The English Paysanne

A moment from the week at La Singlarie The workers clearing up the grass seeds.

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Chicks see the outside for the first time this week.

Pierrot wheres the worms? Pierrot are you sleeping? What, what no just resting my eyes Poor Pierot today it really did feel like a Monday for him. He was caught sleeping on his feet in the field not only by me but by a chicken as well, hen pecked came to mind. He then took Sorrel work ethic and laid down to sleep, maybe he has too many chickens to care for. Sorrel, keeping the plastic from blowing away.

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Taking in the sun shine

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Look left everyone. Not all chickens know their left from their right but we are working on it. Pierrot has found his feet, preferring to roost with the younger girls maybe the older ones have snoring issues.

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Is this how you get double yolkers?

Mr Tweedy catches Pierreot (remember chicken run) Pierrot if only he would keep still long enough he would'nt be so blurry Friday evening we went to collect a cockerel from a farmer friend called Pierrot. He had brought a dozen true Sussex  eggs which resulted in 9 hatching out, 5 cockerels and 4 hens. being a soft farmer he cant dispatch the cockerels for the pot so has found homes for them. As we lost our cockerel to old age it was only a matter of time that another one would appear. However today has been the first day he came out, partly due to me opening the gate which separated the chickens, Gorgon and the sheep so he could walk through the opening. I think as he had been in a pen he thought the wooden slats were also keeping him in - even though he perched on top of the gate at  night and could of so easily jumped down on the other side. So his been strutting his stuff, trying to gain the hens attention and maybe a lit bit confused by following the ducks. ...

A moment from the week at La Singalrie A new boy is choosen to join the chickens.

Fencing remodelled by Vanille and Bambo Waiting for the big outside Supervisor, on  a line due to easy access to chicks, she is a hunter after all Taking up the fence Caught on a nap Oi you've missed a bit The donkeys are in the bad books (again ) after insisting the grass is greener on the other side. While munching on the grass in the chicks (who are now old enough to go outside) run they have managed to push and push the wire fence down making it completely useless for keeping chickens in, perhaps that was their plan to make an easy breakout for the chicks to run free - it hasn't worked. Yesterday the bad girls were moved to the hanger and small field attached where there are no trees for them to eat, animals to let loose or fences to push down, as they have an electric fence all round. At least Tempete should be happy, since the cows left the hanger his had only the chickens and ducks to try and make friends with, lets hope the donkeys are mo...

A moment from the week at La Singlarie After a while of beef and pork chicken is back on the menu. (Not all for us)

It's been so hot here the elderly chickens we have had decided enough was enough and couldn't possibly lay another egg in such a heat wave, we lost the last grey chicken that i had brought a few years ago (because they looked a bit different, however were not brilliant layers - lesson there looks over utility do not work if you want eggs). Anyway back to loss of chicken for she must of thought it must be nice to be a duck in this hot weather,able to go for a dip, which she must of done and then found out why chickens don't go for dips for although there is a ramp for the ducks to use she obviously didn't use it and probably flapped a bit before giving up the fight where I found her floating in the pond at feeding time. It has cooled down this week but still no eggs, I've even had to buy a box, the first in a long, long time. Although there is a chicken who has sneaked a few under her wings and is now a broody old broiler who gets very cross as  I go near her. If ...

It really felt like a Monday today, with more heavy rain over the weekend it has been pretty wet and today the rain continued. First thing a chicken was found unable to walk, she is in the puppy crate at the moment resting, not sure she is going to improve it seems her legs have given up. With all the rain the barn which houses the chickens and ducks flooded one end. This means a very clean barn floor that Gorgon could eat his tea on and happy ducks. Those ducks are so happy with the amount of puddles and flowing water in the field there's no chance of them getting in that pond at the moment. Streams have also have been flowing from the top of the pig hill down to the road. Lots of mud and soggy pigs with only one sows cabin leaking, which was rectified they were all given straw to line their cabins. Having floors has helped keep dry unless they are like the two pigs at the bottom of the hill who are having great fun lifting up their floor (it is in two se...

Here in our little part of South West France we seem to have a lot of moles, people spend vast amounts on trying to get rid of them- traps, bombs, poison and tubes that make a vibrating noise are a few. As we don't have an cricket pitch lawn and we live in the country we don't fret at yet another mole hill coming up through the grass. We did have an adopted German Shepherd, Bella left by the previous farmers who was an amazing moler with a quick snap they were gone. Milo and Franklin never got the hang of moling they were always too late but never less would proceed to dig up the mound left so not only did we have hills, (which the moles work hard making excellent finely tilled earth for potting plants) but large holes (which had to be filled in by the hills). But now we seem to have new molers of the feathered kind, probably not a nice way to go for the mole but at least they made a meal for a few fowl. Yesterday morning while clearing up around the farm I ...

A moment from the week at La Singlarie The gossipers of the chicken world

This is the old chicken who wound the others up by her lack of moving from 'the in' spot for eggs to be laid. Refusing to move she went a little broody, only problem was the bales could not be moved with her sitting there. She had to be moved, have you ever moved a broody hen? Farmer J can wresttle a 100 kg sheep battle with a steer and try to move a 40 kg pig (they are solid and slippery and not cooperative at all) but when it came to a pecking shrieking hen straws were drawn- I won as I took the photos, gloves were worn, the ones reserved for brambles, roses and nettles.A swif hand action and eggs removed with chicken boxed up (put in a box not hit). I placed her in the old puppy crate (ducklings are now out of it) along with her eggs but she was not happy. spending an afternoon not sitting on those eggs ( i took the opportunity to add six others that were found while moving hay). Thinking she has gone off egg sitting she was let out. Lots of chiken batter aft...

With a glut of eggs fresh pasta, chocolate ice cream and fresh custard have been made, along with a few attempts at trying to make mayonnaise, which I will persevere at and am not to be beaten over a couple of eggs and a dash of oil.  The ducklings are enjoying the outside, the three Pekings are growing at a fast rate. They are so messy and noisy, I've had to place their run away from the house as there driving the dogs, well the dogs barking at hearing the ducklings is driving us mad. I think they are going to be full of character as they get older. Maude and Mabel made a brief appearance outside (after being shooed out of the barn) but again once my back was turned a swift waddle back into the barn there they stayed.  The weathers been mixed with showers and sun, which when out its  a bit hot to be working in the outside. The lavenders in flower now attracting loads of bees, butterflies and moths.  Farmer J's been tidying the hanger ready for this...