Breda Fowl thread

[GaryDean26]

Wow! You have 17 Breda's -- I'm jealous!! I currently have only one lovely Cuckoo Breda but she's molting right now.

I am down to one Breda too. We hatched a dozen eggs before we moved from Texas to Oklahoma in 2015. Of that we ended up with 3-4 pullets and 6-7 cockerels. We culled all the cockerels and kept all the pullets as layers. We were down to two splash hens and a Blue hen last fall. The blue hens was by far the bes of the three. The two splash fell prey to predators in the fall so we are now day to one. At least we have the best one of the group. Some people with 17 will loose the best one. We at least still have the best one even though we don't has as many. I Man need a blue cockerel in a few years to hatch some more pullets for the laying flock.

 

[Sophocles]

Had to post my Dominique "Opal" 's first little 1.5-oz tan egg. Here's a pic of Opal's tan egg next to our Cuckoo Breda's 2.25-oz tinted XL egg with someone's tiny cuckoo feather above. We are very pleased with our now 2-yr-old Cuckoo Breda who was one of the last two Cuckoo Breda pullets from RFR of CA. I really hope Dutch Connection continues to keep some Cuckoo Breda stock to keep this hardy Breda variety from extinction. I've had stinky luck with BBS Breda but the Cuckoo Breda has now outlived all the BBS I've ever had. Breda are such excellent egg layers and sweet docile unique-looking pets as well! Our Cuckoo Breda is "Her Royal Highness Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, Princess of Cambridge" but we just call her "Char" LOL!

How long 'til your Breda started laying?

 

[boskelli1571]

How long 'til your Breda started laying?

Mine started around 6 months...they are slow to mature and difficult to sex until late 'puberty'.

 

[Sylvester017]

I am down to one Breda too. We hatched a dozen eggs before we moved from Texas to Oklahoma in 2015. Of that we ended up with 3-4 pullets and 6-7 cockerels. We culled all the cockerels and kept all the pullets as layers. We were down to two splash hens and a Blue hen last fall. The blue hens was by far the bes of the three. The two splash fell prey to predators in the fall so we are now day to one. At least we have the best one of the group. Some people with 17 will loose the best one. We at least still have the best one even though we don't has as many. I Man need a blue cockerel in a few years to hatch some more pullets for the laying flock.

So glad you're still on BYC! Because of your helpful input and a couple other early owners of the Breda, I've owned 5 Breda so far -- 4 females -- a male was mistakenly shipped as a pullet LOL! Lovely birds, all of them, but I lost 3 Blue females (2 as juveniles, and another Blue hen not even 1-1/2 yrs old). I've had lousy luck keeping the Blues alive -- I got them from 3 different breeders from 3 different states and they all died of some ailment or another. The mistaken Blue cockerel was re-homed with a friend a couple yrs ago.

My remaining Breda, a Cuckoo variety, so far is approx 2 yrs old since the breeder didn't know her exact age plus I had to wait several extra weeks before the weather permitted USPS shipping -- but she's outlived any Blues I've had. Our Cuckoo is not as people-friendly as our Blues were but she has a sweet docile non-combative temperament and she's hard to tell apart from our cuckoo Dominiques except for her feathered legs and tall statuesque posture/stance -- Breda tails are also gorgeous no matter what variety. Absolutely lovely birds and good layers.

The Cuckoo Breda is the one with vulture hocks and feathered feet

The Cuckoo Breda blends with our 3 new cuckoo Dominiques

GaryDean26 -- I've been referring people to you w/ Breda questions because you raised them when you were in TX and you were kind to help me. When you had Andalusians using the Andalusian BBS breeding book, did you ever cross-breed an Andalusian to the BBS Breda to increase diversity and hardiness into the BBS Breda? I always meant to ask you because Breda owners want to know if anyone has tried to cross-breed for better resistance/hardiness yet. I've had lousy luck getting healthy Blues yet and only my Cuckoo Breda has been the healthiest with no sniffling or respiratory issues like all my Blues had. I'm guessing all the BBS in the USA, no matter who's breeding/selling them right now, all originated from the first Greenfire imports from a decade ago?

 

[Sylvester017]

How long 'til your Breda started laying?

Mine started around 6 months...they are slow to mature and difficult to sex until late 'puberty'.

Since all my Breda were shipped to me as juveniles and the breeders did not know the exact hatch dates of the birds shipped to me, I have no idea of their ages when the pullets started laying. My best guess is around 6 or 7 months old. One thing I'm positive about is that the two pullets that lived long enough to reach POL, they both started during the winter months and would lay sometimes 7 or 8 days in a row. One pullet started laying without stop for 10+ months. Heatwaves seem to discourage Breda from laying but they love the cooler months to begin laying and don't seem to care that the daylight hours are shorter! Our Cuckoo is in her 2nd year of laying and immediately started laying 8 days in a row, stopped for a day, then layed 6 more days in a row. She's settled into 4-5 LG/XL eggs per week now. The Cuckoo also has a tendency to go broody in the Spring a couple times for 3 weeks, and then returns to laying again until our brutal SoCalif heatwaves hit in summer. I don't believe Breda are known to be a broody bird but our Cuckoo does go broody but I don't mind -- to give her body a rest to replace nutrients from laying so much.

 

[luckyplucky]

I don't get online much and haven't been on BYC (specifically the breda threads) in a while, but hopefully this is the right place to post. I am still very interested in adding Bredas to our flock at some point, the last time I was on here the place recommended to me was Rare Feathers Ranch. Is this still the case, and are there any updated suggestions on how to get my hands on blue Breda hatching eggs (chicks ok too but eggs preferred) locally (I'm in Sacramento, CA area) or places with affordable shipping? Thanks for your time!

 

[Sylvester017]

I don't get online much and haven't been on BYC (specifically the breda threads) in a while, but hopefully this is the right place to post. I am still very interested in adding Bredas to our flock at some point, the last time I was on here the place recommended to me was Rare Feathers Ranch. Is this still the case, and are there any updated suggestions on how to get my hands on blue Breda hatching eggs (chicks ok too but eggs preferred) locally (I'm in Sacramento, CA area) or places with affordable shipping? Thanks for your time!

There are more sources of Breda breeders now than in the past. Also, check Facebook for Breda references.

My personal Breda's came from 3 different sources and there's a 4th source I haven't ordered from only because they are on the opposite East coast from my location in the West.

RFR of CA (Rare Feathers Ranch of Calif) is where I got my Blue and Cuckoo Bredas but RFR has closed out their BBS (Blue/Black/Splash) and Cuckoo Breda and only have Black and White Mottled now. RFR vaccinates for Marek's and very pleasant to work with.

Waltz's Ark in Colorado has all the varieties of Breda but do not vaccinate for Marek's last time I ordered from them. My experience with them was less than stellar having received an incorrect order of a 4-month cockerel juvenile rather than pullet and the 2nd sickly juvenile had to be put down with Marek's disease.

chickendanz in KS currently has BBS (Blue/Black/Splash) Breda and is working hard to improve disease resistance in the BBS variety. Chicken Danz has recently put up a lovely website. Very professional to work with. https://voupex.wixsite.com/chickendanzfarm

Dutch Connection on the East Coast has had Black, Splash, and Cuckoo Breda varieties (do not offer Blue for some reason). My Cuckoo Breda at the time I purchased from RFR came originally from Dutch Conn stock. I've lost all my Blue Breda females from various breeder sources due to poor immune systems but my Cuckoo apparently is from a hardier cross-breeding and is the only Breda variety that never had a compromised respiratory issue like all my Blues had.


Breeders are working on improving disease resistance in the BBS Breda variety -- hatch and juvenile mortality can be as high as 50% or more but diligent breeders are researching to strengthen the Breda breed. They are such a lovely bird both physically and temperamentally and good to excellent layers. I have loved every Breda we've had and wish I had proper zoning to start a breeding project of my own!

Because of the delicacy of shipping Breda chicks or older juveniles due to stress, I would recommend ordering hatching eggs -- that way the hatching mortality issue won't be as expensive as losing USPS shipping costs of stressed live birds. Stress from shipping can bring on latent issues like coccidia, respiratory issues, even can bring on Marek's symptoms -- you'd be surprised at how many breeder flocks are unaware their birds carry latent viruses like Marek's, MS/MG, etc etc and shipping stress can actually bring down a bird's resistance. Some standard breeds don't have shipping issues while the rarer less resistant breeds can easily succumb. Of course, picking up chicks or adult birds in person is the absolute best first choice, and getting hatching eggs a good alternate way to go if cost is an issue. Breda chicks IMO are too rare and delicate to ship and most breeders won't ship Breda chicks anyway. Shipping older bigger juveniles or adult Breda gets expensive in USPS shipping costs as weight is a contributing factor in addition to the USPS shipping rate.

Personally I've always ordered shipped juvenile pullets because I have no space to conduct a hatching and brooding space for new chicks and have no outlet for unwanted cockerels. Wish I could hatch and keep surplus cockerels for the dinner table but my DH believes the Breda are too rare to kill off and won't eat his pets -- LOL!

 

[boskelli1571]

There are more sources of Breda breeders now than in the past. Also, check Facebook for Breda references.

My personal Breda's came from 3 different sources and there's a 4th source I haven't ordered from only because they are on the opposite East coast from my location in the West.

RFR of CA (Rare Feathers Ranch of Calif) is where I got my Blue and Cuckoo Bredas but RFR has closed out their BBS (Blue/Black/Splash) and Cuckoo Breda and only have Black and White Mottled now. RFR vaccinates for Marek's and very pleasant to work with.

Waltz's Ark in Colorado has all the varieties of Breda but do not vaccinate for Marek's last time I ordered from them. My experience with them was less than stellar having received an incorrect order of a 4-month cockerel juvenile rather than pullet and the 2nd sickly juvenile had to be put down with Marek's disease.

chickendanz in KS currently has BBS (Blue/Black/Splash) Breda and is working hard to improve disease resistance in the BBS variety. Chicken Danz has recently put up a lovely website. Very professional to work with. https://voupex.wixsite.com/chickendanzfarm

Dutch Connection on the East Coast has had Black, Splash, and Cuckoo Breda varieties (do not offer Blue for some reason). My Cuckoo Breda at the time I purchased from RFR came originally from Dutch Conn stock. I've lost all my Blue Breda females from various breeder sources due to poor immune systems but my Cuckoo apparently is from a hardier cross-breeding and is the only Breda variety that never had a compromised respiratory issue like all my Blues had.


Breeders are working on improving disease resistance in the BBS Breda variety -- hatch and juvenile mortality can be as high as 50% or more but diligent breeders are researching to strengthen the Breda breed. They are such a lovely bird both physically and temperamentally and good to excellent layers. I have loved every Breda we've had and wish I had proper zoning to start a breeding project of my own!

Because of the delicacy of shipping Breda chicks or older juveniles due to stress, I would recommend ordering hatching eggs -- that way the hatching mortality issue won't be as expensive as losing USPS shipping costs of stressed live birds. Stress from shipping can bring on latent issues like coccidia, respiratory issues, even can bring on Marek's symptoms -- you'd be surprised at how many breeder flocks are unaware their birds carry latent viruses like Marek's, MS/MG, etc etc and shipping stress can actually bring down a bird's resistance. Some standard breeds don't have shipping issues while the rarer less resistant breeds can easily succumb. Of course, picking up chicks or adult birds in person is the absolute best first choice, and getting hatching eggs a good alternate way to go if cost is an issue. Breda chicks IMO are too rare and delicate to ship and most breeders won't ship Breda chicks anyway. Shipping older bigger juveniles or adult Breda gets expensive in USPS shipping costs as weight is a contributing factor in addition to the USPS shipping rate.

Personally I've always ordered shipped juvenile pullets because I have no space to conduct a hatching and brooding space for new chicks and have no outlet for unwanted cockerels. Wish I could hatch and keep surplus cockerels for the dinner table but my DH believes the Breda are too rare to kill off and won't eat his pets -- LOL!

It's my understanding that Dutch Connection is only doing cuckoos' now. When I asked about BBS just before Christmas, I was told they do not have any more BBS stock
The mottleds I got from RFR are stunning. No real issues with them at all. 1 dropped dead around the 5 month mark, but I think it was d/t an injury received in shipping.

 

[GaryDean26]

I've owned 5 Breda so far...

Well I got you beat there we got two Blue Breda to hatch in 2012 they were shipped to us from Greenfire and the two that hatched were marked as being from unrelated pens. We just wanted a few laying hens so we hatch 6-7 chicks and sold the unrelated couple. We lost 1-2 from the group to the cold and ended up with 5 cockerels and a pullet. The pullet was not a good quality bird. We kept the best cockerel who was an awesome quality cockerel and breed them again. The time we hatched more like 40. They got mycoplasma and we ended up culling all of them. The next year we hatch as many as we could from the same pair we got from our first year before moving from Texas to Oklahoma. We didn't have the time or space to keep breeding them in Oklahoma, but that Blue Breda Hen is still one of out favorites on the property. She doesn't have a single blood relative anywhere in the country so I would think that she would give a boost to the breed

GaryDean26 -- I've been referring people to you w/ Breda questions because you raised them when you were in TX and you were kind to help me.

You know I am always glad to answer any breeds questions.

When you had Andalusians using the Andalusian BBS breeding book, did you ever cross-breed an Andalusian to the BBS Breda to increase diversity and hardiness into the BBS Breda? I always meant to ask you because Breda owners want to know if anyone has tried to cross-breed for better resistance/hardiness yet.

I never had Andalusia. I didn't find a lot of answers on how to breed the blue plumage in Breda so I went to the best source I could find to learn about breeding exhibition self blue plumage. That was off course the old editorials on the Andalusia coloring. I read that breeding guide about 5 times over. It was amazing how detailed those breeders got to the color. After about the 3rd time through the book I knew that I wanted to breed the Blue Breed to the same level.

My problem was chicken math. The year we grew out 40 Breda we had a total of 200 grow out birds across the 4 breeds and a few projects we were working one. That was way too many for me though. I could only keep up with about 100 birds. 40 birds was no enough to make the improvements I wanted in the Breda. I needed more like 100 birds every year to make improvements. So...we went from four breeds to one breed so we could have enough birds in a group out group to make improvements, but still be able to keep up with everything.

I've had lousy luck getting healthy Blues yet and only my Cuckoo Breda has been the healthiest with no sniffling or respiratory issues like all my Blues had. I'm guessing all the BBS in the USA, no matter who's breeding/selling them right now, all originated from the first Greenfire imports from a decade ago?

[/QUOTE] Yes...the year we grew out 40 Breda we got mycoplasma in the flock and cull all 40 of the Breda. Those cavernous nostrils just were made for getting through respiratory illnesses. The one Hen I have now is almost 3 years old. She is about as hardy as any Breda we have had. I think she is breeding quality but am hesitant to source any cockerels.

Ya I am sure that everyone with Blue Breda got them from the first import to GFF. Since mine was bred with no outside blood since 2012 my hens could be crossed to any living Breda in the country and be at least 3 generation removed. Most would be a lot more than that making her an ideal candidate to build a new Breda Flock with.

 

[luckyplucky]

There are more sources of Breda breeders now than in the past. Also, check Facebook for Breda references.

My personal Breda's came from 3 different sources and there's a 4th source I haven't ordered from only because they are on the opposite East coast from my location in the West.

RFR of CA (Rare Feathers Ranch of Calif) is where I got my Blue and Cuckoo Bredas but RFR has closed out their BBS (Blue/Black/Splash) and Cuckoo Breda and only have Black and White Mottled now. RFR vaccinates for Marek's and very pleasant to work with.

Waltz's Ark in Colorado has all the varieties of Breda but do not vaccinate for Marek's last time I ordered from them. My experience with them was less than stellar having received an incorrect order of a 4-month cockerel juvenile rather than pullet and the 2nd sickly juvenile had to be put down with Marek's disease.

chickendanz in KS currently has BBS (Blue/Black/Splash) Breda and is working hard to improve disease resistance in the BBS variety. Chicken Danz has recently put up a lovely website. Very professional to work with. https://voupex.wixsite.com/chickendanzfarm

Dutch Connection on the East Coast has had Black, Splash, and Cuckoo Breda varieties (do not offer Blue for some reason). My Cuckoo Breda at the time I purchased from RFR came originally from Dutch Conn stock. I've lost all my Blue Breda females from various breeder sources due to poor immune systems but my Cuckoo apparently is from a hardier cross-breeding and is the only Breda variety that never had a compromised respiratory issue like all my Blues had.


Breeders are working on improving disease resistance in the BBS Breda variety -- hatch and juvenile mortality can be as high as 50% or more but diligent breeders are researching to strengthen the Breda breed. They are such a lovely bird both physically and temperamentally and good to excellent layers. I have loved every Breda we've had and wish I had proper zoning to start a breeding project of my own!

Because of the delicacy of shipping Breda chicks or older juveniles due to stress, I would recommend ordering hatching eggs -- that way the hatching mortality issue won't be as expensive as losing USPS shipping costs of stressed live birds. Stress from shipping can bring on latent issues like coccidia, respiratory issues, even can bring on Marek's symptoms -- you'd be surprised at how many breeder flocks are unaware their birds carry latent viruses like Marek's, MS/MG, etc etc and shipping stress can actually bring down a bird's resistance. Some standard breeds don't have shipping issues while the rarer less resistant breeds can easily succumb. Of course, picking up chicks or adult birds in person is the absolute best first choice, and getting hatching eggs a good alternate way to go if cost is an issue. Breda chicks IMO are too rare and delicate to ship and most breeders won't ship Breda chicks anyway. Shipping older bigger juveniles or adult Breda gets expensive in USPS shipping costs as weight is a contributing factor in addition to the USPS shipping rate.

Personally I've always ordered shipped juvenile pullets because I have no space to conduct a hatching and brooding space for new chicks and have no outlet for unwanted cockerels. Wish I could hatch and keep surplus cockerels for the dinner table but my DH believes the Breda are too rare to kill off and won't eat his pets -- LOL!

THANK YOU for all the great info. I definitely prefer to visit and pick up in person, so as long as I am ok with mottled (which I am) sounds like RFR still tops my list of places to contact. Thanks again!