“Langley’s Agricultural Week: Little Dianne is not the least bit afraid of the big New Hampshire rooster one of 7000 birds on the poultry farm of her father E.A. Lightfoot , Langley who was host Thursday to a poultry field day.” Vancouver Sun, Friday, May 25, 1951 (Clipping from Ted Lightfoot’s family album)
Ted Lightfoot and Ken Napier smile and can’t help but chuckle when remembering their fathers’ chicken businesses in Langley, and the real-life adventures of these two farmers to keep their flocks healthy and genetically strong.
Ed Lightfoot had a garage in Vancouver. Between the long hours and lead gas fumes, he needed a healthier career. He took poultry courses at UBC and made his dream a reality in 1937 by buying land on 232 Street (Livingstone Road) at 72 Avenue. By 1939 Lightfoot Hatchery was established. Frank Napier opened Napier Hatchery and Poultry Farm in 1938 moving his operation from Richmond, BC to Milner in 1948 at 224 Street and 64 Avenue (formerly Medd Road).
Ironically, Ed and Frank met in Langley Hospital. Ed had an appendectomy just hours after rapidly writing out all the orders in his head for his wife to fill, with the hired help, in his absence. Frank was in the adjoining bed.
Businesswise, Frank and Ed were competitors but you wouldn’t know it. As Ken Napier remembers, “They were the best of friends. They always did things together.
Lightfoot remembers if his father or Frank Napier didn’t have enough eggs or chicks for a customer, they would help the other out to fulfil orders.
Napier Hatchery and Poultry Farm (Photo: Ken and Nancy Napier)
Ed Lightfoot was one of the largest chicken producers in the Fraser Valley with 10,000 birds, selling eggs directly to restaurants in Vancouver—cutting out the middleman—as well as shipping chicks bound for Alberta by rail from the CNR Station in Fort Langley. Frank specialized in brown egg layers and also sold his eggs directly to local businesses, not through the egg marketing board, and shipped chick orders across BC via Canada Post.
Napier Hatchery delivery vehicle with Frank standing with son Ken and daughter Mary. (Photo: Ken and Nancy Napier)
Frank and Ed didn’t agree with the restrictions of the time that legislated Canadian chicken farmers to use roosters supplied by the government. They complained that these roosters were not the best quality, and often carried disease that would infect their hatchery flocks.
Frank Napier grading eggs with his son Ken. (Photo: Ken and Nancy Napier)
Frank and Ed went to poultry conventions together and often travelled to the United States learning what chicken breeds farmers in California and neighbouring states preferred.
Frank Napier at a poultry convention. Ken remembers his dad telling him about conventions, “Since I don’t drink myself, I just have to sit back and wait until the alcohol starts flowing and they tell all their business secrets!” (Photo: Ken and Nancy Napier)
When the coccidiosis disease began killing their chickens, they wanted to vaccinate their birds with the US-made vaccine not available in Canada. So they smuggled it across the border and shared it with other farmers.
Ken tells us that Frank and Ed went back to the border confessing what they did to Agricultural Canada. Word got around that the vaccine worked, and the government allowed the poultry vaccine into Canada.
On another road trip, Ed brought back a case of fertilized eggs to introduce different breeds into his flock. Agricultural Canada found out and demanded he turn over the eggs. Ed consulted Frank and they decided to give the authorities fertilized eggs. These eggs, however, were from Frank’s hatchery.
Napier Hatchery incubators (Photo: Ken and Nancy Napier)
Not only did Ed and Frank work together to help one another, they supported their neighbouring farmers by organizing poultry field days to share new husbandry techniques and nutrition facts. Check the crowd below!
First Langley Poultry Field Day in Lightfoot backyard, May 28, 1953. (Photo: Ted Lightfoot)
See a Napier Poultry Farm CHICK PRICE LIST HERE.
– Written by Helen Williams