Bresse Chickens

[Arielle]

I will be picking up my first trio of white La Bresse in a couple of weeks. They sound like the perfect dual purpose breed and a very quick maturing bird.

Hope you will keep us updated on their progress!!

 

[Ray C]

Will do, and thanks for the welcome.

 

[chiqita]

It's good to know about their cold tolerance. The discoloration of the tips of those large combs these past few mornings is what had me wondering. It seems that they are going to be a most hearty lot.

How well do they lay in the winter?

Well, this is my first year with breese, and they are pullets, so this does not mean as much, but no lights and still getting 3 eggs a day from 4 hens. So far none of mine have gone broody, either, though I do know people who have broody breese. So so far, so good!

 

[BCMaraniac]

Well, this is my first year with breese, and they are pullets, so this does not mean as much, but no lights and still getting 3 eggs a day from 4 hens. So far none of mine have gone broody, either, though I do know people who have broody breese. So so far, so good!

I have heard from some Bresse owners that they are infrequent brooders. Mine are pullets as well, so I don't know about broodiness.

 

[bayocum]

We haven't experienced any broodiness with our Bresse...unless you call fat cockerels laying around "broody."

 

[juststruttin]

We haven't experienced any broodiness with our Bresse...unless you call fat cockerels laying around "broody."

 

[alisar]

My bresse mix is the only girl out of 10 laying

 

[ronott1]

My bresse mix is the only girl out of 10 laying

Are the others Bresse too?

Mine are good layers.

 

[alisar]

No, olandsk and araucana. The Bresse mix girl just keeps pumping them out, even when we had that heatwave. I just wish they weren't so big or I'd have kept the purebred ones. I feel that they are a really nice dual purpose that leans to the meat side. And sweet personalities

 

[ronott1]

No, olandsk and araucana. The Bresse mix girl just keeps pumping them out, even when we had that heatwave. I just wish they weren't so big or I'd ehave kept the purebred ones. I feel that they are a really nice dual purpose that leans to the meat side. And sweet personalities

That describes them perfectly! They lay lots of nice eggs and are great for meat too. It is a little promoted characteristic with Bresse--most things you read about them is when to process the Cockerels and the pullets.

They do well in the heat which I did not know about until this summer(one heat wave reached 110 for us). They are very healthy and hardy too.