The History of the Hen Fever. A Humorous Record

"The History of the Hen Fever. A Humorous Record" by Geo. P. Burnham is a funny story from the 1800s that looks at the strange craze of raising chickens. The book zooms in on the "hen fever," which had everyone hooked, from farmers to city people. The story seems to follow different chicken lovers and the silly stuff that happened in the chicken business back then. It starts with the author talking about when he first got into breeding chickens at his home in Roxbury, Massachusetts, in 1849. He tells about a chat with a friend who bragged about all the different kinds of birds he had, showing how weird and ambitious chicken farmers could be. From there, the author thinks back on his own journey into the chicken world, like when he ordered the fancy Cochin-China breed and helped start the first big chicken show in Boston. With colorful details and sarcastic jokes, the start of the book creates a lighthearted mood, hinting at the funny problems that will pop up as more people get caught up in the wild hunt for strange and impressive birds.