[PetiteGalette]

Hello from a petite ferme on a sunny and mild Bretagne day.

We live with chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, sheep and 3 English Springer Spaniels......................
oh yes, and I've got the 'flu (10 days after having the vaccine)

[deepinthewoods]

hello from cornwall!

[lill]

Hi and a warm welcome to the forum from a very windy central scotland 

[Rosemary]

Hello and welcome from a very windy Carnoustie 

[chrismahon]

Hello and welcome PG. Have friends in Brittany, Fouesnant. We should be in Lot by September, if all goes well. Real hasstle moving the chickens though. What do you feed your chickens, as I've heard the French feedstuffs are terrible?

[PetiteGalette]

Hi Chrismahon,
Fouesnant and surrounding areas are lovely - great cider too!
We re-homed all our chickens/ducks/geese  before we came over.......... couldn't face all the hassle ................ and they went to friends and good homes.
Aaah, French feedstuffs, now that's another story................. It is expensive - about twice the price of UK feedstuffs and not as good. We have tried most outlets for good quality but less expensive food with little success. We have recently found a farmer who has a turkey farm an hour's drive away who sells his own maize, peas and wheat and he will mix it and crush it (if required) for 20€ for 100kilos.
We bought 800kilos crushed in different mixes and unmixed (after I'd had a good look and sniff round) for ourselves and some Breton neighbours and it found favour with all. There is a little 'flour' in the bottom of the sacks but this gets made into a mash for the ducks. It is good stuff (pay in cash!!) and a lot more reasonable than anything else we have found.
As regards the 'aliment'............ we buy it in the UK! We have to return several times a year in our van to see the old folks so fill up the van with  the turkey starter/breeder/grower and the chick crumbs/layers pellets.Price per 25kilo bag here 14-17€ as against £8.50ish from UK ..............
You will find plenty of ex-pats in Lot who will be able to direct you to the nearest friendly turkey farmer who has a large back pocket.......................
Good Luck with the move...........................
(Bring everything you think you'll want AND the stuff you think you can do without in relation to your chicks and animals, everything costs a lot more here (if you can find it) than in the UK, )

[NormandyMary]

Hi Petite Galette. I live in the Mayenne area, around 30kms from Mayenne town. We have friends in Brittany, Avessac. It is a lovely region, you are lucky to be much nearer the sea to us, however our scenery is beautiful too, with loads of forestry land as well as farmland, and its a bit more hilly than Bretagne.
I have 9 chooks 1 cockeral, 2 pygmy billy goats and 3 beautiful totally spoilt moggies!
As I never had poultry in the UK, I didnt realise that feed prices were so expensive over here, I just pay the bill. I buy the 25kg sacs and get the Pondeuse, Blé and Mais concassé. All three come to just under 30€ at Agrial.
Its nice to have a new member who actualy lives not too far from me. No doubt when Beckham starts playing for PSG, we will be visiting the Stade Rennais again...lovely stadium!

All the best,

Mary.

[doganjo]

Bonjour Petitegallette, à partir d'un Clackmannan très humide et venteux dans le centre de l'Ecosse! J'ai quatre Epagneul  Bretons (called Brittanys in the UK). Ils sont petits gâteaux aussi. Eh bien, les deux filles sont, les deux garçons peut-être moins!

I also have chickens and ducks.  Hope you don't feel too bad - flu is horrid!

[Miss Piggy]

Hi and warm welcome from a cold but sunny West Wales today. Hope you are feeling better soon. 

[Lesley Silvester]

   Hi and welcome from  a slightly overcast and windy Shropshire.  Hope you recover soon.

[MAK]

Welcome from a very wet Limousin.
We never kept chickens in the UK but were gob smacked at the variety on sale here. We too cough up for the ble and pondeuse in the 25kg (9 Euro) sac ( think these are less expensive compared to those I have just seen on line in the UK) . However we now let the chickens walk the village like others do and they eat less of our food - the eggs seem better too - .
Our pigs escaped 3 days ago and we chased them down in sun and 17 degrees - phew. This time last year it was -11 and deep snow.
Hope you make plenty of gallettes with the eggs!
Happy New Y|ear.
Martin & Chris

[PetiteGalette]

Thanks MAK,
Well..........., for tomorow night (St Sylvestre) I'm making a chocolate flan topped with orange curd and choc & orange twiggy thingys and a banana and noix (walnut) cake topped with carmelised banana and our own walnuts.
We are going to Breton friends  in the next village for a night of traditional fare (not looking forward to the cider eau-de-vie; phew!!),  Breton music and dancing; it starts at 7pm and finishes when the last revellers go home on new year's day sometime..........................
So far, to great acclaim(!) I have introduced the neighbours to chocolate and beetroot cake, apple & walnut cake, carrot cake, banana & walnut cake, lemon & apricot cake................ I love the Far Breton and the frangipani Galette de Rois as much as my neighbours appear to love British cakes.............................

[lill]

Annie- you have hidden talent 

[MAK]

Thanks MAK,
Well..........., for tomorrow night (St Sylvestre) I'm making a chocolate flan topped with orange curd and choc & orange twiggy thingys and a banana and noix (walnut) cake topped with carmelised banana and our own walnuts.
my neighbours appear to love British cakes.............................

Maybe you should start a cake shop ! Our neighbours were puzzled by the carrot and noix but really rather cautious about the courgette and noix.We hope to visit some Brits today and give them a sack of noix - the first time we met them they were buying noix for 4.50 Eu a Kg.- and we have 3 trees worth!
 What is the prune cake they make up there called? Our local creusois cake is guess what ? A dry noix sponge like thing. Mind you it has helped my gain a few kg in weight after a busy summer.
Hope you made it home from the party!
Hic - Martin

[PetiteGalette]

Safely home, tired from dancing and singing............ and replete! The party was still going when we left at 2am.

There are 2 prune speciality cakes  in this region. One is like my avatar but cut across with a prune (or raspberry) confiture running through it............made with loads of butter and eggs very much like a very rich pastry.
The Far is made from prunes soaked in cider, brandy, eau-de-vie, or whatever you have to hand and is covered in a firm custard tart-like filling. Absolutly delish........ when eaten the day it is cooked.

Happy New Year!