For years and years Dad and Mom bought a chicken every other week from the local native boy selling at the back door of the house. All the mud hut villages maintained the perpetual flock of chickens scratching away at the sun baked ground of the compound area. The inhabitants would raise chickens that were able to find sufficient sustenance in the dirt ground around their huts and when large enough, catch and sell those not destined for their own pots. The salesman would construct a semi round chicken-wire basket that was fastened securely to the carrier above the rear wheel of their bicycle. This open mesh basket could hold five chickens and they would wander from brick built house to house selling the birds. After purchasing the chicken you had to kill it and pluck all the feathers off. Gut it and clean the bird ready for cooking.

This had been part of the diet for many years until one day Dad found out some disturbing information with the result that we never ate one of the chickens being sold at the back door ever again. Dad was been given a guided tour around the veterinary school located on the Research Station a couple miles out of Mazabuka and asked how they taught the different diseases and parasites to the students. This was no problem as the parasites were readily available and as many varieties as required for each student studying. This was when Dad found out that a single chicken bought off the back of a bicycle had the whole range of worms and parasites required for the lessons. Little did we know what we were consuming and I certainly do not wish to dwell on the thought of what might have been eaten during my younger years! Dad will be 83 this year and it does not appear to have had any harmful effect on him or, it may be a source to longevity?