ONE of Tobago’s best-kept secrets (until now) is a compact but spacious rustic wooden structure, perched on a breezy Charlotteville hilltop, with a commanding view of the village, the ocean and the seemingly never-ending horizon.
Sorry to disappoint those who were starting to fantasise about booking this accommodation for their next Tobago vacation, but this is no Airbnb; it is the simple but impressive chicken pen at “family-owned, family grown” (their motto) Kaizz Poultry Farm.
“The chickens have the best view in the house,” Jamaican-born government vet Dr Annika Gordon-Dillon says with a laugh.
The chicken pens, behind the house, were designed by Gordon-Dillon’s husband Kechen Dillon, aka “Mr Handyman,” much-loved primary-school teacher and mentor to many children in Charlotteville.
[caption id="attachment_890487" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Kaija Dillon, 5, helps feed the chickens on the farm. Photo by Elspeth Duncan[/caption]
They were built with help from his childhood friends in the community. The pens, with their roll-away nest boxes (designed to prevent breakage and faecal contamination and make egg collection easier), are works of art. What chicken would not want to live and lay eggs in this veritable penthouse suite with its panoramic ocean view?
The Dillons founded the farm in 2020, creating its name by merging the names of their two children, five-year-old Kaija (a Hebrew name meaning “life”) and two-year-old Zakii (an Arabic name meaning pure”). Inspired by their children, for whom it was created, the farm is intended as a profitable and reliable family business that will continue to lay financial eggs for and into the children’s future. All earnings from the business are fostered for the children, and their parents hope that when they are older they will be interested in taking over the business and continuing to develop it in a meaningful way.
The decision to be more health-conscious as a family also fuelled the genesis of Kaizz. Gordon-Dillon explains, “My husband and I started to exercise and make healthier food choices. We decided to start by eating what we grew and began growing our own vegetables and raising our own chicken for meals.” The family subsequently decided to use the pen space for layers, so that they could have their own eggs and possibly also supply the Charlotteville community. The demand was high and before they knew it, they had built their second pen and received another batch of layers.
[caption id="attachment_890490" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Kaija Dillon says she eats most of the eggs in her house and her favourite recipe is with melted cheese. Photo by Elspeth Duncan[/caption]
Tending to the chicken farm is a family affair, with everyone playing an important role. As a vet, Gordon-Dillon ensures everything is in place for success of the flock; she examines the birds before they arrive and continually monitors them during their brooding period and beyond. Protocols are developed, keeping in mi
