Well, you DO live next/in a farm, so what’s stopping you from getting a pair of chooks, so long as they are safe from predators. Does Olga have a coop?

Here’s something to wander into, mostly in French
http://perso.orange.fr/volaillepoultry/sitefranc.html

Olga EATS her chickens. To have lovelies like these I would have to have a hut in the garden which I cannot have. Olga’s chickens are way down the farm road and while safe, are not part of our lives. I am off to see French chickens.

This is what most people think of as our local breed:
http://paperpalate.net/2007/02/16/maryland-fried-chicken/

But this is an actual (more or less extinct) breed:
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGK/Lamona/BRKLamona.html

Oh wow, I thought all chickens looked the same! lol
How interesting.

I think you have a weakness for chickens with cossack fur hats or vintage ladies’ feather toques LOL

I would like to train those fluffy babies to roll around my apartment and get all the dust up.

If those cute chicken could be trained to do their business in the litter box I would get one…hey wait! I have a cat, a ferret and 4 dogs…hmmmm…not so sure the chicken wouldn’t become a nice snack to taste something different from the usual dry food :)

Two links for you on some of the ‘birds’ of the chicken type found in the Valtellina… hope the links work Judith!

http://www.caccia-cinghiale.com/_caccia/images/default/gallo%20cedrone.bmp
Gallo Cedrone (aka in English as the capercaille) a ‘feisty little s*d who will happily attack you!
He’s found in this neck of the Italian and Swiss Alps.

http://www.fotocommunity.it/pc/pc/display/5788791
Gallo Forcello – also hunted in the Italian and Swiss Alps

I love them. I want one.

Now this obsession I understand.
I do miss your Clark. Do you?

Those Padua chickens’ “outfits” would make great costumes for the Slow Travel “Slowchicks”!

Do I miss Clark? I have two portraits of Clark here. Italians don’t understand as I show them the family portraits that among them is a rooster.
Since Clark was a grown man when he was adopted, and it has been 6.5 years, I expect he is no more. RIP.
It looks to me that there are chicken fanciers in every country, so people who want one should Google it up and get a pair. Just make sure they’ve a safe place to be kept at night. They have many enemies– or perhaps just a different sort of fancier.

My students are taking a test, and eg’s first site just made me laugh out loud.

Chickens are easy to make into pets. We had some years ago that we raised to eat, and had them trained to come running when we “peeped” to call them. My MIL has a fancy tiny chicken she keeps in with her laying hens as a pet.

Wpw, Carole! Those are spectacular!

These chickens are the most amazing thing I have seen in a long time. I think two need to keep company with the 9 peacocks and flock of guinee fowl in my garden in Marrakech!

Love Marrakesh, but will someone not catch them and eat them? Of course all your other birds are extremely noisy!