Bresse Chickens

[cutipatooti]

My 8 white bresse chicks arrived at 10:50 pm and I picked them up at 11:27 pm at the post office from dc's sister. She did an awesome job with packing the chicks

they all look great except one that is lethargic and hasn't drank any water with electrolytes and probiotics (save a chick). I started fermenting their organic non medicated non gmo soy free 23% protein chick starter a few days ago and all but the one has a full crop.

I'm hoping in March or April to have a couple of incubators and hatch some of the eggs of these bresse.

Congrats on your chicks. Hope the sick one gets better soon. I was wondering if they'll have yellow legs as chicks or are some blue? Also where did you find 23% organic chick starter

 

[Double Kindness]

I get organic soy free non medicated 23% chick starter at wardel's from ranchaway feeds, my laying flock gets their 18% protein soy free organic feed and I ferment it.

From my understanding bresse start out with willow feet/legs similar to yellow and then they turn blue over time. I could be wrong though.

 

[cutipatooti]

I heard that they change colors as they get older. I was just wondering .

 

[BCMaraniac]

I get organic soy free non medicated 23% chick starter at wardel's from ranchaway feeds, my laying flock gets their 18% protein soy free organic feed and I ferment it.

From my understanding bresse start out with willow feet/legs similar to yellow and then they turn blue over time. I could be wrong though.

I have had chicks hatched with a little more bluish tint to their legs, and some more yellowish. They all turned blue as they got older.

 

[DCchicken]

Congrats on your chicks. Hope the sick one gets better soon. I was wondering if they'll have yellow legs as chicks or are some blue? Also where did you find 23% organic chick starter

They should start to turn blue in a week or so. There are actually two leg colors, a light blue leg and a dark blue leg. And every once in a while you get one that the legs stay light colored and don't turn blue. But since the blue legs are an essential part of the Bresse, any that don't have blue feet should be grown out and processed. You don't want to risk losing the blue legs.

 

[cutipatooti]

I had received a box of 11 chicks that I thought were bresse. Only one chick had light legs. I thought that I recieved one white bresse as all the other chicks had blue or black legs. the light leg chick turned out to be a sussex. I asked the breeder what they sent and they said 6 mixed black or splash, 6 blue and 3 white. There were only 11 chicks in the box. I only remember the one having light legs and was trying to figure out if I have any whites or just some really white splash. One is all white one has a spot on the back, I'm guessing splash, but I would know splash for sure if they always hatched with yellow feet.

 

[BCMaraniac]

They should start to turn blue in a week or so. There are actually two leg colors, a light blue leg and a dark blue leg. And every once in a while you get one that the legs stay light colored and don't turn blue. But since the blue legs are an essential part of the Bresse, any that don't have blue feet should be grown out and processed. You don't want to risk losing the blue legs.

I have had both the light and the dark blue legs. I have had a few who have ended up with blue legs and feet, but with some residual light color on the toes. I always process those.

 

[chiqita]

I want some, but have not seen many around here.

Your best bet is eggs IMO. They are hardy for shipped eggs and cheap for a rare breed becuse they get to lay fast.

That is great to hear as 12 white bresse chicks ship monday to me and I'm excited about getting caponizing equipment too! I'm practicing on my .80 dp chickens that are my current meaties.

I picked up 50 lbs of oats and 40 gallons of raw goats milk to finish the chickens the same way to compare to find what I prefer to eat/if it's worth the extra cost/time/work.

I'm also breeding my biggest ayam cemani rooster onto the bresse for some auto sexing fm pullet meat chickens. It looks like I will have to separate the roosters out when I want to breed the fm bresse meat project chickens.

If what they say about breese using enzymes differently to get different fat is true, crosses wont taste that great. I have eaten a few crosses and they did not have a ton of breese texture ( to me thats the best thing about the breese) . Mind you I have eaten more crosses then breese, lol.

Should I ask for the butcher to leave legshanks on birds like French do? At week 16. If I wait will until week 20 will they be tough?

If they can clean them! I have been using legs to make demi glace, freezing it in cubes and adding it to foods, its yummy! But its a pain to clean the feet, so I vote someone else like the butcher does it!

 

[Double Kindness]

I'm really looking forward to home made chicken stock made with feet in 4-8 weeks when my dp meaties go to freezer camp.

The one is still not drinking/eating & just sleeping. I gave it poultry cell by dropper, just a couple drops. Tonight we build another brooder box lol and start the coop.

We're getting muscovy ducks this weekend and a few extra drakes to grace my thanksgiving table. It's not so much work once everything is set up, but I'm still figuring things out.

 

[pouhamu]

Is anyone selling black Bresse eggs? I'm shopping for the future. Anyone have black and white want to comment on similarities and differences?