext on this subject. It is definitely a reference book, notlight bed-time reading, and the editors and authors mustbe congratulated on bringing together what must be virtu-ally all of the current knowledge and expertise on zoo ani-mal and wildlife immobilisation and anaesthesia in a verywide range of species. It is not a handbook to be takenout into the field, but one to be consulted in advance ofan anticipated procedure or expedition. It will rapidly be-come out of date, so the editors are encouraged to plansoon for the next edition!

The first chapters cover general topics, including a com-prehensive review of the pharmacology of the sedative,analgesic and anaesthetic drugs. While this might seemunnecessarily detailed for the anaesthetist, it is an excellentreview for the wildlife and zoo specialist, for whom anaes-

or quibbles; I have no hesitation in recommending this asan essential purchase to any actual or aspiring zoo andwildlife veterinarian. It is one of the first zoo/wildlife textsto cover the fundamentals of anaesthesia, and not simply toprovide a few favourite recipes. It is extremely good valueat well under £100.

Polly TaylorTaylor Monroe

Gravel Head Farm

Downham Common

Little Downham

Nr Ely

Cambridgeshire CB6 2TY, UKE-mail address: polly@taylormonroe.co.uk

Book reviews / The Veterinary Journal 178 (2008) 302–305 305

of the relevant species, covering its normal behaviour, hab-itat, diet and physical characteristics. Practical and phar-macological methods used for restraint and anaesthesiaof that species type are then described, and most chapterscontain a useful table covering drug dosage, well referencedto the original reports. The chapter on bony fish includesan excellent review of the current debate on whether ornot fish experience pain.

A multi-author book such as this suffers from the inev-itable problem of differing style, layout and detail in eachchapter, but is remarkably free from unnecessary duplica-tion of information common to more than one. The indexis good, and as a result of the breakdown into many chap-ters, it is very easy to find specific information. There aresome annoying but not serious typos, and some of the cap-tions to figures are unsatisfactory. However, these are min-

doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2008.08.014