October 2010
Dear Humans, Birds and Elephants,
Let us not forget that chickens are birds too. They can really make great pets. My New Hampshire (my favorite breed) pullet, Gladys, is just that. She comes running to me when I call her and looks into my hand for treats. She is the one in this month's picture. I bought her with a group of New Hampshires this year and I had no idea she would turn out to be like that, but I love her for it.
The hundreds of breeds of chickens have been developed over the years to fill many needs. Many breeds were developed for their strong egg laying abilities, some hens laying over 300 eggs a year. Others were developed for
their growth as meat breeds, yet others were known as dual-purpose breeds providing many of the food needs of the people who raised them.
They were and still are raised as exhibition fowl. Each breed has a standard, determined in the United States by the American Poultry Association who publishes the American Standard of Perfection for Poultry. In that book one finds an in depth description of each breed that is recognized by the APA. Examples of that breed are brought to poultry shows all over the country where they are exhibited and judged against each other much like breeds of dogs
and cats.
Today, like in so many other things, money is the most important thing in the world and chickens, kept commercially, are kept in the most unconscionable conditions. They are shoved into cages where they can not walk around at all, but just stand, sit to lay an egg and stick their head out of the bars to eat. I have, on occasion, rescued chickens
that were kept like that on their way to have their short life (about 1 1/2-2 years) ended by being slaughtered. There have been exposes on the egregious cruelty that goes on in slaughter houses that you may want to read and learn
about. You can find that information on the web. Birds being raised for meat are kept in similar horrendous
conditions. There are no laws that protect these pathetic living things and they all feel pain and fear as well. We can always justify and rationalize the pain that is afflicted upon animals because the end product benefits us in our pockets or stomachs or anything else. But we are capable of understanding what other animals do not and we need
to be a kinder species.
I have loved chickens since I was a small child. I studied the various breeds and they really are an interesting life form. I have had several of the old breeds over the years. Right now I have buff Wyandottes, New Hampshires, light brown Leghorns, white Orpingtons, buff rocks and barred rocks. Many of my chickens are old, but they still lay eggs. Little Matthew (among others) claims that he likes my chickens' eggs best of all. It is probably because of what they eat.......Trust me, it is a very rounded diet; they love pasta and sauce and in the winter they love a nice warm pot of oatmeal.
Craig Russell, president of the SPPA, Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities, is our guest speaker tonight. He is bringing several color varieties of the Dorking breed, a special favorite of his, with him. Dorkings were originally
brought into Britain by the Ancient Romans and that makes them a very old breed. Of course, they have been
nurtured and changed over the years, but they still have a 5th toe on their feet, which makes them very special.
Craig will teach us all about them.
So, here is to the old breeds of chickens that were carefully developed and were here way before factory farming. Hopefully, they will continue to remain a thing of beauty, interest and productivity in our world.
Next month we have Dr. Don Factor, avian veterinarian from Newburg as our guest speaker. He will be presenting a program on feather picking in parrots. That should be very interesting and useful for us. December is our holiday party and penny social. Matt is going to bring the things that were donated for our show that we had to postpone until next year to that meeting and we can win the stuff by raffle and silent auction....Thing of what to cook and share, it should be a great party.
One of the Avian Veterinarians who has periodically come and spoken to us opened a new hospital. She asked me to let our members know about it and she will come back to us this winter and do another presentation. Many of you might remember her: Dr. Laurie Hess DVM, Board Certified Avian Specialist, opened a veterinary center for birds and exotics in Bedford Hills, NY www.avianexoticsvet.com phone 914 864-1414.
Until next month, people, I send love and regards from Aristophanes, Emma, Zeke, Fritha AND Gladys.
Love,
Richie
Let us not forget that chickens are birds too. They can really make great pets. My New Hampshire (my favorite breed) pullet, Gladys, is just that. She comes running to me when I call her and looks into my hand for treats. She is the one in this month's picture. I bought her with a group of New Hampshires this year and I had no idea she would turn out to be like that, but I love her for it.
The hundreds of breeds of chickens have been developed over the years to fill many needs. Many breeds were developed for their strong egg laying abilities, some hens laying over 300 eggs a year. Others were developed for
their growth as meat breeds, yet others were known as dual-purpose breeds providing many of the food needs of the people who raised them.
They were and still are raised as exhibition fowl. Each breed has a standard, determined in the United States by the American Poultry Association who publishes the American Standard of Perfection for Poultry. In that book one finds an in depth description of each breed that is recognized by the APA. Examples of that breed are brought to poultry shows all over the country where they are exhibited and judged against each other much like breeds of dogs
and cats.
Today, like in so many other things, money is the most important thing in the world and chickens, kept commercially, are kept in the most unconscionable conditions. They are shoved into cages where they can not walk around at all, but just stand, sit to lay an egg and stick their head out of the bars to eat. I have, on occasion, rescued chickens
that were kept like that on their way to have their short life (about 1 1/2-2 years) ended by being slaughtered. There have been exposes on the egregious cruelty that goes on in slaughter houses that you may want to read and learn
about. You can find that information on the web. Birds being raised for meat are kept in similar horrendous
conditions. There are no laws that protect these pathetic living things and they all feel pain and fear as well. We can always justify and rationalize the pain that is afflicted upon animals because the end product benefits us in our pockets or stomachs or anything else. But we are capable of understanding what other animals do not and we need
to be a kinder species.
I have loved chickens since I was a small child. I studied the various breeds and they really are an interesting life form. I have had several of the old breeds over the years. Right now I have buff Wyandottes, New Hampshires, light brown Leghorns, white Orpingtons, buff rocks and barred rocks. Many of my chickens are old, but they still lay eggs. Little Matthew (among others) claims that he likes my chickens' eggs best of all. It is probably because of what they eat.......Trust me, it is a very rounded diet; they love pasta and sauce and in the winter they love a nice warm pot of oatmeal.
Craig Russell, president of the SPPA, Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities, is our guest speaker tonight. He is bringing several color varieties of the Dorking breed, a special favorite of his, with him. Dorkings were originally
brought into Britain by the Ancient Romans and that makes them a very old breed. Of course, they have been
nurtured and changed over the years, but they still have a 5th toe on their feet, which makes them very special.
Craig will teach us all about them.
So, here is to the old breeds of chickens that were carefully developed and were here way before factory farming. Hopefully, they will continue to remain a thing of beauty, interest and productivity in our world.
Next month we have Dr. Don Factor, avian veterinarian from Newburg as our guest speaker. He will be presenting a program on feather picking in parrots. That should be very interesting and useful for us. December is our holiday party and penny social. Matt is going to bring the things that were donated for our show that we had to postpone until next year to that meeting and we can win the stuff by raffle and silent auction....Thing of what to cook and share, it should be a great party.
One of the Avian Veterinarians who has periodically come and spoken to us opened a new hospital. She asked me to let our members know about it and she will come back to us this winter and do another presentation. Many of you might remember her: Dr. Laurie Hess DVM, Board Certified Avian Specialist, opened a veterinary center for birds and exotics in Bedford Hills, NY www.avianexoticsvet.com phone 914 864-1414.
Until next month, people, I send love and regards from Aristophanes, Emma, Zeke, Fritha AND Gladys.
Love,
Richie