EDMONTON — There are more than 2,000 heritage chickens at the University of Alberta’s Poultry Research Centre.
Birds of old lineages with colourful plumage and varying levels of production are maintained for research, but the program can be expensive.
The cost of the program led to a relationship with Peavey Mart to sell chicks to the public. About 100 chicks were offered for sale in 2014, and the program was such a success that 5,000 chicks were put up for sale in 2015 and 7,000 last year. Pilot projects also started in Kamloops, B.C., and Regina.
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People can sign up for their chicks, and the research centre hatches what is needed for distribution.
Many end up in backyard flocks for those who want to keep a few chickens.
“We are also aware there are risks with that,” said university re-searcher Martin Zuidhof. “The biosecurity of small flocks tends to be not very high, and they are a potential source of risk to the industry. We are also providing information about how do you raise these birds and keep them healthy.”
The Adopt a Hen program is another fundraising idea for the university.
The public is encouraged to adopt a hen for $150, and in exchange the supporter receives the egg production from a hen, which is a dozen every two weeks.
The university also sells spent heritage birds as stewing hens to those in the adoption group.
“The opportunity for us to teach people about where their food comes from has been fantastic,” Zuidhof said.
For more information, visit www.heritagechickens.ca.
