Gentillaud
In the Brooder
- Sep 11, 2020
- 10
- 58
- 43
Hi - I have been keeping chickens now for about 40 years. I started with hybrids just as a means of having fresh eggs on the table. But soon got hooked into pure breeds.
Although originally from the UK, I'm now retired and I live in the South of France near Bordeaux. I have a house on a two acre plot of land and at present have c.40 chickens.
(3) What breeds do you have?
When I first moved here I wanted to keep and breed a local chicken. I soon discovered that these were the Barbezieux, originally from the town of that name some 30 mins up the road. They look like Minorcans, but are heavier birds. They come in one colour - black. They are quite flighty and prefer to free range. They lay lots of good sized eggs and the French prize their meat: a Barbezieux chicken will cost you 16-18€ in a local supermarket.
Then I went with my wife to a garden show in Bordeaux and discovered a trio of magnificent black and white chickens on show there. They were from Spain and I had never heard of them before: pita pinta Asturiana. They are from the Atlantic coast region of the Asturias in Spain. They are large, duel-purpose birds. There are 4 colour ways: black/white (negra); red/brown/white (roxa); pure black; pure white. They are much less flighty than the Barbezieux. They lay reasonable amounts of eggs,(though I'm still in the first year of production so they're still on the small side), and they are suited to the long hot summers that we experience down here.
I love breeding chickens and trying to perfect a good steain of the breed.
I'm also a keen gardener. I have to be sure that my large breed chickens don't get into the flower beds or the potager. Only my family of pekins are permitted to roam freely. I'm a (semi-) retired priest and schoolmaster. I am involved in the local French church and still officiate at the odd hatch, match and despatch.
(7) Bonus: How did you find BYC, how long have you known about BYC, and what made
Although originally from the UK, I'm now retired and I live in the South of France near Bordeaux. I have a house on a two acre plot of land and at present have c.40 chickens.
(3) What breeds do you have?
When I first moved here I wanted to keep and breed a local chicken. I soon discovered that these were the Barbezieux, originally from the town of that name some 30 mins up the road. They look like Minorcans, but are heavier birds. They come in one colour - black. They are quite flighty and prefer to free range. They lay lots of good sized eggs and the French prize their meat: a Barbezieux chicken will cost you 16-18€ in a local supermarket.
Then I went with my wife to a garden show in Bordeaux and discovered a trio of magnificent black and white chickens on show there. They were from Spain and I had never heard of them before: pita pinta Asturiana. They are from the Atlantic coast region of the Asturias in Spain. They are large, duel-purpose birds. There are 4 colour ways: black/white (negra); red/brown/white (roxa); pure black; pure white. They are much less flighty than the Barbezieux. They lay reasonable amounts of eggs,(though I'm still in the first year of production so they're still on the small side), and they are suited to the long hot summers that we experience down here.
I love breeding chickens and trying to perfect a good steain of the breed.
I'm also a keen gardener. I have to be sure that my large breed chickens don't get into the flower beds or the potager. Only my family of pekins are permitted to roam freely. I'm a (semi-) retired priest and schoolmaster. I am involved in the local French church and still officiate at the odd hatch, match and despatch.
(7) Bonus: How did you find BYC, how long have you known about BYC, and what made
