Farming in France

We had a lot of fun taking care of all of the animals in the South of France.  The warm temperatures made it a great experience because it was enjoyable walking in the sunshine. Usually in Canada at this time, it would be rainy and cold.  All of the nature and peacefulness of the farm, reminded me of the Rouge at home.

Sheep

I liked the sheep there because they were so cute.  They are like little pom poms on legs!  At the farm, Kim and Steve have 10 Ouessant sheep.  They are named:

• Barbara
• Col
• Rosemary
• Rhubarb
• Ruby
• Rowan
• Red Current
• Raspberry
• Sauce
• Sean

It is a French tradition to name the sheep according to the year they are born.  Each year the same letter is used to name the sheep which is why there are so many sheep who’s names start with the letter “R”.

Brambles Cottage is a very large farm of 86 acres or 35 hectares and covered in brambles.  The goats are sent in first to clear all of the brambles, and then the sheep go in to keep the regrowth under control.  Furthermore, the female sheep are used for breeding while the males go to the abattoir the following year.

The sheep are easy to take care of for two weeks, but a big responsibility if they are your pets.

Some of the big responsibilities are:

• Moving the electric pens as needed
• Giving them all their needles
• Clipping their horns if they get too long
• Monitoring the herd to make sure all of the sheep are together because if one is not with the herd, and standing alone, it means that he or she is not well and needs to get treatment right away

The routine in the morning that I follow is pretty easy.  I have to check on their water and sometimes, we go into the pen and feed them sheep pellets.  I really like feeding the sheep and petting them because they are friendly and gentle animals.

Chickens

The chickens are cute too.  They have a morning and a night routine.

Morning

I feed the chickens with half of the container filled with chicken pellets, two small scoops of crushed corn and a bit of seeds.

What is interesting about the crushed corn is that it gives the yellow colour to the egg yolks.  Mikhaila and I go into the pen as part of our daily routine and toss the food all around.

It is also important to check their water because right now it is very warm and they need to stay hydrated.

We also need to open the door of their pen so they can get out to eat, drink, get  exercise and fresh air.

Night

At night, the chickens go back into their coop on their own.  We have to close their door to the pen so that foxes do not get in.  We also have to collect the eggs and usually get two or three; if we are lucky we get four!

The chickens live in a coop in a tree.  The idea of the ladder leading up to the coop is great because it helps keep the chickens safe from the foxes at night.  The ladder has thick sticks nailed  into a long tree branch.  The chickens are light enough to climb up and down the ladder without each rung moving.  The weight of the foxes on top of the rungs however, will make the rung turn and they will fall off the ladder.

What I like about the chickens is they are small and they give you a delicious breakfast!  We made some hard boiled eggs and also enjoyed them in a tart with vegetables and ham.

I had a great time farming in France and can’t wait to get some sheep when we return home so my dog has company!