Bresse Chickens

[Arielle]

I have several Bresse from GFF (also 65 from another breeder) and I'm not sure how to cull the group. I plan in keeping a roo or two and 10-20 hens. I was planning on selecting the largest rooster and hens. Making sure they don't have any obvious defects. What else?

Breed for TYPE first, which includes not just the body shape for the Bresse, but also the growth rate and thickness of the muscling. Soundness and health are very important too. Selection for color is far down the list unless you have a DQ that is of concern. Depending on the DQ I wont cull because of that as my goals are meat production NOT show.

 

[cutipatooti]

Black legs? Mine all have blue

Can you post some pics of your BBS bresse legs. Are their legs that color as chicks or do they turn later? If they turn later at what age?

 

[racinchickins]

Some Questions:

What color earlobes does everybody's White Bresse have?

I have Bresse from 3 sources. Two have red earlobes and one has white. I looked on the GFF site, and their pictures show a red with partial white coloring.

I know we don't have a standard for them, but since I have both, I'd like to figure out which way I should lean towards when I consider next years breeding. All of my birds have good size, and I'm definitely working on keeping the best blue legs, but I can see earlobes being a tiebreaker when I can't choose based on other criteria.


Secondly, these are my first white birds to work with. I'm not having any trouble with the girls coloring, but I'm noticing the hackle and saddle feathers on my boys are getting yellowish. I did some reading, and read a theory that a diet with too much corn in it can cause this. Is this true? Is anyone else seeing it?

 

[-buddy-]

I bought a bresse rooster and 4 hens. hens we thought. there was age difference in the flock we picked from so it was harder to tell. now we are doubting. will hens puff out their necks and stare down like roos? or is that exclusively roo behavior?

 

[cutipatooti]

I bought a bresse rooster and 4 hens. hens we thought. there was age difference in the flock we picked from so it was harder to tell. now we are doubting. will hens puff out their necks and stare down like roos? or is that exclusively roo behavior?

I'm wondering the same question as I have several breeds that have done the mock cock fight thing and some I know are girls. They started at 4 weeks of age. I'm seeing my girls do the male behavior.

 

[Bonster]

On French sites, Bresse have white lobes.

 

[enola]

Also this is the black chick in the group I think is bresse. There appears to be brownish on its head near the comb. It's the smallest chick of the bunch.

This chicken has a black comb. I don't think even young bresse have a black comb........

 

[cutipatooti]

An

This chicken has a black comb. I don't think even young bresse have a black comb........

Any thoughts on what it is then? It's from GFF do isbars have black combs as chicks?

 

[enola]

I don't know. I have been waiting for DC to comment on this thread.

 

[cutipatooti]

Speaking of earlobes anyone know what color isbars should have? I looked up several and some have red and some have white.