Blue Bresse

[HighlandChick]

Hi, I'm new to the forums and new to Bresse--just got 12+ at auction earlier this afternoon from Greenfire. There will be blues, white or black & splash. I've heard that they're pretty friendly and not flighty so I hope that's the case. They sure are pretty, though! I just wondered how yours are doing now since I'll have some in a few weeks.

 

[cutipatooti]

Mine are doing great. Congrats on the auction. That's how I got mine. I got a few more on the 6th along with sulmtalers and malines. They are all popular meat breeds so I decided to compare their growth rates. I thought the malines would be the fastest to put on weight but it is the bresse by a long shot so far. I don't have any whites and the light one in my previous pictures is a splash. I have a lot of chicks now and these seem inquisitive. They don't scream to be held but they don't freak out if your near. I hope I get a really nice rooster to keep. I want to free range them but have no problem penning a roo if he attacks my kids. I hear they are great layers of large white eggs.

 

[Odelia]

Our blue one is the most social. The splash and black pullets don't like being held as much. If you catch them they will put up with it. They are all three very gentle non aggressive birds. We were so sad that we lost the cockerel.

 

[HighlandChick]

I have now had the group for about a month and the group is really good looking! I have one white one, four black ones, five blue ones and five splash. They are very curious and friendly and I really like the breed. The blues are really pretty, too and they are not aggressive at all to chicks that I've been adding to the growout cage.

 

[cutipatooti]

I really like mine too. I have now found that they are overly aggressive towards any other of my chickens. I can't wait to see how well they lay. I did notice a lot of mine have real dark legs not the blue the standard calls for. I also noticed I high ratio of boys. How is the leg color turning out on your guys?

 

[HighlandChick]

Uh-oh... I hope they don't turn aggressive : / I will eventually have all four of the different breeds I keep separated, but we just got them this Spring and finally finished the "official" chicken coop two weekends ago. They are definitely the lowest on the pecking order right now since all of my other chickens are several times their size. I may even let them free range, although they are not the cheapest hawk food one could find...

I see that the lighter the chicken's feathers, the more blue the legs are, like the traditional color you see with the White Bresse. The black and darker blue chicks (about a month old now) have darker blue legs. I'll bet there are people who are working on leg color. I really just fell in love with the blue Bresse and the dark ones in my group have really pretty lacing. I am also looking forward to finding out if they really can crank out 5-7 eggs/week--Wow! It seems like the ratio i mine is about 50/50 boys to girls, maybe fewer boys (I haven't really noted down all of the colors and sexes, yet, but you just never know what you're going to get with that, it seems. I'll take a photo of mine when I'm out there tomorrow and get it posted here, just for the fun of it.

 

[Odelia]

I just saw that Greenfire farms are discontinuing the black and blue Bresse. I am quite disappointed by this fact. I had hoped to get a few more of them this spring. How are yours doing? I love their personalities. They are quite friendly birds.

 

[HighlandChick]

Mine are doing great and I'm really glad I got them--especially with the news you read! That is a bummer because they are really pretty and I've never seen them for sale anywhere else. I wonder what new breeds they're making room for? Usually that's the case... I have 5 hens (1 black, 1 blue, 3 splash) and 8 roosters (2 black, 2 blue and 4 splash) so I have a lot to work with. They'll be 6 months old the middle of February so I'd imagine they'll be laying eggs then or soon after. If you are interested in either chicks or hatching eggs I would be happy to make them available. I've never shipped anything before, but I'd figure it out if you want chicks or eggs. Day old chicks are much more reliable than shipped eggs and I have a Brinsea Octagon 20 Advance EX so everything is automated and could hatch quite a few chicks at once.

Just let me know if you're interested and we'll hatch a plan... : )

Anna

 

[cutipatooti]

I heard they discontinued them also. I would love to know who ends up with their breeding stock. I had a whole bunch of them but lost most of them to a bear then some of them to a hawk. I have 5 blue Roos one black roo ( with red leakage) one blue pullet 2 splash pullets and 2 black pullets. I would like a couple more from the origional breeding pair or anyone else yhat has some. Does anyone else's blue Roos have gold in the wings? My splash pullets are beautiful

 

[HighlandChick]

One of my black roosters has some gold on the wings, but I think he's the only one with it. I have two blue roosters and haven't seen that on them, unless I haven't looked close enough... There's always so much activity when I let them out. I got my group on Rare Breed Auctions directly from Greenfire Farms this past August so they're now four months old (dang these guys have grown fast!).