Poultry If You Please

Since arriving, the general interest in the chickens living on site has increased greatly.  This maybe due to the fact that I started spending many hours painting pictures of the different chickens, or it could be because they kept getting eaten by coyotes, or maybe it's because Brian a.k.a. The Chicken Guy has been coming over regularly, each time filling us with amazing chicken facts and reasons why we need more chickens, ducks or turkeys to add to the flock. 

When we first arrived there were about 30 roosters and chickens.  They lived in a coop but could also roam freely around the property and we enjoyed collecting their eggs each day.  Because no one seemed to know exactly what all the different breeds were, and because I needed a job to get busy with, I set about painting some of the different chickens, with the aim of being able to display some sort of poster to educate visitors and residents alike about these colourful characters. 

The painting job turned out to be quite involved – first I had to wander around stalking the chickens, trying to capture them on camera so that I could paint them from a computer screen.  Then it was about an 8 – 10 hour job to produce each painting.  The project has been a wonderful and rare opportunity to be able to spend so much time painting, and it has also given me a great deal more respect and understanding for these birds.  Something about learning their proper names, finding out more about their history, and really focusing on the amazing variety of size and colour and temperament of different chickens certainly has a way of making you love these birds. 

So it was a little sad when they started disappearing.  Back in April, as the weather got warmer and the coyotes presumably started getting hungrier we discovered some suspiscious looking piles of feathers scattered around the property.  Goodbye Barred Rock rooster, goodbye Buff Orpington, goodbye little Frizzle hen.  Clearly, we needed to act quickly and ensure that all the chickens were getting safely in behind closed doors each night.  

With this problem solved, the next issue became one of finding balance in the flock.  The recommended ratio of roosters to hens is about 1 to 6 and we had about 1 to 2.  This lead to rather more activity, squabbling, noise, and excitement than is healthy for a hen.  So it became necessary to make the difficult decision of which roosters to get rid of.  Thankfully, The Chicken Guy (he’s the poultry farmer who originally got the Centre set up with roosters) came around and provided us with a wealth of information about which chickens were the best breed, and which we could safely cull from the flock.

Farewell Buff Orpington

 R.I.P. Mrs Frizzle

We don’t eat very much meat here at the centre (approximately once a week), but the meat we do eat comes from sources where we know the animals have been cared for in a way that respects the animals and the environment. So we have beef in the freezer from cows that grazed here, or the occasional salmon steak that has been bought from a sustainable salmon fishery.  These roosters were also headed for our freezer, so we wanted to know what would be involved in the process.  Matt and Lynton headed off to another poultry farmer's place, and there they watched and learned what is involved in killing, de-feathering and gutting a chicken.  Though it’s somewhat ‘icky’ to have known the animals we eat before they arrive on our plate, I’ve found that it certainly makes us more aware and appreciative of what we are eating and more committed to caring for these animals while they are alive.  It’s pretty sad that for nearly all the meat I’ve consumed in my life I have had no idea about where it came from, how the animals were treated in life and in death, what sort of impact they had on the environment and what was involved in the processing of the meat before it arrived at the supermarket.   And, to quote Matt in a recent discussion on the topic, "it's certainly much easier as an eater, to remain ignorant about these facts about the life of the animals, but such ignorance leads one to take for granted the seemingly endless supply of meat from the supermarket.  Coming to know these animals and care for them on a daily basis alerts us to the cost of life which our consumption of meat requires and therefore engenders a deeper thankfulness for all of our food and a commitment to ensure it is grown and cared for in ways which reflect the love we have felt for them." I think it’s going to be a lifelong learning process to learn how to eat well; responsibly, thoughtfully and gratefully.

But back to the rooster population problem – 5 roosters were taken away and have now returned to sit in the freezer to wait for someone to dream up a recipe that finds a way to tenderise old roosters.   The existing flock is much calmer without the extra competition, and it’s good to have more room in the place for the new additions that are flowing in. 

The Chicken Guy has successfully wooed Matt into seeing the benefits of expanding our flock to include more of the best breeds of chickens, as well as some other excellent poultry birds like giant turkeys and slightly ridiculous-looking runner ducks.  A few weeks ago The Chicken Guy arrived with a dozen each of duck, Australorp chicken, and turkey eggs.  We were instructed to make a batch of homemade pasta with each kind of egg and then compare the results.  They all made very good pasta but the duck eggs were clearly superior – producing a very silky and stretchy pasta. 

Given the success of the experiment, three very large white turkeys were delivered to the centre to make a home with the chickens.  These turkeys not only provide more great eggs for us to enjoy, they also have endless entertainment value for all the school groups and volunteers that come on site.  For many of them this is their first opportunity to see turkeys up close, and being such responsive, communicative animals this has become a highlight for many of the children. 

Not only have we learned about the different kinds of breeds of chickens that we own, Brian has also given us an insight into the state of poultry breeding in North America.  Most chickens here are bred purely for their meat and egg production capabilities on a mass production scale.  Unfortunately this had lead to some imbalances.  Some turkeys bred for meat are now breed with such unnaturally large chests that it is no longer physically possible for them to mate with a hen, because they are too large.  So artificial insemination is mandatory for these animals.  There seems to be something wrong with a system that is breeding infertility into an animal.  Brian’s chickens are heritage bred chickens, and he controls the breeding process to ensure that beauty, health, temperament, and size are all kept to the highest standard.  Heritage bred birds typically grow to be 3 or 4 sizes larger than the factory breeds.  

It has been great to discover that we have some rare and special chickens within our flock.  The bluebrown leghorn hen has German heritage and is possibly the only chicken of this breed in North America.  Our largest chicken, the Australorp rooster, is a grand black bird with iridescent green feathers.  This chicken’s claim to fame is that its mother won a 2008 National title in the annual chicken competition.  With the help of Brian, we will keep breeding Australorp hens here, with some of the best of his flock being used as a base. 

The Grand Australorp Rooster

                                            The Rare Blue Brown Leghorn

The latest update in the chicken story arrived yesterday in a cardboard box.  6 Australorp chicks and 3 runner ducks are now chirping away sweetly in the room next door.  The runner ducks are another bird that have comic value as much as anything else.  They are  very skinny, upright birds that run around at high speeds.  Brian tells us they are excellent slug removers and because they are herdable we can use them to walk through the vegetable garden to eat all the slugs as they walk through. 

To conclude the painting part of the story, seven chickens have now been painted, framed and hung up in rooms of the house at Brooksdale, a 2nd site that is now managed by the folks here.  These rooms will be used for guest accomodation and will perhaps be named with regard to the chicken that each room hosts, e.g. The Brahma Room, or the Rhode Island Red Room.  With scanned images of each painting, there are further opportunities to make educational posters and resources, and greeting cards to be sold at the store here at the centre.  

                                             Light Brown Leghorn Rooster

So it's come as a welcome surprise to find that there could be so much to learn and enjoy from the humble chicken.     

 

Victoria..the Queen and all that.

Several weeks ago Anna and I had a weekend away in Victoria (after the Queen). Victoria is to Vancouver in BC, as Wellington is to Auckland in NZ. What it lacks in volume, it makes up in beauty. Victoria is the largest city on Vancouver Island with a population of about 330,000. To get there you must either fly or go by boat. It just so happened that Matt and Roxy were also headed there for a wedding, so we could journey with them on the way there. We decided to take bikes with us to give us some mobility and allow us to cruise along the coastal roads. The ferry ride takes about 2 hours, winding its way between islands. It is very reminscient of the Marlborough Sounds section of the interisland ferries in NZ. We caught the 5.00 pm Friday ferry, giving us sweet views and silhouettes as the sun set behind the islands. Once docked, we farewelled Matt and Roxy. The ferry terminal is actually about 40 minutes drive from the city. To our rescue came buses, which in the Vancouver region can carry up to two bikes on their front for free! If only NZ would follow suite. I had managed to get a sweet deal on hotel accomodation with a 3 nights for 2 option plus free breaky (mmmm... bagels with cream cheese and jam). And as if that was not enough, there was a bottle store just next door, showcasing an impressive collection of boutique beers! I settled for a hoppy one called Naughty Hildegard’s Extra Special Bitter and Three Beavers Imperial Red Ale, both very tasty.

Matt and Roxy

Saturday morning began quietly, with us out wandering by 11 am. Saturday was gorgeous; blue skies and warm sunrays. We walked towards the waterfront and serendipitously bumped into the Paralympic Torch relay. It was much more low key than the Olympic one, but there was still a buzz in the air.
It turned out that we had chosen the perfect weekend to visit. Victoria was having a 'be a tourist in your own town' promotion. So for $20, Anna and I could visit many of the sites for free or half price. We began at the Pacific Undersea Garden, which was little more than a lower grade Kelly Tarltons. However, they did have a cool show with a diver feeding the fish and parading before us many of the creatures that live under the waves. From there we crossed the road to the wax museum. Before getting this tourist package we had ruled out wasting our money on such an enterprise. To our surprise it was actually enjoyable and educational. I would say that only about 1/4 looked anything like owners (though Anna rated them a little higher). And oh yeah, NZ represent, with ol' Sir Ed.

The torch                                                      Sir Ed

Our whirlwind visit of the Royal BC Museum was most informative, albeit exhausting. After 1.5 hours of racing around exhibits reading the small little plaques, your brain numbs and little is actually absorbed. The highlights were the natural history sections which had the best set designs I have seen in a museum and the exhibits about the First Nations peoples, the aboriginal peoples of Canada. From my brief exposure to their history it seems to me that there is considerable overlap between their treatment by European settlers and that of the Maori. However, it seems that Canada's oppressive policies toward First Nations peoples went much further than NZ's (more like Australia's) and the process of redressing the wrongs is in a much earlier stage than back home.
The final touristy destination was the Victoria Butterfly Gardens. We decided to put our bikes to use and get some exercise. The butterflies were further away than anticipated, with us arriving after 1.5 hours cycling through the countryside. The butterflies were pretty but fewer in number than expected (there were a lot more in the Dunedin Museum). After spending sometime soaking up the beauty and moisture, we went to catch a bus. We cut it too fine and missed it. So rather than hang around at the bus stop for the next hour, we popped back into the jungle to read our books.

The amazing atlas moth - largest moths in the world with a wingspan of 25-30 cm

On Sunday we selected to worship at the Christ Community Church, a CRCNA church. It was nice to visit a Reformy church for some familiarity and also to see how Reformies do church over here.

The T Rex trees outside of the Empress Hotel

Victoria waterfront by night

On Monday we decided to go for a bike ride around the waterfront. It was a pity that the sunshine of Saturday had been exchanged with cold winds and threats of rain. Along the way we had a quick detour tour of the BC parliament. Canada has both provincial parliaments and a federal one. This grand building was designed by an architect who lied about his age, credentials and experience. He did a good job never-the-less. As BC was a colony of the Crown they required approval from the motherland for their coat of arms. However, poor communication between the colony and the Crown resulted in the proposed coat of arms being incorporated into the building - carved in stone on the face of the parliament, carved in wood behind the speakers chair, made into a large stainglass window, and cast onto hundreds of street lamps surrounding the parliament - only to have that design rejected by the Crown. Of much contention was the prophetic positioning of the Union Jack, which sat below the BC flag - a setting sun - on the shield. Despite finally getting approval for a variant coat of arms about 80 years later, the rejected coat of arms still stands firm, much unlike the British Empire. We finished our experience by watching some MPs battle it out live. There turned out to be only about 6 government and oppositions MPs around debating the reduction of funding for community services in the budget. It seemed a bit farcical, (not least because most of them were flicking through magazines or reading emails) but at least they weren't name calling.

The approved coat of arms

The New Jerusalem? BC parliament by night

After a quick picnic lunch (salad sammies, yoghurt and oranges) we raced back into town to avoid being drenched in rain. We wanted somewhere warm and free to hang out in and the library opened its arms to us. Not only was it warm and free, it also had free internet access! We had been thinking about biking up to the ferry terminal but after a mere half hour in the library it began to snow! The snow shower was brief, but it was enough to put us off cycling. We caught the 5.00 pm ferry to the mainland but lost the race to the bus in the bus terminal. One cyclist made it there first. Another bus would not come for another hour! The driver had mercy on us and when everyone had taken their seat or aisle position, he let us squish in with our bikes in tow.

Picnic

American coast

Rather than sensibly going home, I had the great idea of capping off this weekend with a concert. Midlake was in town and I was keen to see them play. After mishing our way across Vancouver we made it to the venue. I have never, ever seen this sort of security at a gig. There were four balaclavaed bouncers screening everyone, searching every bag and even patting people down! Here we turned up with three bags crammed full of stuff from our weekend trip. One of the bouncers looked through two bags before getting bored and let us through (without the pat down). We had to check our bags in though. The girl suggested we tie the bags together so we only had to pay for one item. I did but when passing it to her, she didn't anticipate its weight and it went crashing down, knocking her Macbook to the ground. I spent the rest of the evening worrying that I had broken it and that she would hold our bags in ransom until we paid up (but it was fine when I picked up bags again).

Why do promoters do it? Why do they advertise concerts with doors open at 8 pm only for you to find out when you arrive that the act you came to see won't be on stage until 10.45 pm?! It is hard to kill the hours in a dimly lit room when you are exhausted from a day's biking around and travel. By the time they began their set, we were well tired and keen for bed. However, I managed to shake out of it a little and enjoy some of their classics from 'The Trials of Van Occupanther': Roscoe, Bandits, Young Bride, We Gathered in Spring and appropriately as we were leaving, Head Home (whilst Anna napped on the couches). We had no time to waste, with 20 minutes to get to the Skytrain station to catch a train back to the bus station to catch the second-to-last bus back to White Rock. Hurrah, we made it and arrived in White Rock at about 1.40 am. We put together a Mickey Mouse lighting set up with Anna up front with a headlamp and me at the back with a flashing red light flimsily clipped onto my bike. The bike ride home was an easy but bitterly cold one. I couldn't put my hands in my pockets as I was holding a bag in one and steering with the other. By the time we were on 172nd street I was nauseous and could hardly bike straight. My hands were frozen to the bone. I don't recall many occasions of intense pain like this. Anna sent me to bed as she put things away. It took ages to slowly thaw and lose the nauseous feeling. Lesson: wear gloves when cycling at 2 am on a frosty morning. And thus endeth our epic adventure.