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  "description": "I don’t know if they will totally overcome the environment of their early life, adolescence and young adulthood – but they have a chance as they have come to a great place. ",
  "path": "/a-chicken-and-egg-parable-for-nz-education/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-02T21:30:53.000Z",
  "site": "https://goodoil.news",
  "tags": [
    "Alwyn Poole",
    "Education – the Absolute Best Ways"
  ],
  "textContent": "Alwyn Poole\n_Began teaching in 1991. TBC, HBHS, St Cuths. Founded/led Mt Hobson MS–18 years. Co-founded SAMS and MSWA. Econs degree, Masters in Edn, tchg dip, post grad dip – sport._\n\nUntil three weeks ago we had 12 brown shaver chickens. We got them when they were 12 weeks old.\n\nThey are fully free-range on a property that is 10 hectares. There is grass, forest, vegetable gardens to raid (not encouraged), a house to try and get into daily to steal the dogs’ food (discouraged), and one has found its way onto our bed twice to have a good sleep (deeply discouraged).\n\nThere are dogs, runner ducks, pūkeko, kererū, and hundreds of small birds to interact with – as well as rabbits and a possum night raider. They also face danger from a local hawk who causes them to scuttle and got hold of one chicken a few months back and caused some damage.\n\nThere are two humans who make sure they have shelter, clean water and lots of good quality food (including great food waste from a local restaurant).\n\nEach chicken has a name identified by different coloured leg bands. Each has a different personality. _Sally Redmane_ raids the dog food in the kitchen at least three times a day and is the bane of my wife’s life. _Mellow Yellow_ tries to get into the car of any guest or when we leave a car-door open. _Ceelo Green_ dominates the food area. _R’Tard_ follows you around the garden any time you are out and believes weeding is simply to find worms for her. _Pet_ is the largest and tamest and loves to be carried. _Mean Jolene Green_ is the warning clucker after her encounter with the hawk. _Purple Rain_ is a bully and is the chicken that tries to chase away all other bird types from the feed area. _Flouro Nightingale_ , ironically, never seems to get herself clean and has permanent dags. _Sunny_ is intent of hiding her eggs in inaccessible parts of the property and is incandescent when you find her. _Sky_ clearly believes the sky is falling and never shuts up about it. _Burp_ has extreme pace and when called from 30 metres away fly/runs immediately in case there is food. _Blueberry_ is the most obedient and will come to the door off the deck each morning, wait outside for a handful of biscuits, go and lay her egg nearby – and let us know.\n\nThey are plump, brave/adventurous, friendly… and lay fabulous eggs all year round. They even contribute to local society as we have plenty of eggs to give away and sell.\n\nThis is _Pet._\n\nThree weeks ago, we got six new chickens. They are ‘rescue’ chickens and had previously been ‘barn hens’. They are the same breed and the same age as our hens.\n\nOn arrival they weighed about 60 per cent of our original 12 chickens. Some are missing a significant amount of feathers – although we are already seeing re-growth. They were skittish about the two little dogs and pretty much everything else that moved. They huddle together at night in their pen instead of roosting.\n\nWhen they first arrived you would call all of the chickens and the new ones would have no idea what you were talking about and would just stay where they were. They had never experienced grass, sunshine and wide-open spaces and, at first, had no idea what to do with those things. As for anything other than dry food – it was treated with great suspicion (although they are now ravenous). They were all much less vocal than the other 12 and don’t even cluck when they lay an egg. Their lack of strength was such that they could not jump onto the food table (although some now can).\n\nThey all have a name and _Miss Piggy_ , _Princess_ , _Gruffalo_ , _Queenie_ , _Balloon_ and _Sushi_ are starting to develop/show personality. They come when they are called and are beginning to explore – especially _Miss Piggy_ who arrived missing half of her feathers. _Queenie_ lays on one side of the house and insists on short-cutting through the house to get out to the other side. A wrong turn one day had her lost in a lounge (we were out) and yielded a range of unwanted deposits.\n\n_Miss Piggy_ is below.\n\nThe biggest indicator of the consequences of the different developmental environment has been the eggs produced. The one on the left was laid by _Pet_. It weighs 110gms and will be tough to crack and have a yolk of deep yellow. The one on the right was laid by _Queenie_. It is 60gms, the shell is pale and brittle, and the yolk will be a light yellow.\n\nThey came from a barn where the conditions were not great and they were all treated the same. I don’t know if they will totally overcome the environment of their early life, adolescence and young adulthood – but they have a chance as they have come to a great place. They have superb food, shelter, freedom, stimulation and companionship. They have carers that understand that even chickens are individuals and each learns and responds differently. They are now exploring, curious, following the other chickens around the property and are no longer scared of other animals or the humans. They are even beginning to vocalise and learn the 30 different sounds chickens can make.\n\nI figure every human child with a tough start, in a small and prosperous nation, deserves a comparable chance.\n\nThis article was originally published by Education – the Absolute Best Ways.",
  "title": "A Chicken and Egg Parable for NZ Education",
  "updatedAt": "2026-06-02T21:30:52.827Z"
}