On Wednesday 30 October, Vasse Primary School’s Chicken Club hosted its annual Wash Day event. Nancy McKinnon, a Pekin Bantam breeder from Perth, visited the students, demonstrating the multi-faceted process of chicken grooming; being hands-on made this a memorable experience for the students. It was an action-packed engaging way to teach the students at Vasse Primary about poultry care, grooming and pet responsibility. An impressive group of 38 students came together to wash 19 differing breeds of chickens, all in preparation for the Busselton Show. This was a wonderful way to provide the students with a practical learning experience outside of the classroom.
This year’s turnout was remarkable, with 15 students entering 28 chickens in the show and earning seven, Yes 7 first-place wins and 6 second-place awards. Additionally, 5 new VPS families added their own entries to the show. Among the many achievements, the Chicken Club’s chickens had standout winners: Krispy, a Barred Plymouth Rock, won first in the open division, while Sunflower, a Gold Laced Wyandotte, took first in the junior heavy soft feather division, and Honey’s eggs placed second in the white egg section of the produce competition.
Parents’ support has been invaluable, helping foster the students’ dedication to chicken care and welfare. The students have shown great commitment, putting in time and effort to ensure their pet chickens were show-ready and comfortable while penned at the event.
Since its founding last year, the Chicken Club has brought much joy to the students at Vasse Primary School. Not only does it enrich students’ learning, but it also offers emotional support—students can bring chickens in backpacks for comforting classroom visits.
The club runs three lunchtime groups: Chickens, Chess, and Checkers; Chicken Enthusiasts; and Chicken Friends. Through the student’s interactions with their feathered friends, the chickens are friendly conversation starters for students who are shy or may struggle socially; this strengthens social skill development with student-to-student interactions and adult educators, as students can find this difficult. The chickens support students in regulating their emotions whilst giving students an incentive to attend school during academic struggles. It’s invaluable having a special feathered friend to console you with no judgment and solely there for you.
A special mention goes to Marshmallow, our Pekin/Silky mix, who was a show favourite, sporting rainbow-coloured feathers and sharing cuddles with many, many junior showgoers as she toured the grounds in her chicken backpack.
Thank you to everyone, especially all the Vasse Primary School families who made this year’s event such a success!
Kylie Van Ranzow
VPS Chicken Club Coordinator
