One of the main events at the Chateaus was hunting in the forest surrounding them. Hunting dogs were a key to successful adventures. Chateau de Chevery still has over 60 hunting dogs they feed daily. It is quite an experience to see the feeding of the dogs. The setup, the feeding, and the pushing and shoving of the dogs to eat as much as possible is a memorable experience.
First, all dogs are directed to go on top of a flat-roof building that overlooks the area where they will be fed. The most eager dogs lined up on the stairs, pushing and shoving to get to the food trough first. It was questionable if the gate could hold them back. The rest stood atop the building, barking like they had not eaten for a week.
The dog master then brought a big wheel barrel of ground-up meat mixed with dog food. He dumped the food onto the cement and began to mix it with a shovel. After it was well mixed, he shoveled it into the big long troughs. When the food was all set, he walked over and opened the gate while he shouted a command at the dogs for them not to eat.
Watching the dogs wait was like watching water ready to spill over floodgates. There seemed like there was no way to stop them. After a few seconds, he commanded them to eat, and every dog headed to the trough. It was wall-to-wall dogs fighting to get their share of the food. All the food was gone in less than 5 minutes. They even licked the cement, reminding me of kids when they lick their dishes after a delicious meal. This was a travel adventure that I would not forget.
