Bresse Chickens

[juststruttin]

Here is a picture of the first Bresse egg laid by my flock. As I mentioned a couple of days ago it is much darker than I expected. I have gotten 2 more since this one and they are equally as dark. Has anyone else had eggs this dark? From my understanding, the eggs are usually beige

 

[bayocum]

Here is a picture of the first Bresse egg laid by my flock. As I mentioned a couple of days ago it is much darker than I expected. I have gotten 2 more since this one and they are equally as dark. Has anyone else had eggs this dark? From my understanding, the eggs are usually beige

The picture I posted a little bit back is the darkest we've had, and she's continued to lay a darker egg. All of our other hens have also laid light cream eggs. I believe GF has continued to import Bresse, perhaps some of the lines lay a darker egg ?

 

[ronott1]

The picture I posted a little bit back is the darkest we've had, and she's continued to lay a darker egg. All of our other hens have also laid light cream eggs. I believe GF has continued to import Bresse, perhaps some of the lines lay a darker egg ?

When I researched bresse, the egg color was described as being light brown that turned lighter during the egg laying cycle.

That makes them brown egg layers, not white egg layers. There is always a variation in color with brown egg layers. It is fairly complicated genetics. Marans breeders have been trying to figure out brown genetics for a long time.

 

[call ducks]

I don't know. Something about this seems.... Umm fishy.

First egg colour generally only increases when you select for it (because you have to select cockerels from the darkest of eggs... Not exactly easy). I suspect GFF took some liberties... Esp. when we are seeing such a variance in egg colour. This is just my view on it. I can tell you with my sussex I have not selected for egg colour and it is fading not getting darker.

 

[Arielle]

I don't know. Something about this seems.... Umm fishy.

First egg colour generally only increases when you select for it (because you have to select cockerels from the darkest of eggs... Not exactly easy). I suspect GFF took some liberties... Esp. when we are seeing such a variance in egg colour. This is just my view on it. I can tell you with my sussex I have not selected for egg colour and it is fading not getting darker.

We can only wait and see what if any changes in the egg colors are. While it is your view regarding GFF, IMO it is important to be careful about casting dispersions without definite proof. I'm glad to see how many people here are comparing notes, but I hesitate to point a finger. Perhaps it is enough that we are sharing information and can work from there.

I have wondered about the Canadian line called the bresse and thought that perhaps these might have the darker egg shells given the make up of that new poultry breed.

Does anyone have both lines to compare them??

 

[call ducks]

Quote:
Maybe I should have been more specific - GFF has been known to cross different colours of the same breed together (Think back to all those 'Silver Sussex splits' {not actually splits BTW}). So maybe they crossed blue to black (to produce more of both colours) and than crossed to white (with white being either c or i) we would not be able to tell. So it is possible that in the blues and blacks they lay a darker egg.


Also, do you me the blue footed chicken that was created in BC? Will those are all but extinct.... There are some in California at a farm but that's the last flock of any size I know about in NA.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
Maybe I should have been more specific - GFF has been known to cross different colours of the same breed together (Think back to all those 'Silver Sussex splits' {not actually splits BTW}). So maybe they crossed blue to black (to produce more of both colours) and than crossed to white (with white being either c or i) we would not be able to tell. So it is possible that in the blues and blacks they lay a darker egg.


Also, do you me the blue footed chicken that was created in BC? Will those are all but extinct.... There are some in California at a farm but that's the last flock of any size I know about in NA.
THought there was a mock bresse created -- which is rather clever and a lot of work-- to fill the needs of the Canadians and possibly the American interest also.

What was the egg color on these I wonder??

 

[call ducks]

Quote:
Maybe I should have been more specific - GFF has been known to cross different colours of the same breed together (Think back to all those 'Silver Sussex splits' {not actually splits BTW}). So maybe they crossed blue to black (to produce more of both colours) and than crossed to white (with white being either c or i) we would not be able to tell. So it is possible that in the blues and blacks they lay a darker egg.


Also, do you me the blue footed chicken that was created in BC? Will those are all but extinct.... There are some in California at a farm but that's the last flock of any size I know about in NA.
THought there was a mock bresse created -- which is rather clever and a lot of work-- to fill the needs of the Canadians and possibly the American interest also.

What was the egg color on these I wonder??
There was a white feathered Blue legged bird developed in BC. I wouldn't call it a mock Bresse, but I do believe the creator wanted something along the lines of a Breese. Not sure on the egg colour. I might be able to look into that though

 

[Arielle]

Would be interesting to know--might shed light on the sitation. And I do wonder what the egg colors are of the other bresse colors? I thought they were all white egg layers but then
i'm new to learning about breese.

 

[bayocum]

We've worked with GF for years, never a question about the quality of their stock. My point is that they do lay a cream egg (as Ron pointed out), not white, and that perhaps some of the strains they've imported may have darker eggs. Not a problem for us. We've seen egg color variation from other Bresse lines, we've actually seen it in all our breeds; variation is natural from hen to hen and over time. Just interesting to come across this shade which is particularly "dark" for our experience. We will see how/if it changes over time.