American Bresse eggs!!!

[Coops Dad]

I just picked up two dozen American Bresse eggs from a guy who's been raising them. I'm two hours from home and can't wait to spool up the Nurture Right 360!

Dude's chickens are gorgeous. I'm so jealous!

 

[Coops Dad]

24 in an incubator designed for 22. I'll discard any duds after candling on day 7 and then things will look normal.

 

[Coops Dad]

Hatch day was Friday and ended up with 4. FOUR chicks out of 24 eggs. 17 were clear (infertile, zero development at 10 days- I broke each into a dish and found not even a hint of a bullseye) and two had very small embryos about the size of a cowpea. One, which initially was developing apace with the final four, quit at the two-week mark.

Nurture Right 360, calibrated thermometer and hygrometer in addition to the factory units- factory thermometer reads .2*F lower than actual, factory hygrometer reads 4% lower than actual, so both within a whisper of perfect aka cceptable deviation.

I called the guy and asked if he'd had reports of fertility issues, he said no and offered me another dozen. I'll pick them up when I'm close, I guess.

Turns out there's another chicken addict close to my place who raises Bresse and we got to talking. He had a hen who just hatched 16 chicks two days before mine hatched and he offered me "a couple" so I took him up on it. He showed me around his farm- pretty cool place- and then put 3 little nugs in a carrier.

So I have a total of seven from two different sources. I banded the gift ones so I can use a rooster from one batch and hens from the other, IF they have a favorable split.

 

[Coops Dad]

6 months old last week. Look at the size of these guys next to year old RIRs.

 

[Ted_Harrell]

Awesome, just bought 3 american bresse bitties home yseterday, excited to see them grow up. I am hoping for a male and two females but knowing my luck they will all end up male.

 

[Coops Dad]

Just an update of an old thread. The Bresse seem to have a fairly low hatch rate, about 30% success. The duds are either infertile or quit about the 7-10 day mark.

I've had GREAT success with crossing my heritage RIR hens to the Bresse roosters. The offspring are white with a red blush on the back and wings, and are 50/50 for yellow or steel legs. The cockerels are heavy bodies and tall while the hens are heavier than their RIR moms. I've been processing the cockerels at about 16 weeks and they give a pretty uniform carcass of 3 lbs, +/- 3 oz.

It's the best chicken I've ever eaten. The pour-off of the roasting pan is incredibly tasty and about 30% fat. I fry hash browns in the fat and I can't say enough good things about it.

My plans are to cross the steel-legged offspring hens back to the opposite rooster (uncle) for a more conforming appearance, and eat everything with yellow legs.

 

[CrazyChicken360]

Good luck with the eggs!!

 

[FunClucks]

Let us know how it goes! I've been looking for a good source.

 

[Coops Dad]

My American Bresse and Rhode Island Reds, both hatched on 10/10/22. Today is 12/29. Look at the size difference!

 

[FunClucks]

Just an update of an old thread. The Bresse seem to have a fairly low hatch rate, about 30% success. The duds are either infertile or quit about the 7-10 day mark.

I've had GREAT success with crossing my heritage RIR hens to the Bresse roosters. The offspring are white with a red blush on the back and wings, and are 50/50 for yellow or steel legs. The cockerels are heavy bodies and tall while the hens are heavier than their RIR moms. I've been processing the cockerels at about 16 weeks and they give a pretty uniform carcass of 3 lbs, +/- 3 oz.

It's the best chicken I've ever eaten. The pour-off of the roasting pan is incredibly tasty and about 30% fat. I fry hash browns in the fat and I can't say enough good things about it.

My plans are to cross the steel-legged offspring hens back to the opposite rooster (uncle) for a more conforming appearance, and eat everything with yellow legs.
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Thank you so much for the update!!! Sounds tasty!!!