Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[RoyalChick]

Well they only like them cooked and the freezer trick won't work for long as it will be crammed with garden produces at the end of summer!
It just says green peas for pigeons. They look like this cooked.
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I think she is out of it today after three days of blocking the nest, and taking her out every hour, and forcing her to roost in the coop !
We actually toyed with the idea of giving her three of Chipie's eggs. We don't know how old Chipie is and now she is mating with Théo and laying again after something like 10 months, it may be the last time we have a chance to keep her genetic. As crazy as she is and the worse trouble maker, we have grown very attached to her. But it's just too hot to let Merle sit. The only place that stays bearable during the day is the coop, and with the mites I didn't want to put Merle's health to risk.

To be honest, it's a love it or hate it pastry. My partner and I both love it !
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We had an unexpected thunderstorm at 4 in the morning. I got up to bring inside all the stuff that wouldn't like rain, close the coop and all the house's windows, and of course it rained only for the time I was outside. We need the rain again now !

I revamped the ramp to the roost that's causing such problems to Nougat to climb, adding twice the number of steps and steepening a little so that the arrival on the roost requires only the smallest step. I hope this helps her to climb on it on her own, as it has become quite the drama every evening.

Chipie got into a real fight with Lilly. I didn't see the beginning but probably Lilly got tired of being bullied by a chicken the size of a small pigeon. It became pretty rough and Gaston intervened to separate them, pecking Chipie and herding her off with the shuffling thing. He has grown a lot of confidence because he used to walk away whenever there was a brawl.

Piou-piou is still not well. I can't make up my mind if we should take her to the vet with the heat or not. Maybe we can borrow a car that has AC.

Piou-piou had an explanation with Merle yesterday evening.

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Piou-piou 's skin is irritated as she keeps pecking at it. And she's still limping, especially in the morning and evening, and more lethargic than normal.
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Maybe Aloe for her skin?

 

[ManueB]

Maybe Aloe for her skin?

Thanks, I was also thinking I could give it a try. Honey was a disaster as she dustbathes ten times a day, but maybe the aloe will soak in and dry quickly.
I will try in a small spot first !

 

[Molpet]

First I want to share a typical local recipe using chards. It was Shadrach's post made me think of it but I didn't dare post a recipe in his thread , I will link back to it. It's a traditional dessert that only exists in Nice and it's region, it's not eaten anywhere else in France : sweet chard pie, " tourte de blettes

Looks good

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Random rambling post ! My mind is all over the place, probably because I didn't get enough sleep. I'll do a chicken post after.
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First I want to share a typical local recipe using chards. It was Shadrach's post made me think of it but I didn't dare post a recipe in his thread , I will link back to it. It's a traditional dessert that only exists in Nice and it's region, it's not eaten anywhere else in France : sweet chard pie, " tourte de blettes".

For the crust, it's possible to use any classical crust you like. We make one with olive oil. The traditional recipe, however, is the following for a medium pie. (I multiply by 1.5 for my 32 cm pan.)

-250 grams / two cups flour
- 2g raising powder
-125 grams butter / half a cup butter in small dices.
-50 grams sugar / four tsp
-One egg
-A small glass of water.

Sift together flour, sugar and raising powder. Using finger tips, work in the butter rather delicately. Whisk in the egg, then add water until the right consistency is reached (no more than a glass). Wait for at least two hours at room temperature.

For the filling :
-One big, or two small, bunch of chards, using only the leaves.
-One big (or two small) apples grated or very finely diced.
-100g sugar / one cup
-50 g raisins soaked in rhum.
-100 grams pine nuts
-1 tsp orange blossom water
Optional but traditional (I don't put any) : 30 grams grated Parmigiano cheese.

Boil the chards until tender. Put in a colander and press hard until most water is removed (eventually leaving a heavy weight for half an hour over the wet leaves.) Mince finely. Wait until lukewarm or cold and mix with all the other ingredients, leaving a few pine nuts for decorating.
Divide the crust in two balls, one slightly bigger. Spread the bigger one for the lower crust, put in the filling, spread the other ball in a disk to put on top, dampening slightly the border to make sure it sticks to the bottom crust and no filling comes out.
Bake at 200 to 220 / 400 or more (6/7) for half an hour, adjusting time and temp to your oven's usual behaviour .
Some people put pine nuts and powdered sugar on top for decoration before serving. There are endless debates on whether this is orthodoxy or sin!

Old photo from 2021 : ex-batts for egg, chards, et voilà la tourte de blettes !
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What an interesting pie! I can't say I've ever heard of a chard pie, I might have to give it a try although I'm not sure my family would appreciate a sweet green pie. They will eat a savory green pie I'm sure!

 

[MaryJanet]

I was thinking of you yesterday, Manue, because I ran up a mountain! Not really a mountain, but a long ramp up to a train station. In my case, it might as well have been a mountain, that's how rarely I run anywhere!


See how long the ramp is, it's a zigzag with 4 levels and 3 turns. It starts just in front of the grey-white car, then goes up to the left, turns, up to the right, turns, up to the left, turns, up to the right.

I did really well, no injury! I was very thoroughly warmed up by the brisk walk to the train station from the place where I had taken the car for a service.

I arrived just as the train doors closed, I smashed the button to open the door again but the train driver did not let it reopen. He drove off. What a jerk. I had a 20 minute wait for the next train and spent maybe 10 of those minutes recuperating from the 1-minute run and congratulating myself on not hurting myself.

 

[BDutch]

I loved reading al the stories of your flock ManueB and of courses all the ramblings and reactions too. Congrats with the 3 unexpected pullets.

We got back from our vacation this evening. And found 5 broodies in the nestbox. 5 of 6 hens decided to hatch 2 unfertilised eggs , hoping for even more chicks in a crowded run with 9 chicks (11 week old) and 6 hens!

 

[Shadrach]

Sorry it took so long to reply - I was halfway through when my phone's battery ran out and then I fell asleep.



If so, it's something we have in common



He was like everyone: unusually inspiring in some ways, and unusually dense in others. But he was a genuine trier and a defender of others.

In my case, I think my childhood made me resilient, but it doesn't always work out that way. My brother is more vulnerable than I am although he's gradually becoming stronger.



It's very satisfying. I enjoy both teaching and research. Although I'm often terse on byc, I love writing and could do it all day long without budging! I sometimes speak out when it would more political to remain quiet, but that's who I'd rather be, so it's ok.



So true. Reading about something isn't as revealing or transformative as living it, even in very perceptive and well-intentioned readers.



In the academic world I'm a part of, there's a lot of competition for very little funding. That leads to all sorts of toxic behaviour, from narrow mindedness to outright nastiness.

Your thoughts on social status and personal worth have reminded me of a podcast I was listening to yesterday which suggested wealthier people are more invested in spending money on beauty because of what being fastidiously groomed says about them, eg, expensive teeth, expensive eyebrows, nails, etc. On the other hand, they said people without the money to spend are necessarily scruffier and therefore poor people are easy to identify. I was surprised because the speakers are usually very adept social analysts, but in this case I thought they were making very weak generalisations and that preferences for grooming are not robustly tied to money. I've always thought a strong commitment to investing in beauty says something about someone's insecurity and often the people wearing the oldest, comfiest clothes and that same old hairstyle (that suits them) are often very comfy in life and disengaged from thinking about their beauty, but maybe I've got it back to front. What do you think?

I must be really cool then. I look like a tramp.
I don't think this is right. I live with poor people and I'm stunned at the money they spend on things that make them look fasionable and I believe in their eyes, more beautifull. It's the middle and upper classes that tend to buy the less fasionable, but comfortable cloths ime.
I think your podcaster reads too much crap and needs to go and see how poorer people live.

 

[BDutch]

…

Your thoughts on social status and personal worth have reminded me of a podcast I was listening to yesterday which suggested wealthier people are more invested in spending money on beauty because of what being fastidiously groomed says about them, eg, expensive teeth, expensive eyebrows, nails, etc. On the other hand, they said people without the money to spend are necessarily scruffier and therefore poor people are easy to identify. I was surprised because the speakers are usually very adept social analysts, but in this case I thought they were making very weak generalisations and that preferences for grooming are not robustly tied to money. I've always thought a strong commitment to investing in beauty says something about someone's insecurity and often the people wearing the oldest, comfiest clothes and that same old hairstyle (that suits them) are often very comfy in life and disengaged from thinking about their beauty, but maybe I've got it back to front. What do you think?

I must be really cool then. I look like a tramp.
I don't think this is right. I live with poor people and I'm stunned at the money they spend on things that make them look fasionable and I believe in their eyes, more beautifull. It's the middle and upper classes that tend to buy the less fasionable, but comfortable cloths ime.
I think your podcaster reads too much crap and needs to go and see how poorer people live.

I think Shad has a point when it comes to spending on looks by some groups of poor vs large groups of middle and upper classes in the UK/ many Western European countries. But I also can imagine its not the same in the US.

IMO: Were I live the social context, showing to which group one belongs, is very important and in Germany even more. In general young people tend to spend more time, and money (% of income) on fashion and looks as older people. But the people we call ‘green’ or ‘environmentally engaged’ tend to spend less money on fashion and looks. Some even want to show they don’t do fashion as a statement.

 

[Perris]

And found 5 broodies in the nestbox.

! It's not just my lot then! What's the weather like there? It's spring-like here. Actually, the way mushrooms are springing up and some leaves turning, maybe it's autumn come early. Here summer was June apparently

 

[RoyalChick]

I think Shad has a point when it comes to spending on looks by some groups of poor vs large groups of middle and upper classes in the UK/ many Western European countries. But I also can imagine its not the same in the US.

IMO: Were I live the social context, showing to which group one belongs, is very important and in Germany even more. In general young people tend to spend more time, and money (% of income) on fashion and looks as older people. But the people we call ‘green’ or ‘environmentally engaged’ tend to spend less money on fashion and looks. Some even want to show they don’t do fashion as a statement.

I think in the UK the ‘upper classes’ used to make a point of not dressing up. ‘The shabby worn out jacket was my grandfather’s - it came with the estate’ sort of thing.
The lower orders had a Sunday best and a party frock.

In the US it is superficially more egalitarian with everyone wearing various shades of slob. But there are subtle clues which over time I have started to learn.

The generic version of slob suits me just fine!

And here are some pretty chickens just because they are pretty chickens!