I moved to Brittany back in March 2006 and part of my French dream was to have a few chickens. My daughter comes out for a 2 week holiday this Friday and I cant wait because on Monday we will be off to a local French market to buy 4 or 6 chickens.

I have already built a run and a  short term coup until the one i bought arrives, Ive started writing a blog and will report each week how the chickens are doing.

Pictures of the run and the birds can be seen at: http://www.brittanyholidaycottagestorent.com

After looking at the prices you can buy young chicks at 3 euros or 6 month old chickens ready to lay at 9 euros....looking to buy the 6 month old, the way i look at it is Im saving 5 months of feed cost, getting eggs straight away and the chickens should be hardier.

Last edited by leon01 (Tue 18 May 10 8:09pm)

Returned to France on saturday with a Bantam Cockrel and my daughter and on Monday bought 4 hens that were ready to pruduce eggs and today was thrilled to find our first egg.

The first night was fun and games trying to get the birds into the coup but after 10 min of chasing them around the run I had caught all the hens and placed them in the coup. The Cockrel had gone in on his own.

This evening i turned up just before sun set to see the last hen walking in the coup and it was just a case of closing the door.....fantastic.

The chickens are doing extremly well now, after 6 weeks not a single blade of grass can be found within the run and seeing how many holes they dig I'm glad they are kept in just one section of the garden. For a picture of the birds see: www.brittanyholidaycottagestorent.com

Buying the chickens has been the best thing I've done in a long time. My daughter loves them as does all the children staying at the holiday cottage. I used to keep Koi back in the UK and could while away time just watching them and like wise I do the same with the birds.

Just keeping my fingers crossed I can off set the cost as a business expense then it would be really perfect.

Chickens and going on holidays can always present problems, thankfully I have friends down the road that also keep Chickens, ducks and geese. I rounded up my birds using a landing net, so much easier than trying to catch them by hand and less stress for the birds and currently they are on holiday at my friends.

Ive decided to sell the hens to my friends and will just take Spike the cockral back with a view of buying just one hen in the new year with a view of raising my own chickens with the aid of Spike. My daughter is looking forward to raising some chicks and it will be fun to see what they will look like crossing the birds. Pictures of Spike and the run can be seen at: www.brittanyholidaycottagestorent.com

I am also looking to buy a pair of Ducks next year after seeing my friends.