Bresse Chickens

[Caitlin_VT]

I have to say, my two Bresse chicks are the friendliest of the bunch! (Which includes English Orps and Silkies!)

 

[chrissyr]

First Bresse pullet egg!! Small but in this pic looks bigger.
Now for her Marans pullet sibling to start. Been waiting for this bunch to start. Woo hoo!

 

[thatlaidyb]

Someone traded me 16 Bresse chicks for some older laying hens and a rooster. I am not familiar with this breed at all. So, I have a question that may sound dumb... When I picked them up they had gray/blue eyes and now their eyes are turning yellow. Is this normal?

 

[DCchicken]

I just hatched out 23 Bresse chicks yesterday. Every single one of them has the black/gray eyes. The parents all have yellow/gold eyes. So this is normal for my flock. What you want to look for is that their legs need to turn blue as well.

 

[BCMaraniac]

Someone traded me 16 Bresse chicks for some older laying hens and a rooster. I am not familiar with this breed at all. So, I have a question that may sound dumb... When I picked them up they had gray/blue eyes and now their eyes are turning yellow. Is this normal?

I think you got a great deal! Congrats

I just hatched out 23 Bresse chicks yesterday. Every single one of them has the black/gray eyes. The parents all have yellow/gold eyes. So this is normal for my flock. What you want to look for is that their legs need to turn blue as well.

I am on day 12 with my eggs. I incubated BCM eggs and Bresse eggs together, since I knew I could tell the chicks apart!

 

[BCMaraniac]

First Bresse pullet egg!! Small but in this pic looks bigger.
Now for her Marans pullet sibling to start. Been waiting for this bunch to start. Woo hoo!

Congratulations!!! Get ready for a lot more eggs! My Bresse starting laying much earlier than my Marans.....probably by a month or so.

 

[DCchicken]

I think you got a great deal! Congrats

I am on day 12 with my eggs. I incubated BCM eggs and Bresse eggs together, since I knew I could tell the chicks apart!

Fingers crossed for you. I had a horrible hatch. I set 40 eggs. Only 28 made it to lockdown. Of those 28, only 23 hatched. And these were my own eggs. I think it was the weather when I collected the eggs. We were having temps averaging 15 or below.

 

[thatlaidyb]

I just hatched out 23 Bresse chicks yesterday. Every single one of them has the black/gray eyes. The parents all have yellow/gold eyes. So this is normal for my flock. What you want to look for is that their legs need to turn blue as well.

Thank you for answering! They all have blue legs. I was worried that they getting sick or something.

I think you got a great deal! Congrats

I am on day 12 with my eggs. I incubated BCM eggs and Bresse eggs together, since I knew I could tell the chicks apart!

Thank you! It was a wonderful deal. I was originally supposed to get 5 laying hens from him but he called and asked if I wanted these instead because they are as gentler breed.

 

[BCMaraniac]

Fingers crossed for you. I had a horrible hatch. I set 40 eggs. Only 28 made it to lockdown. Of those 28, only 23 hatched. And these were my own eggs. I think it was the weather when I collected the eggs. We were having temps averaging 15 or below.

Thanks. I set 42 eggs, half Bresse and half Marans. I candled on day 10, and had 35 viable. I was pleased with that given the cold temps and my failure to collect eggs promptly. The ones I discarded were clear rather than quitters, so not bad I guess. Last year all of my birds were mixed birds from my layer flock and my Lavender Orpington flock protector, since one hatch was from my first broody hen, and the other was my very first incubator hatch. This will be my first hatch of purebred birds! I hope a good percentage of the 35 make it to lockdown. I am very inexperienced at hatching and have a very cheap incubator that I bought used, though it did come with an auto turner. Hopefully I can get the hang of it. I am going to start collecting another set of eggs to set as soon as this bunch hatch.

I am hoping some of my Marans go broody again this year, and I will let them raise Bresse babies! I had one hen who raised one set of chicks, and as soon as she left them, she immediately hid a second clutch then disappeared, and was waiting with another brood of chicks at the barn door when I went to the barn one morning!

The mixed bunch of chicks were good experience for me both in terms of hatching and raising and caponizing. I have a 10 1/2 pound capon ready to butcher for Easter dinner!

 

[BCMaraniac]

Thank you for answering! They all have blue legs. I was worried that they getting sick or something.
Thank you! It was a wonderful deal. I was originally supposed to get 5 laying hens from him but he called and asked if I wanted these instead because they are as gentler breed.

They are a great meat bird. I bought my first Bresse last year as chicks, and have eggs in the incubator now.. Of the ones I bought, I ended up with 4 extra roosters that I caponized. Three were slips, so I butchered them early. One of them weighed 4 1/2 pounds dressed and was delicious roasted. If you are wanting meat birds, I think you will be pleased.

The hens are very friendly and very good layers as well!