Bresse Chickens

[azurbanclucker]

Blue hen (with some other girls) and Blue roo

 

[cactusrota]

Blue hen (with some other girls) and Blue roo
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How do you like your blues? Do they seem to have a reasonable amount of muscle on them, or would you say they're better as a layer breed?

 

[cactusrota]

So I added my two white Naked Neck hens to the Bresse pen last week, and will be collecting eggs after Easter to be set the following weekend. I plan on maintaining a pure Bresse flock but am trying toward a Bresse/NN cross as well. Will only be keeping the heaviest offspring for continued breeding.

 

[azurbanclucker]

How do you like your blues? Do they seem to have a reasonable amount of muscle on them, or would you say they're better as a layer breed?

They're kinda "eh" as layers. The eggs are tiny and only get 2-3 a week per girl. However, they'll be mighty tasty. Good muscle definition and not a lot of fat on them that I can tell.

 

[Ulladh]

Noticed a few people saying about the other colours being thrown by their Bresse. I believe this is simply down to outcrossing of some sort. I'm in Ireland so have been lucky to get some blood lines from France.

I've seen them crossed by other with silkies, brown hybrid laying hens and they ALWAYS come out white, whilst the legs come out white if put with brown layers and some others.

Lines are scarce even here so interesting to see some of the ways the breed is developing in the US

Edit: This is refering to just the white strain, cant speak for the other but I assume they should also be dominant.

 

[speedy2020]

How do you like your blues? Do they seem to have a reasonable amount of muscle on them, or would you say they're better as a layer breed?

The blue has much smaller body frame than white. If you want more meat, white is the way to go.

 

[azurbanclucker]

The blue has much smaller body frame than white. If you want more meat, white is the way to go.

Good to know. I've only ever seen the bbs varieties firsthand so I can't say for sure on white. Glad someone has some familiarity

 

[BlueBaby]

Do the White Breese hens ever go boody?

 

[BlueBaby]

Noticed a few people saying about the other colours being thrown by their Bresse. I believe this is simply down to outcrossing of some sort. I'm in Ireland so have been lucky to get some blood lines from France.

I've seen them crossed by other with silkies, brown hybrid laying hens and they ALWAYS come out white, whilst the legs come out white if put with brown layers and some others.

Lines are scarce even here so interesting to see some of the ways the breed is developing in the US

Edit: This is refering to just the white strain, cant speak for the other but I assume they should also be dominant.

I hatched out some White Breese eggs a week ago, and I did get a chick that was a bit different in color than the others. This one was the oddball.

 

[MrsChickens]

Several Bresse breeders have told me these hens are not broody - on fact, they often don't sit on their eggs either, hence all the incubator activity with this breed. My Bresse are not at point of lay. But I have observed the pullets chest bump with the cockerels which is more cockerel behavior than pullet.