Re: costs of feed !

A_ L _P wrote:

But I was thinking of even earlier tines, in NZ the earliest European
settlers in the early half of the 19th century. Chickens would have
been brought here as early as possible, i.e. by the first settlers,
though probably not by the early sealers and whalers who did not
intend to make their homes here.

No - but they certainly carried chickens on board ships as they tramped around the world.
I have read things about them being kept up on the masts, so they did not make below any stinkier and did not get wet.
They could be replenished at any place of civilisation.

Were chickens not in NZ before the Europeans?
I am surprised !

I would have thought they would have been there long before.
Chickens were 'domesticated' thousands of years ago, I would have thought they would have got there with the original peoples.

[I love old social history]

My parents killed off the chooks after the first year's laying. Later
they got a bit more easy-going and kept them 2 years. Nonetheless
since the most they ever kept were a dozen (and the pullets coming
along) poultry was a special treat. Birthdays, Christmas. Steamed
or simmered first then roasted to tender golden perfection - and that
real flavour that wasn't remotely like cotton wool.

Indeed, but you could not have cooked that meat in 15 mionutes to carry the modern flavours !!!!
It would have been boot leather. <g>

Its my constant cry -- we are not comparing like with like.

Chicken as an INGREDIENT now has completely different demands made of it.
It needs to be very young and very tender and is used as a protein source which CARRIES other flavours. It is not intended to be a dominant flavour in itself.
This is neither right or wrong -- better or worse -- its just different.


<grin>
Battery farming has been around for over 150 years.
And its not the producers fault that the human population has
increased so much with the associated demand for food.
Battery farming is not the fault of those who run them, its the
fault of the humans who demand the food they produce.
Maybe Bird flu will be the chickens revenge !! reduce the human
population to a level whereby we do have sufficient land and
stockmen to be able to put outside the birds we need to support the
numbers of humans that are left.

;@)


Go Gaia! The Gaia hypothesis seems to have a few things going for it,
the way war, plagues and "Acts of God" affect the most stressed parts
of the world most frequently.

Mother Nature has been here longer than dog and is more powerful !!
Its only the arrogance of Man who goes on about destroying the planet --- for us maybe -- She will carry on without us and create a new world.
;)



--
regards
Jill Bowis

Domestic Poultry and Waterfowl Solutions
Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine Nursery
Seasonal Farm Food
http://www.kintaline.co.uk

.

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