The GSPCA ask please Think Fairtrade and Free Range this Pancake Day
Submitted by Steve on 08:51, 9th Feb, 2016 |
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This Shrove Tuesday many of us will shopping for our ingredients today. The GSPCA would like to remind everyone to think of the produce that you are going to use and please look to buy Animal Welfare friendly products such as free range eggs.
Although the EU legislation has forced many battery farms to improve their standards, chickens that live as free range birds have a much better quality of life.
Many of us will be adding extra ingredients and the GSPCA would also like to encourage everyone to not only look at using animal welfare friendly products but to also use Fairtrade goods where possible.
The GSPCA occasionally get chickens into the Shelter looking for homes and if you are interested in adopting some of the hens or even occasional cockerels like those we currently have please do get in touch. Many of the hens we have rehomed have turned out to be fantastic layers.
Below is a basic pancake recipe to help you celebrate -
To make pancakes you'll need a flat bottomed frying pan, a sieve, mixing bowl and a big spoon or two.
Basic Batter Recipe - Ingredients for making about 8 pancakes
4oz (100g) plain flour.
Half a Pint (250ml) of milk.
1 Standard Free Range Egg. (Size 2)
Pinch of Salt (half teaspoon)
Extra Ingredients to finish the pancakes
2oz (50g) Lard or Fat - for the frying pan. Sugar, Lemon, Orange etc to add flavour but please look to see if it is Fairtrade produce.
Making the Pancake Batter
Sieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Make a small hollow in the centre of the mixture and drop in the egg (not the shell).
Begin to mix while gradually adding about one quarter of the milk. Continue to mix well until bubbles become visible in the mixture.
Gradually pour in the remaining milk while continuing to mix. (if it's a bit too thick - then add a little water.)
Pour batter into a jug for easier pouring into pan.
Making the Pancakes
Heat the frying pan, and place a small piece of lard/fat in the Centre. Allow this to melt and spread over the pan.
Get the pan nice & hot and when the lard begins to smoke slightly, stir and pour in some of the batter - approx 30ml or 2 tablespoons, or enough to thinly cover the bottom of the pan. (tilt the pan to help the batter spread evenly)
Cook until nicely golden brown on the bottom. (shouldn't take too long)
And now the only tricky bit of the whole operation - toss / flip the pancake to within an inch of the kitchen ceiling and position the pan to perfectly catch the pancake on the way down - cooked side up, easy. (you could of course just turn it over with a big plastic spoon, but where's the fun in that? ;-)
Cook the other side until nicely golden brown (tip - when frying never turn the pancake more than once.).
Serve immediately with sugar, syrup, lemon or orange poured on top.
To find out more about Fairtrade Guernsey Click Here.
When you see the RSPCA Assured label you know that animals have been kept to strict RSPCA welfare standards. The standards cover the whole of an animals’ life, not just their time on farm. A stimulating environment and plenty of room to move around are just two of the many benefits. Freedom Food can also be an affordable ethical choice, as they approve indoor as well as free range and organic farms. So, make one small change to your shopping and one big change to farm animal welfare. Find out where to buy Freedom Food and get recipe ideas now.
Steve Byrne GSPCA Manager said "It is important when shopping to think where your produce has come from and the quality of life both the animals and farmers have had when the item has got on the shelf and into your basket."
"Free range hens, Fairtrade and the RSPCA Assured scheme are all ways that ensure the animals on the farms and the farmers are all cared for."
"So please this Pancake Day use free range eggs and this RSPCA Assured and Fairtrade when shopping."
Pop Up Shop at the GSPCA has a new look thanks to Holeshothttp://www.gspca.org.gg/blog/pop-shop-gspca-has-new-look-thanks-holeshot
8 days on and Bonnie the seal pup is doing better than we could have hoped http://www.gspca.org.gg/blog/10-days-and-bonnie-seal-pup-doing-better-we-could-have-hoped
The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus, meaning "hooked-nosed sea pig") is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is a large seal of the family Phocidae or "true seals". It is the only species classified in the genus Halichoerus. Its name is spelled gray seal in the US; it is also known as Atlantic grey seal and the horsehead seal
Grey seal adults may be up to 2.5 metres in length and weigh up to 250kg, with males tending to be larger than females.
Previous seal pups rescued Jethou Bumblebee was 17kg on entry and Hanois 20kg, Eden 18kg and Trinity 15kg which was less than half the 40kg they should have been for their age with Bonnie only 14kg.
Male grey seals reach sexual maturity at 6 years, Females at 3 to 5 years and the latter give birth to their pups in the Autumn and early Winter.
Typically the first British pups are born off the Scillies and Cornwall in August and September and the time of pupping is progressively later as you move clockwise around the British Isles, the latest pups being born off the east coast of Scotland in late December.
All seal pups rescued locally were born early November to late December.
At, birth, grey seal pups weigh about 13 kg. and are covered in long, creamy white hair. A bond is formed between mother and pup at birth, and a mother can recognise her pup from its call and smell. For the first 3 weeks of their lives, pups rarely swim, suckling from their mothers 5 to 6 times a day, for up to 10 minutes at a time. The mothers milk is rich in fat and the pups rapidly put on weight.
The seal pups rescued have all been around two to three weeks when they were brought into the GSPCA.
The mother tends to remain just offshore between suckling bouts and rarely feeds, losing up to a quarter of her body weight before her pup is weaned.
Grey seal pups are weaned after losing their baby coat at 3 to 4 weeks of age. At this point, they weigh 40 to 50 kg; three times their birth weight.
The pups live off these fat reserves whilst learning to feed, which may take several weeks.
The adult females which are called cows become fertile soon after weaning their pups, mating with the adult males which are called bulls, who hold territories during the breeding season and may mate with over half a dozen cows.
Mating can take place on land or in water and pregnancy last for 11.5 months, there being a period of 3.5 months when the fertilised embryo does not attached to the wall of the uterus and its development is arrested ("delayed implantation"). As a result, pups are born at the same time each year.
Grey seals moult annually in the spring, 3 to 5 months, after the end of the breeding season.
In the wild, males may live for about 25 years, females for about 35 years.
We will of course keep you up to date with Bonnie's progress and keep your eyes open for pictures and videos.
If anyone see's a pup with or without a mum we really do appreciate a call so that we are aware of its location and condition but here is some advice.
A healthy pup looks like a big, stuffed maggot without a neck. However, a thin pup looks sleek (but not bony) and has a visible neck, like a healthy dog.
PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH THE SEAL. They can give a nasty bite, which will become infected by bacteria that live in a seal’s mouths.
Note: Do not allow dogs or other animals to harass a seal.
If a Seal is scared back into the water, it could then be washed out to sea by strong currents and be lost. You should not put a seal pup back in the sea as it may get into difficulty.
If a Seal pup is sick, thin or injured then we would ask you to contact the GSPCA immediately on 01481 257261 day or night
When reporting an injured, sick or abandoned seal to the GSPCA, please make sure you are able to supply the following information:
Exact location; nearest town / village
Position on the beach, and state of the tide
How long you have observed the pup; any disturbance / risk to it; whether the mother has been seen
Any wounds / obvious signs of illness
Length/colour/condition.
Caution:- Handling of any animal either domestic, wild, dead or alive may be potentially hazardous. Obvious dangers include bites, scratches and general hygiene issues. Common sense should be applied in all instances and, if unsure, seek additional advice or assistance. Personal hygiene should be taken into consideration after handling any animal, whether it’s domestic, wild, dead or alive.
To see some of the previous stories follow the links below
Extremely sick and weak Grey Seal Pup rescued at Corbier now at the GSPCAhttp://www.gspca.org.gg/blog/extremely-sick-and-weak-grey-seal-pup-rescued-corbier-now-gspca
Happy Birthday Ella Gidney - a special behind the scenes at the GSPCA as a birthday treathttp://www.gspca.org.gg/blog/happy-birthday-ella-gidney-special-behind-scenes-gspca-birthday-treat
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