Layers Cooked!

Layers Cooked!

One of the hazards of this time of year is brush fires. Last year a
fire went through much of the property, and today we had a repeat. I
was in Lusaka but we had gotten a text message that there was a big
fire on the property. The fire was so big that there was smoke
everywhere and it was hard to breathe according to reports. The fire
last week outside the fence near our house was very small compared to
today's fire.

Late this afternoon, after returning from Lusaka, as I drove over to
check the school and around the property, there were still little
fires, and logs were smouldering. With such a big fire, it does make
it possible to see the land better and it makes me want to walk around
and know the property better.

The good news was that the dairy cows were fine. The new fields of
vegetables (cabbage and tomatoes) were fine, and the green maize crop
was untouched.

The bad news was that the building with the chicken layers was burned
up so all but 17 layers were cooked! It was really kind of sad. When
I returned from Lusaka, Mama Rose M and Kimberly were sitting on a
verandah plucking the feathers off of some of the burned chickens and
cleaning them to be eaten. Some parts were burned pretty badly, but
everyone was eating chicken for supper last night. Chickens were also
sold at Nyrienda Village for a small amount since they were burned.
Pre-cooked meat! As I drove around, and passed the burned layer
building it even smelled a bit like cooked chicken!

It was almost time to buy new layers who were coming to the end of
their laying life, but now our need for new layers is more urgent. We
sell lots of eggs in the market, use them in the takeaway, and have
them for the children in the village.

If you read this and want to help us start a new batch of layers, your
gifts are very welcome. Checks can be sent to AKCLI, 224 N.
Washington St, Havre de Grace, MD 21078. (And pray that Hurricane
Irene goes out to the ocean, since it is projected to go up the
Chesapeake, and visit our beautiful town of Havre de Grace!) You can
also use Paypal on the website: www.akcli.org