Chris Ashton – författare

This is a comprehensive and attractive lifestyle guide to keeping ducks and geese - from what to consider before buying them, how to house them, their welfare and even egg selection.They make wonderful and rewarding pets, and come in all shapes, sizes and colours, providing delicious eggs which are high in protein and are ideal for baking superior cakes. Geese make handy lawn mowers and ducks are perfect for vegetable and allotment gardeners as they love to feast on insects and other pests. With so much versatility, the desire to rear ducks and geese has never been greater.The book begins with a fascinating brief history of domesticated waterfowl, and then moves onto first considerations before purchasing your ducks or geese, such as goose and duck anatomy and behavior.There is a detailed section on all of the 40 common breeds of duck and goose, enabling you to make the right decision about which ones to choose. The book features extensive information on planning and welfare, helping you to ensure that you have the right type of space and housing, along with important feeding information. There are also guidelines on how to deal with any eventuality, such as telling the neighbors, going away on holiday and cleaning.Useful for anyone considering breeding from their waterfowl, there is advice on egg production, egg incubation and hatching, as well as a whole section on rearing.A lavish lifestyle chapter provides recipes for using the rich eggs, along with fun activities for all of the family including quill making and decorating eggs.Keeping Ducks and Geese fuses contemporary lifestyle design and an authoritative text, to appeal not only to those who already keep waterfowl, but also to those who are thinking of having them or even just aspire to the self-sufficient lifestyle that they represent.

From try scoring records to controversial celebrations, Chris Ashton has had an amazing year. Announcing his star presence with an awesome 85-metre try against Australia, Chris burst onto the scene and has lit up Twickenham. In his new book he delves into the England rugby team''s renaissance, a victorious Six Nations campaign, the build-up to the Rugby World Cup and the tournament itself in New Zealand. From dynamic tries on the pitch to behind-the-scenes life on tour, this is the story of England''s Rugby World Cup journey from the player everyone is talking about.

Keeping Geese is a complete guide to the domesticated goose. It shows how this intelligent bird has been absorbed into different cultures throughout history: from the taming of the Greylag and the Swan goose to the exhibition of the mighty Toulouse, the story of the goose is intimately involved in both Eastern and Western cultures. Written from thirty years of first-hand experience of keeping, breeding and exhibiting these birds, Keeping Geese gives an insight into their habits and behaviour. Pure breeds of geese, hand-reared, are tame, responsive and intelligent. Reared well, they will give hours of interest and pleasure for life.Covers the following and much more:Domestication of the goose from the wild, and development of the breeds.Why keep geese - as garden pets, eggs, exhibition, table birds.Getting started with geese.Understanding geese - breeds, physiology and behaviour.Management of adult stock.Breeding, incubation and rearing goslings.Recognizing and treating ailments.

Keeping Geese is a complete guide to the domesticated goose. It shows how this intelligent bird has been absorbed into different cultures throughout history: from the taming of the Greylag and the Swan goose to the exhibition of the mighty Toulouse, the story of the goose is intimately involved in both Eastern and Western cultures. Written from thirty years of first-hand experience of keeping, breeding and exhibiting these birds, Keeping Geese gives an insight into their habits and behaviour. Pure breeds of geese, hand-reared, are tame, responsive and intelligent. Reared well, they will give hours of interest and pleasure for life.Covers the following and much more:Domestication of the goose from the wild, and development of the breeds.Why keep geese - as garden pets, eggs, exhibition, table birds.Getting started with geese.Understanding geese - breeds, physiology and behaviour.Management of adult stock.Breeding, incubation and rearing goslings.Recognizing and treating ailments.