Possibly because they share the same coop as the standards, the small chickens that live here all have very strong temper. They seem to believe that tiny should rule. I've shared these before :
(Being on the small side myself, I can attest that it does not make me more apt at living peacefully with others.)
I've also read that type of comment on BYC. I supposed they were general guidelines that could have exceptions... but if it's like the saying that friendly cockerels become evil roosters, then maybe it's just a conspiracy theory against roosters being repeated and spread ?
@MROO if I'm reading the photo right, it seems that your little guys also contradict the saying that roosters need a lot of space to live together - they seem to live on close quarters ?
I'm always interested in learning something about bachelor's flocks, because it's something I could eventually consider if we let some hens hatch again. I used to be totally opposed to it because the roosters I've seen here are utterly miserable when separated from the hens, and also because it seems ...artificial ? But I've come to ask myself if the rooster's reproductive drive is really more important than their survival instinct.
While bachelor flocks aren't really an thing in my country, I've seen an example of one being established in my village with a setting slightly similar to
@MROO . Our old farmer friend to whom we rehomed our cockerel Pied-Beau last year, has moved the majority of his flock into what used to be his sheep's stables, and he keeps in the previous coop and run a flock of excess cockerels and young roosters, to which he adds temporarily any broody that hatch chicks. His farm is on a steep slope, so the cockerels are a level underneath the main flock. Their run is enclosed by a mesh which separates them from the other chickens ; the main flock, which has four roosters, free ranges, but can not access in the bachelor's run. It seems quite harmonious, both in the main flock and in the male-only run, but then a male that really would not get along with the others is either rehomed or eaten. And the bachelor's run is big enough that there are lots of place to hide, about 300m2/3200 sq feet.
Pied-Beau is now dominant of the main flock
. This was a few days before he left with his girlfriend Lilly.
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Is this the epiphany ?
In France we have a slightly similar tradition with two different cakes, the south does the brioche des rois (king's bun) and the north does the galette des rois (frangipane pastry). Hidden in the cake there is one or two santon (any nativity figure) and/ or a bean. When serving, the youngest child has to hide underneath the table and say to whom will go each piece. Those who get the bean and the santon have to wear a crown, and pay or bake the next.
I'm a galette fan, I bake one twice a week, up to candlemas (which is when bakeries stop selling them). The traditional recipe calls for inverted puff pastry (
this one is pretty close). I usually do a lighter version where some of the butter is replaced by cream cheese. I'm one of those people who don't really like the taste of butter.
Before cooking
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Done.
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@Shadrach, if it's not too personal, are you baking without sugar because of health issues, or to experiment, or both ?
).
