July 2009

We have a very special reason to do this. We want to tell as many people as possible how important it is to keep heritage breeds of chooks. Many of us are aware of the cruel and unethical treatment of chooks kept in cages and support free range operations. But only very few realize that even free range operations use commercial hybrid layer hens and that these hens have been bred to produce a maximum number of eggs during a short life and that their long term health is sacrificed for this single purpose. Even at a "chook field day" held by a local sustainability group commercial ISA Brown hybrid layer hens were promoted for backyard poultry keepers! Traditional breeds of chooks not commercial hybrids need our support! These are the chooks that people kept before the production of eggs was industrialized. They are chooks that will lay an egg every second day, that live long and healthy lives, that provide us with the occasional roast. They are chooks like people used to have them on their farms and in their backyards in the past!