Chanto

Quite agree it's a frightening site - I use this pic for my MSN Messenger - that certainly scares people. We were thinking of going to Les Herolles market in the morning but have a dilemma - perhaps you can help.  Would getting two more hens and putting them together cause even more chaos so that we have three separate areas in the hen house or if we get a cockerel will that shock them all into behaving themselves.  All seemed reasonable tonight and Snow actually followed the others down to the hen house so we didn't have to carry her, but once inside the bullying started in ernest and we have had to segregate her again.  It's very upsetting to see and my hubby is getting very cross with our original three. Yes, we did use an incubator.  Out of the five eggs I was given one was infertile, one chick died on hatching and two were helped into the world.  Glad we did it as we couldn't bear to watch then dying in the shell.  I brought 6 chicken, 6 duck and 1 goose egg back from UK recently from a friend and on each hatch day the incubator packed up.  In the end we got nought.  The goose egg was infertile (thankfully with hindsight) and we lost two ducks on hatch day.  Also lost 3 chickens.  Such a sad thing to know they died inside the shell so all the more attached to them when they survive.  We were hoping for a cockerel with our lot so that they could have their own young but it appears we have 3 hens.  We have more sleepless nights over these flipping chickens than we ever did with the children!!

Thank you pinkfluff for those encouraging words.  I'll take "Snow" down tonight when the others are sleepy and not segregate her.  All has been quiet in the garden today.  Mostly lazing under a big Quince bush but as soon as food is about - or I am about - all hell breaks loose again. Here's a pic of our first born - we have another black one like this.  Is this a special breed - having no feathers on the neck.  Our other  hen is typical brown speckly and gorgeous.  These two are a bit ugly but we love 'em.  The eggs came from a farmer friend who has chickens of all shapes and sizes but doesn't know what breeds they are.  

Hi,  I've 3 hens which I hatched myself.  They are 3 months old.  I've bought another 3 month old hen last week.  I'm segregating her in the chicken house at night but she can be seen by the other. During the day all the hens roam around on over half an acre of garden.  Trouble is, my 3 hens are being horrid to the new girl and chase her away and peck at her all the time.  I've even seen them standing on her when she was huddled in a corner of the garden.  My original 3 are very tame and probably a bit spoilt.  The new girl will eat from my hand if the others are not around.  When will our new girl be accepted? At the moment I have to carry her "home" at night as she will not follow the others anywhere.  It's my first flock of chickens and I'd like to introduce another couple of hens and eventually a cockerel.  All advice welcome.    

Right, as from this weekend my pongy pooch is having a change of diet with some crushed garlic added.  I've stuck my nose down his ears and they don't smell as though there is an infection or anything going on.  He is our sixth dog during our long years and we gave them all cod liver oil.  Probably we read somewhere long ago that it was good for their coats of something, but we have always done it.  All of our dogs enjoyed long and active lives - although none as smelly as this one. He gets wormed every six months as recommended and I check his poo from time to time for the little flecks of rice just in case.  As for diet, he eats mostly doggy food which is half dried and half wet but about twice a week he has human food in the form of sugarless scraps with veg, rice or pasta.  He gets a big juicy bone once a week - sometimes twice if there is one going from the kitchen.  Despite being the lab/retriever he doesn't like swimming.  He has the typical webbed feet but only likes to paddle in our nearby lakes.  I got him swimming once on a lead in Lac Vassiviere but he almost drowned me trying to climb  on my back so I won't try that again.  He once lost his favourite ball in Lac Uzurat as he didn't have the gumption to swim for it and it floated out to the middle while he sat crying on the bank.  -  See, I told you he was a woose. So, as a special thank you for all the advice, I've posted his pic (without smellyvision).  And, as you can see he's lovely.

Interesting reading about our dogs wandering off and being accused of killing livestock.  I'm just amused since every time the hunters are around our village (which is a lot) I seem to end up with a stray dog looking longingly at me for some tlc.  I've been advised not to let them into the house as they will get used to warmth, love and kindness - even for half hour or so - and kick up a fuss when their owner turns up and throws them into the back of his van with his pals.  No word of thanks for phoning to report his lost dog, just grab, chuck and gone.  One rule for them and one for us ay?

Thank you one and all for your suggestions.  Our "smelly" has lovely clean teeth and amazingly he doesn't have smelly breath at all.  As for the other end, it rarely backfires unless he's had some leftover veg for dinner .  I doubt if he has a skin infection as he doesn't scratch unless a tick has landed and then I'm on him like a shot with the little green extractor.  He is groomed everyday so he doesn't have a build up of dead hair or skin.  (He's a real pampered pooch by the sounds of it..... Since posting, I've asked friends about his problem and no one so far agrees with me that he pongs.  But, my car stinks even though I've THREE hanging smelly things in it and I get through gallons of Febreeze in the house.  I'm now wondering if it's not my dog but my nose which is the problem.  However,  I've looked up the odour changing food supplement and that contains garlic so I'll add some to his food and see if there is any change.  I give him cod liver oil everyday - maybe there's a link there. He's such a sweetie and I think he's getting a complex as I keep shoving my nose on him and going "phwwooo!"  As for being attacked - he's been set on by a boxer on sunday who came into our garden and then again last night by his best doggy friend!  The owner of the boxer couldn't understand his dog attacking and now that his best doggy friend is at it I think my poor lad will want to go live in Paris as it's too darned dangerous around here...........

Hi to all dog owners.  We have a beautiful black lab/retriever. He was rescued from SPA 18 months ago in the most dreadful state.  Our problem is that despite numerous baths, deodorants, grooming and fuss  - he's a stinker.  My husband thinks that it is the food he eats, rather like too many curries, eventually they ooze through the pores of the skin.  Our dog doesn't eat curry of course but dog food is a bit smelly - could this theory be true? Our dog is so sweet and gentle but other dogs seem to dislike him and occasionally he has been attacked.  I often say it is because he smells so bad.  I say it as a joke, but could it be true? His coat is glossy  and his skin is good - people remark that he looks in tip top condition. It doesn't really matter if he cannot smell sweeter as we would not trade him for the world but he's the smelliest dog we have ever owned and any advice would be welcome. 

Hello to all you knowledgeable chicken people.  Please help me. When I visited my french friend on Saturday for my usual supply of free range eggs he gave me a warm egg straight from the chicken.  "Here", he said, "perhaps you have your own chicken".  Being a mum (of humans) I got all broody and emotional and put the egg in my bra (no laughing please). My french friend thought this really funny and gave me another four warm eggs.  Later, I visited another friend for my whole lamb which has been slaughtered that morning.  I told him about my eggs (now named Charlie and Co.) and he gave me an incubator to hatch my eggs. I've been incubating my five eggs since Saturday and Charlie's friends are promised to another friend who is desperate to keep some chickens.  I haven't a clue as to what I'm doing but should I get any chicks in 3 weeks I intend to keep Charlie as a pet.  So, my questions are - if Charlie hatches will he/she be lonely as a single chicken? What do I do if suddenly one morning there's a fluffy yellow chick instead of an egg?  And, how long will it live?  I could never kill it to eat it (yes, I know about the lamb but I didn't know it's name nor see it before it was killed so I don't feel so bad) OK, so I guess you think I'm a nut and today I felt really bad eating my boiled egg at breakfast but I've always wanted to hatch an egg and if anything comes of Charlie and Co. then I'd rather like to try a duck egg.  I'll even build a little pond for it to swim in.  Please don't phone the local physo hospital = my husband has already arranged for them to come.  

Deviating slightly on this subject: we are Royal Bank of Scotland customers with Switch cards.  Therein lies the problem.  Try using your Switch card at Limoges Airport to buy tickets etc. or Stansted for that matter, when trying to hire a car for example (fine on line but not in person as we know to our cost).    So, for all those of you with Switch cards who are about to emigrate to France - be warned!  Open a UK account with any other bank issuing a Visa card and stick with it.  It opens many doors.  We cannot buy on eBay with our Switch card as we cannot register with PayPal within France as they don't know what a Switch card is here. As for Premium Bonds - we have bought since living here.  Our only gripe is that, in future, we will have to pay tax on any winnings - we feel that as we are putting money into the UK we should have the same rights as UK citizens.  Such is life.

Methinks I should develop un penchant for prison food mon ami

Thank you Mic, I think on the subject of ISAs, the ether will be silent...........

I am bereft reading this thread as I had heard an ugly rumour about tax and premiums bonds.  If the prize money is automatically reinvested into bonds, is it still taxable?  Daft question as I suspect I already know the answer.  I've also heard that ISAs are also taxable here in France.  Is this so?  Mon Dieu - is there no sanctuary.....