New Arrivals in the Valley

By Chris R. 

Violet Lamb 

We received a call in early April regarding a little lamb in the suburbs, heard shouting loudly from a balcony. Fortunately the little baa-ing bundle was soon attended to by a kind RSPCA officer, who promptly contacted the Sanctuary.

The tiny black and white lamb was quite round in shape and our fears were that the little one was suffering from bloat, so first stop was Farm Animal Services at Murdoch. Thankfully the now named ‘Violet’ was not bloated, rather showing signs of hay belly, and she was cleared to come home to the Sanctuary. 

Volunteer Jemma swung into action as our ovine Uber and her passenger announced her arrival loudly from the back window. 

Violet has fitted in beautifully to Sanctuary life. She is already good friends with Tofu Goat and loves back rubs, always wagging her tail. She also loves attention and treats and we can’t wait for her to join the baby flock of 2021. 

Mike Rooster  

Mike Rooster, a Plymouth Rock cross with some rather handsome feathery legs, found himself at Kalamunda Pound. With time running out and no one coming forward to claim the handsome fellow, Nikki from Ranger services kindly organised Mike’s delivery. Mike is a gentle and somewhat shy guy, but is enjoying life in the Biodome, sharing with new friend Pedro Pigeon.

 

Weet Bix for Weeks!

By Chris R.

Last week, the Sanctuary was excited to receive 250kg of Weet Bix for the Valley’s residents.  

Weet Bix is a treat for many of the animals, including the sheep, goats, cows and poultry, so it is wonderful to have such a quantity to share.  

Where do so many Weet Bix come from? 

In WA, seconds from the gluten free sorghum Weet Bix are put into bulker bags for animal feed. Sorghum is quite a safe and nutritious food source for ruminants and especially helpful for our ageing cows, Mrs Moo and Little One, who are in their twenties. These elderly ladies love easily chewed, tasty food in their senior years and Weet Bix are their favourite.  

Bulk Weet Bix can be difficult to come by, so we are appreciative of the people who noted the bulk supply for sale and donated it to the Sanctuary.

International Respect for Chickens Day

By Chris R.

On May the 4^th we celebrated International Respect for Chickens Day. This is a special day for many of the Valley’s residents, with over fifty chickens calling the Sanctuary home. Rescues from both broiler farms, egg farms and backyard poultry breeders reside in the Valley. 

A Sanctuary rooster with deformed feet as a result of selective breeding for meat

Chickens are highly intelligent and social birds. Each have different personalities, favourite foods and particular chicken friends. They are a major discussion point on our Sanctuary tours, with our tour guides working hard to educate visitors about how special our chicken family is. 

Some of the PVAS chicken family

Over half of the Sanctuary’s chickens are roosters. These boys are considered a waste product of the egg industry. Their inability to lay eggs and tendency to crow early each morning are undesirable traits for these poor fellows, who are often killed or dumped at a young age. The Sanctuary's roosters have many stories – some are in care as a result of irresponsibly managed school hatching programs, several have been dumped in parks or on roadsides, while others were rescued from organic farms where they were unwanted. A few have even fallen off trucks onto the road. 

Equally sad is the story for hens. Although hens are kept for egg production purposes for a short time, these ladies are commonly considered a waste product at around 18 months of age when their laying ability begins to decline. Laying hens have significantly shortened life spans and numerous health issues as a result of selective breeding for continual egg production. Then there are the broiler birds, with both roosters and hens killed at just six weeks for meat, never seeing sunshine or leaving their sheds.  

Unfortunately, backyard chicken breeding may be just as sad as those involved in production environments. Many people who wish to have ‘happy hens’ at home are unaware that for hens to be hatched, there is the hatching of equal numbers of ‘unhappy roosters’ with no economical purpose and little prospect of rehoming.

To learn more about the plight of chickens and how to help, see http://www.unleashed.org.au/animals/chickens.php  Want to learn more about chicken friendly meals? Check out our ‘recipes’ tab in the blog index for loads of delicious recipes that don’t hurt these fabulous birds.

On this day of respect for chickens it’s a good opportunity to reflect on how we can make the futures of our feathered friends kinder - it can all start with us.