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Completely Self-Sufficient, Very Interesting

(20 posts)
  • Started 2 years ago by frenchdiddy
  • Latest reply from admin

  1. frenchdiddy
    Member

    Just thought I would let people know about this very remarkable and interesting lady. She is trying to live, for 3 years on a very tight budget and be completely self-sufficient. Not the usual that the majority of us here are trying to do!

    She has started a tea room from her humble home, which, if you live in France as I do, you would be more than welcome to visit. It's a tea room with a twist! You don't pay for your tea/coffee and delicious cakes with money, you barter for them. This can be achieved by taking produce, i.e. fruit, veg, flour, eggs (her chooks aren't laying as yet) etc. If you're feeling really energetic you could even lend a hand in getting her garden sorted. Either work up an appetite for her wonderful cakes before or burn off the calories after indulging.

    I have met this lady after she bought some geese from us and she is 'as mad as a box of frogs' but in the nicest way possible.

    If you are interested in finding out what she is getting up to on a day to day basis you can find her by googling, the scarecrow ambazac. Honestly, it is well worth reading.

    Regards

    Elaine

    I used to buy shoes and handbags, now I buy chickens and geese!
    Posted 2 years ago #

  2. admin
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    Hi Elaine,
    Thanks for this, the scarecrow sounds very interesting, I have googled but can't find the right link, can you post it here, thanks.
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    http://www.farmingfriends.com
    http://farmingfriends.com/shop/
    Posted 2 years ago #

  3. frenchdiddy
    Member

    Hi Sara

    Wasn't sure that I was able to post the link as we have tried to do it on a couple of sites and were told in no uncertain terms could we do this. Many thanks and link is as follows:

    http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/forum/newcomers/bonjour-ca-va

    I used to buy shoes and handbags, now I buy chickens and geese!
    Posted 2 years ago #

  4. campbell ridge
    Administrator

    I had a look earlier and she really ought to have her own website - seeing as one of her few luxuries is the internet. Very interesting and comical writing.

    Sarah L
    Posted 2 years ago #

  5. admin
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    Hi Elaine, Yes it is funny and interesting, I was thinking the same thing Sarah, she should have her own website and be writing her own book.
    Kind regards
    sara @ farmingfriends

    http://www.farmingfriends.com
    http://farmingfriends.com/shop/
    Posted 2 years ago #

  6. frenchdiddy
    Member

    Totally agree with you both but unfortunately it isn't what she wants to do. Have tried to coax her into doing it but, at the moment it's no go as to set a website up costs money and her budget is extremely tight. Maybe she could try and barter with cakes :-)

    Elaine

    I used to buy shoes and handbags, now I buy chickens and geese!
    Posted 2 years ago #

  7. admin
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    Hi Elaine,
    She could set up a free blog on google blogger. https://www.blogger.com/start she would soon get a following!
    Kind regards
    sara @ farmingfriends

    http://www.farmingfriends.com
    http://farmingfriends.com/shop/
    Posted 2 years ago #

  8. Mama
    Member

    Read it , brill but takes some doing . I could not as I need my washer full stop . Had some lovely neighbours who used to live in Ambazac not that far from were we used to live before moving here .Regards Mama

    Goose Girl
    Posted 2 years ago #

  9. frenchdiddy
    Member

    No I couldn't do it either Mama. I need certain luxuries too. I led a high maintenance life back in the UK and I have calmed down since living here, as my signature says, I used to buy handbags and shoes but now I buy chickens and geese :-) but I couldn't cope without the usual electricity, washing machine, fridge, freezer etc and hot water. And, I need electricity to run my incubators ;-) as none of my choocks have ever been broody :-(

    Elaine

    I used to buy shoes and handbags, now I buy chickens and geese!
    Posted 2 years ago #

  10. Mama
    Member

    Hi , What type of chucks do you have , we used to have White Sussex and they were wonderful mums. They could cover a dozen eggs 100% hatch rate . We have Marans at the mo but not impressed as the eggs are still small even though it is the second year .Much less choice here compared to the Dordogne. Have you hatched many in the incy ? Do tell us about it all, we are all always interested in hatching . Have you had any rain as we have not for weeks and weeks ? .The grass is dead but will recover . Regards Mama

    Goose Girl
    Posted 2 years ago #

  11. frenchdiddy
    Member

    Hi

    No, no rain here either for quite a few weeks. Threw a shower last night, but not enough to fill the water buts.

    We have a variety of hens, Light Sussex, Australorps, Copper Marans and 1 Sasso. Did have two of these lovely girls but lost one earlier this year. Don't know what happened, okay one minute then found her dead later on in the day in her coop. Think she may have been egg bound and I didn't notice. We have one Light Sussex cockerel called Ritchie, or B***ard as I call him now and then as he is so vicious, wont let you anywhere near his girls and I have to go into the pen with a stick. The other cockerel, in with the Australorps and Copper Marans is an Indian Game and he is so beautiful, nice manners and quite tame (well, anything's tame as long as it doesn't attack me). We've reared about 44 in the incubator up to now and given away about 24 eggs for someone else to hatch. The majority of ours were/are destined for the freezer, although will probably keep a couple of the poulets from the Light Sussex and we have one pure Australorp that we hatched from a batch of eggs we got from England.

    We managed to hatch 4 Chinese Geese earlier this year but unfortunately one of our dogs managed to get in with them and killed them. The adults have since been sold to Madame Scarecrow, told you about her and her self-sufficiency on another site. We now have the three hybrid Embdens, one gosling with limp!

    Would like to start dabbling with Pintard, although have no experience of these and neither has our neighbour, so if anyone has any advice to give, I would appreciate it. Also want a couple of Silkies, purely as ornaments but I have been told that these make good brooders and I would like to hatch some 'au natural' as they say.

    Anyway, better get on, just taken a breather from cleaning out the chickens as a couple of the girls were busy in the nest boxes.

    A bientot.

    Elaine

    I used to buy shoes and handbags, now I buy chickens and geese!
    Posted 2 years ago #

  12. Mama
    Member

    Well you have a lovely flock by the sounds of things.Sara will be able to advise on Guinea Fowl but be warned they can be very noisy and it is continuous!!where did you buy all your fowl from you have a real mix.Regards Mama

    Goose Girl
    Posted 2 years ago #

  13. frenchdiddy
    Member

    We bought our Light Sussex and Copper Marans from a breeder who lives close to us at a place called St Junien. The Australorps I bought from two expositions and the Indian Game cockerel we did a swap for with our Dorking, he was gorgeous, didn't like my hubby but was a real sweetie for me. We got the Australorp eggs from a guy in England, who did warn us that he wasn't sure if they were fertile and unfortunately we only got two hatches from the batch, one being an Australorp hen and the other a Sumatra Game cock, who was absolutely stunning but no good for us as we want bigger birds for the freezer so we sold him, got a good price for him too. So I need to source an Australorp cockerel so I can have pure breeds, which I want to show as they are such beautiful birds.

    When you say Sara will be able to advise on Guinea Fowl, is that Sara from Admin? If it is I may email her.

    Regards

    Elaine

    I used to buy shoes and handbags, now I buy chickens and geese!
    Posted 2 years ago #

  14. Mama
    Member

    Hi Elaine, Thanks for all the info, shame we are so far away but may look at St Junien on our way back from the UK. Does he have birds for sale all year or only seasonal
    Where were the expo's we don't get them here .
    Sara is Admin but lots of other peole on the forum do have Guineas . Start a new thread asking for info and I am sure you will get lots of replies . Regards Mama

    Goose Girl
    Posted 2 years ago #

  15. frenchdiddy
    Member

    Mama

    Look on the Poultry Keeper Forum, The Franglais thread, he goes by the name of Limochick. He has a lot of chickens and I'm sure they're for sale all year..

    Expos we went to were in Magnac Laval, Montmorillon and St Junien. The first two were better than the one in St Junien. I could have spent a fortune there!!

    Will certainly put a new thread on regarding Pintard.

    Elaine

    I used to buy shoes and handbags, now I buy chickens and geese!
    Posted 2 years ago #

  16. Mama
    Member

    Great, Thanks Elaine , will look into all that . don't call them Pintade or folk might get a bit confused Lol.Fabulous eating birds . Mama

    Goose Girl
    Posted 2 years ago #

  17. frenchdiddy
    Member

    Do you find that you have to think about names of certain things now. There's a lot of things that I forget, the English name for pintade for instance (thanks for correct spelling). I'm actually sitting here thinking of several other things and I can't remember what they are called in English so I wont embarrass myself. Good luck with your search for other breeds. Which department are you in by the way?

    Elaine

    I used to buy shoes and handbags, now I buy chickens and geese!
    Posted 2 years ago #

  18. Mama
    Member

    Hi Elaine , Yes I do forget english words and how to spell them , it is most frustrating . We are in 47 but only just as we are 15 minutes away from the Dordogne border .Going to look at the forum . Thanks and good luck with you new project. Mama.

    Goose Girl
    Posted 2 years ago #

  19. admin
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    Hi Elaine, Just let me know what you want to know about guinea fowl (Pintade) I have been breeding and keeping guinea fowl for 5/6 years now. they are such quirky birds and the eggs are delicious (so is the meat but don't let the guineas hear me say that!!!)
    Here is the link to the guinea fowl section http://farmingfriends.com/forums/forum.php?id=6
    Kind regards
    sara @ farmingfriends

    http://www.farmingfriends.com
    http://farmingfriends.com/shop/
    Posted 2 years ago #

  20. admin
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    Hi Elaine,
    Strange thing but I think that I know the scarecrow. I think that I may have met her when she was living in England. The lady I know goes by the name of Scarecrow but is called Carole. If you get a chance to talk to her then pleaseask her if she knows Sara who has the website Farmingfriends with the quail etc, if she does know me then please say hello from me and good to hear she is ok.
    Thanks
    kind regards
    sara @ farmingfriends

    http://www.farmingfriends.com
    http://farmingfriends.com/shop/
    Posted 2 years ago #

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