Families come in all shapes and sizes but the Broiler Clan come in one size only and that is BIG! There is the bold and boisterous Derek who, at only 5 months of age already weighs in at a whopping five kilograms. Lily is shyest of the clan, preferring to quietly navigate her way through the world as opposed to running flat out through it like her brothers. At just 11 weeks of age Rose has a curiosity that sees her venturing far and wide around the farm, yet when the call of, ‘Dinner!’ comes each night, she is always the first to come to a screeching halt by our side leaving Pip, Rain, Poppy and Daisy far behind. And then there is Petal, dear sweet Petal, who sadly struggled to keep up with her brothers and sisters from day one. While the others grew and grew, due to a metabolic condition that saw her body unable to adequately convert feed to mass, Petal remained smaller and less energetic than the rest. Taking some time out from her more mobile siblings, Petal has since befriended Pepper, a blind ex-battery hen and has proven to be just the gentle, kind companion that Pepper needed. And what at first appeared to be a threat to Petal’s wellbeing may in fact turn out to save her life. You see, a ‘broiler’ is another term for a meat chicken. These creatures are selectively bred and fed to grow at two to three times the rate nature intended, placing enormous stress on their internal organs and skeletal systems. Their rapid growth rate sees them reaching people’s plates at only 5 – 7 weeks of age and the very few who escape their preordained fate will never live a long life because of the enormous stress their bodies are forced to endure. So as Petal convalesces quietly with her new pal and regains her strength, her stunted growth sees her a more natural size for a chicken. In the meantime, we continue to do everything we can to ensure the remainder of her clan fit as much living into their years as possible and they do their bit too, scratching in the soil, dust bathing and sunbaking to their hearts’ content. If Petal will ever rejoin the Broilers we do not know but what we do know is this is one family reunion we surely won’t be missing.

To see more pictures of Petal and her friends please click here.

‘To befriend Pam Ahern, it might help to be a Landrace pig.’ Pick up your copy of today’s Sunday Age, Sydney Morning Herald or Canberra Times to read the full feature on Edgar’s Mission Founder and Director, Pam Ahern

Edgar’s Mission Founder and Director, Pam Ahern’s speech at the Ban Live Export Rally June 2013

As a result of our May battery hen rescue we have secured the release of a further 1,081 lucky hens who would have otherwise been sent to slaughter. The hens were all lovingly, one by one lifted from the tiny wire cages that had held them prisoner for the previous 14 months by Edgar’s Mission volunteers over the long weekend. The girls are now recuperating in our straw filled barns and are awaiting the next most welcome chapter of their lives. If you think you have what it takes to show these hens that humans really can be the good guys, have a secure and warm fox proof enclosure and have the time to help guide their rehabilitation, all the while being prepared for one of the most rewarding experiences of your life, please complete our prospective adoption form below. Please note these girls are being rehomed as pets only, they are not for commercial purposes or gain. And the good news continues – the cages will remain empty as the farmer is exiting the industry.

Update: We would like to sincerely thank the many people who have filled out a Prospective Adoption Form and have offered to open their homes to ex battery hens as a result of our plea. We have been inundated with offers of assistance and it truly is a testament to the kindness of the human heart, something which is the cornerstone of the work we do here at Edgar’s Mission. Whilst we are still sorting through applications and contacting people to make arrangements for collection this weekend and beyond, at this stage we believe we may have reached our target of finding loving forever homes for these hens. We will keep all further Prospective Adoption Forms on file for future. If you have completed an application but have not yet heard from us, please hold tight, we will respond to all applications as soon as possible! If you have put up your hand to offer a home, have shared our post through word of mouth or social media or have kindly made a donation to our Medical Fighting Fund, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making this rescue happen.

The year was 1975 and the scene was the Victorian Football League Grand Final between Hawthorn and North Melbourne. The Hawks were down at half time, 5.6 to North’s 9.2.  While Hawks coach, John Kennedy Senior’s now famous motivational half time speech failed to rally his troops, it has served as a call to action for people everywhere, “At least DO SOMETHING! DO! Don’t think, don’t hope, do! At least you can come off and say, ‘I did this, I shepherded, and I played on. At least I did something.’”

Though, at 13 years of age, I was no great football fan, I decided that ‘doing something’ was certainly worthwhile. But what to do?  I couldn’t even decide on which football team to follow so I ended up following Collingwood, only because it was Dad’s favourite team.  In fact, at school there were only two sorts of people; those who barracked for Collingwood and those who didn’t, because this was what our parents did.  When I asked my Dad why Collingwood had stolen his heart he said because his dad followed Collingwood also.  It seemed logical at the time. Or did it?   When I reflect back on this now, such views are pretty symptomatic of so many of the views we hold in life.  They are not really our views or thoughts but those we have collected and inherited from others and have never really thought that much about. And when the realisation that, ‘Carn the pies,’ wasn’t what filled my heart and football wasn’t what filled my dreams, I began a journey that saw many of my  childhood views undergo great change and this journey has guided me to what I ‘do’ today.

But why is it that so much of what we not only do, but what we say, think and even eat is based not on our own values or beliefs but rather those we have inherited from others. Granted, much of this is due to our reliance as youngsters on our parents and caregivers, but the advancing of our years and the severing of our dependence all too rarely sees popular thought confronted with individual ethical values.  Many ‘pings’ of conscience are sadly often placated by thought of, ‘Well, everyone else is doing it.’   It was the noted author and futurist Alvin Toffler, who stated; ‘The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn’ and to which I would like to add, ‘To heed what’s in their heart and decide to do something.’

Join our TLC club!  Animals need love just as much as we do, and this is especially so for many of our rescued residents like Tom and Jerry – read their story here.  Simply sitting calmly with a rescued animal, showing them they have no reason to fear humans can play an enormous part in assisting with their recovery.  And it is equally rewarding for the humans involved; as you feel the warm breath of a new friend on your skin, a fuzzy glow will light up your heart.  While it may take some time before the frightened animal before you will eat from your hand, every moment you spend generates such positive energy and we have no doubt that you will want to keep coming back for more.  If you think you have what it takes to make a regular commitment in the life of a less fortunate creature please contact Paula to arrange an introduction with your new pal.  Please note, you will need to be prepared to spend at least one hour of your time at each session, just sitting and smelling the roses so to speak (or it could well be the pungent odour of a smelly male goat).