An impressive book on chickens brings industry and fanciers together and was officially launched on Saturday 10 May 2014 at the Dutch Poultry Museum in Barneveld, The Netherlands. Emeritus Professor of Poultry Medicine and former Director of the Artis Royal Zoo, Dr Maarten Frankenhuis presented the first copy of the book Kippen - Chickens together with the Mayor of Barneveld.
Written by three poultry professionals, this book presents the history of chickens in words and pictures. Its uniqueness lies in the glass negatives that were found only a few years ago which form the link between the past and the present. Old, historical and sometimes very special images from archaeology, art, architecture and religion dating back almost 4000 years show the evolution of chickens throughout the ages and their importance as farm animals. Furthermore, the book is written in Dutch and English, which contributes to the international importance of this subject and the uniqueness of this publication.
Author Hans L. Schippers has written over 30 books on small farm animals, many of which are about chickens. He describes the most popular breeds worldwide and the most typical Dutch breeds in a distinctive fashion. Former researcher at the Spelderholt Poultry Research Centre and co-author of this book, Piet Simons is now the ambassador of the Dutch Poultry Centre in The Netherlands. His knowledge of the poultry industry is well presented in the history chapter of the book. The third author, Pieter Borst has the largest chicken collection one could imagine and some of his stamps, teaspoons and collector's cards can be found in the book. Finally, English poultry expert David Bland was responsible for correcting the English translation. Therefore poultry fanciers and industrial poultry companies are well represented in this impressive publication, which is why it's a must for everyone who loves chickens!
Kippen - Chickens is available from Roodbont Publishers (www.roodbont.com), Zutphen, The Netherlands, for €34.95 excluding shipping costs.
ISBN 978-90-8740-162-7.
