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Jordan really, really likes chickens (11 photos)

She is a founding member of the Youth Algoma Poultry Association

Ripley definitely made his presence known Saturday during the Sustain Algoma Expo at the Johnson Township Community in Desbarats.

He’s a Bantam Barred Rock rooster and a close personal friend of Jordan Winter.

As it turns out, Winter has a number of friends of the feathered kind.

And as a founding member of the Youth Algoma Poultry Association (YAPA), she also has quite a few human pals with a similar interest in birds.

After showing off a few of her beloved chickens at the Bruce Mines Fair in 2013, she and some of the other kids involved spent the rest of the weekend just talking birds - hours and hours on end, she told SooToday.

“We decided that we had learned so much from each other, we have to do this more often. So we started the Youth Algoma Poultry Association,” she said.

Now 30 members strong, YAPA meets monthly and hosts avian events in the area, including the Laird, Massey and Bruce Mines Poultry Shows.

Some of its members - which range in age from 3 to 19 years - have taken their birds and brains outside the community to shows at the Rockton World’s Fair and the Ontario Poultry Breeders National event.

As a fundraising endeavour, YAPA sells feathers to area artisans and crafters, and Winter ties fishing flies created with feathers from her own birds.

“It gives them peace of mind that these were naturally shed feathers that aren’t chemically treated, and they’re local,” she said.

The organization recently created an information package outlining common poultry ailments and include easy, chemical-free remedy instructions.

These packages have since been distributed to communities throughout Africa.

So, what is it about chickens that has these kids all aflutter?

In an eggshell, chickens have amazing personalities, Winter said.

And she claims they’re smarter than dogs.

“They’ll bond with people, they have friendships, they have enemies, they have crushes,” she told us. “Some birds are aggressive and some give you attitude. And some are super sweet and will cuddle up to you.”

She also loves the science behind birds.

So much so that she’s aiming for a career as an exotic bird veterinarian.

“I love doing research and knowing things, so I started doing research and found this whole new colourful world of poultry. It just grew from there,” Winter said.

Currently, she and her family breed not only different varieties of chickens, but also rolling pigeons (which perform aerial acrobatics), turkeys and peacocks.

“I’ve always been interested in the science aspect and the genetics, and also showing. Breeding poultry encompasses all of those,” she explained.

Look for the Youth Algoma Poultry Association at the upcoming Laird Fair, August 19 through 21.

To learn more about the Youth Algoma Poultry Association, please click here.


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Donna Hopper

About the Author: Donna Hopper

Donna Hopper has been a photojournalist with SooToday since 2007, and her passion for music motivates her to focus on area arts, entertainment and community events.
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