Cumail chearcan air croit ann an Gallaibh

Anns an earrainn chlaisnich seo tha croitear à Gallaibh a' cuimhneachadh an 'deep litter' far an robh na cearcan air an cumail.<br /> <br /> 'A deep litter wis usually a big, a big hut or somethin, ye know, ye bought somewhere cheaply. And the hens never got outside; they were in that the whole day. They were fed - well, it wis all bought stuff, ye know, there were very little corn fed to them then, it wis all bought fae the merchants an ye produced your own eggs. But a the eggs werna the same, werna the same colour. They were more light, light in the yolk, light-coloured, ye know?'<br /> <br /> Bha croitean Ghallaibh gu math coltach ri croitean sna siorrachdan croitearachd eile an Alba: Earra Ghàidheal, Inbhir Nis, Ros agus Cromba, Cataibh, agus Sealtainn. Bhiodh an croitear a' cumail beagan bheathaichean - mar as trice, co-dhiù aon bhò , caoraich, cearcan agus muc. Bha an t-each na bheathach cudromach airson luchdan a ghiùlan gus mu dheireadh ghabh tractaran beaga an t-àite aige bho dheireadh nan 1940an suas. B' e am bàrr àbhaisteach coirce (ris an canadh iad arbhar ann an Gallaibh), buntàta, snèapan agus feur, agus na h-uimhir de ghlasraich. Suas gu anmoch anns na 1950an bhiodh croitearan aig an robh cothrom air barrachd fearainn gu ìre mhòir fèin-fhoghainteach, ach gu cumanta bhiodh obair aig buill dhen teaghlach air falbh bhon chroit. Bha ceàird aig iomadach croitear a leig leis obair fhaighinn air falbh bhon dachaigh. Bhiodh uisge airson na croit a' tighinn bho thobar, fuaran no allt faisg air làimh. B' e an connadh a bu ghoireasaiche airson còcaireachd agus teas a' mhòine 's bha sin air a buan 's air a tioramachadh air a' mhòintich as t-samhradh