This is NOT fun at all

It would be best not to leave food and water in the house, unless perhaps it was snowing really heavily at the time. You may be attracting rats, and as you say, they do need to get out and about. Can you keep at last a small area clear of snow round the entrance to the run for them to feed and walk around a bit?
 
That's the problem - it has been snowing a lot of the time, and the drinker freezes in the house overnight. The house is 2 feet off the ground Marigold and I've not seen any sign of rats - and believe me, I check carefully. I was told by a hedge layer that if you keep your mouse habitat, which we have, then you don't have rats plus . we have between 4 and 6 cats around.

Anyway the sun was shining (and still is) so the food was put outside as normal and I even managed to scrape the droppings shelf clean. The area under the house is clear of snow and also a patch on the south side but that is very muddy. The little Legbars are fine as their run is clear of snow as is an area in front of the door - I had to clear it in order to open the door, and they have ventured out once or twice.

it's going to take a long time to shift this lot though which makes building a sheltered run for them a bit difficult - half the materials are buried by snow and there's no point in building it over a foot of snow!
 
Usually Margaid, if you have mice you haven't got rats because they eat mice. Guess if you breed mice they will feed the rats.

Picking up on Tygrysek's point. Law in France changed last year so the maximum size of a building plot is 2500 square metres. This is to stop people buying large areas of farmland and building a single house, which is a waste of land. The only way now is to buy a derelict with land and rebuild it. The laws on septic tanks changed as well so the buyer has just 12 months to bring the system up to current regulations. That generally means a new unit and very expensive removal of the old one. Property over here is generally rubbish anyway. The structural condition of them is appalling -nothing like the quality of a UK house. So unfortunately buying here inevitably means a money pit unless you do the work yourself. Loads of Brits leaving at at the moment, but can't sell their houses. They paid too much, spent too much and now can't sell at the prices they need to buy back in the UK.
 
The snow is now all hard and crunchy. The poor birds are paddling where it has melted and is sitting in the dips in the field. I think when it's all gone I might have to think about moving the hen house but that's a major undertaking and may not be physically possible without dismantling it. At least they're coming out now and scratching where they can. Next task is to get the cable for the fence extracted from the ice ans see if I can repair it.
 
That wasn't an option I'd thought of Chris, but it may just be the answer I'm looking for.
 
Try Green-Acres to wet your appetite. Limousin is similar to you (crap weather), but absolutely no crime (our backstop) and really beautiful. Then try Lot (no don't as that's our favourite) and Gers ( far better than Brittany). What is important is the variation in heights. The Central Massif occupies a big chunk of the South East and is 750 metres above sea level. So cold, like the highlands. No gulf stream here to stop it turning into Iceland -only elevation and latitude are the factors. Loads of problems and loads of benefits. The biggest problem is the language- if you are fluent in French all the doors open. If not and it's a struggle and you may need a guide.

I need to get suncream as I suspect sunburn today -will find out tomorrow!
 
Thanks Chris. The only other language I'm reasonably fluent in is Welsh - which might be OK in Brittany. Actually I've decided I'm staying put after spending a couple of hours driving past houses for sale - it's amazing what estate agents still think they can get away with, no-one seems to worry about the Property Misdecsriptions Act!!

I took some photos earlier today so I may try and post them later - provided I can download them from the camera!
 
Went to see a property in Tarn. An overnight stop as 4 hours away (over a day away and €60). 15Ha was just 15,000 square metres and the orchards and meadows didn't exist. The Gite that needed finishing was a building that needed demolition on safety grounds. There isn't a property mis-descriptions act over here otherwise 95% of the estate agents would be in prison. Interestingly the surname Mahon is a good old Brittany name. So some of my lot from Co. Cork turned up in Brittany as well (after the English 'gentry' threw them off their land and left them to starve).
 
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