Bresse Chickens

[S.A.W.]

Anybody ever heard of French Bresse Blue Footed CHickens? Supposed to be a really good meat bird. There was an article about chicken (to eat) in the paper and it mentioned that breed. It said that the tasteless grocery store variety was why chicken has such a poor reputation and if you had a good chicken to eat it makes all the difference.

I, too, am interested in the Bresse. I am starting on a plan to produce my own broilers and meat birds. I have done it already at times, but not as well as I would like. I hope to get some Bresse eventually. They have to be called American Bresse unless they actually come from France. Bresse Farms in Mississippi seems to be a good source that I would recommend. I haven't ordered any yet, but I like the information and products they have. They sound very knowledgeable and helpful.

 

[S.A.W.]

I have had both Capon and chickens, which I assume were hens. To the best of my knowledge any roos not being used for breeding stock are caponized. As for the age of the birds I had, I couldn't tell you; they were served in restaurants, but I do know that the French AOC system requires a longer grow out period and the information should be available. As far as I know Greenfire are the only ones with the genetics, birds for sale from others here in the states are coming from their lines. There is a separate strain of bird which was bred in Canada then sold to California and from what I understand is now back in Canada. The breed was created over the course of many years to mimic the French birds, I have tasted these as well when they were still commercially available and they were very good, but not as good as what I remember having there. Of course I don't know if the Californian birds had gone through the same raising/finishing process.

Bresse Farms in Mississippi have the American Bresse descended from ones direct from France.

 

[S.A.W.]

So is Greenfire Farms the only people to import these birds into America? I would love to get some of these birds, however, there is not a spare $200 for me to spend right now. I drool everytime I look at their website. Such wonderful birds! You can tell they are worth what they ask, but it is just out of my range to spend right now.

Right now Bresse Farms in Mississippi has a very reasonable price on white Bresse day old chicks. They sound very knowledgeable and I think their stock came direct from France or at least through Greenfire Farms or a similar breeder.

 

[S.A.W.]

I'm amazed at how fast these chicks grow. These are a few of my chicks that aren't quite 8 wks old!

Are these the Bresse chicks? They look like they are growing well.

 

[marsem]

Right now Bresse Farms in Mississippi has a very reasonable price on white Bresse day old chicks. They sound very knowledgeable and I think their stock came direct from France or at least through Greenfire Farms or a similar breeder.

I bought chickens in the Bresse Farms and am very unhappy with the policy. 3 months they made promises. Then I transferred the order to spring.Bresse Farms called in January and asked if I want chickens now? I agreed because the chickens hatched from
my chickens
. When I opened the package, one was dead. I took a photo and sent a letter. but there was no answer. 10 +2 were promised but 10-1 came. Chickens are very weak and poorly eaten. After 5 days, 2 more died. I do not advise anyone to buy chicks there

 

[cactusrota]

I bought chickens in the Bresse Farms and am very unhappy with the policy. 3 months they made promises. Then I transferred the order to spring.Bresse Farms called in January and asked if I want chickens now? I agreed because the chickens hatched from
my chickens
. When I opened the package, one was dead. I took a photo and sent a letter. but there was no answer. 10 +2 were promised but 10-1 came. Chickens are very weak and poorly eaten. After 5 days, 2 more died. I do not advise anyone to buy chicks there

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This isn't the first time I've seen bad reviews on that place. Their customer service history seems spotty.
There's another place called Bresse Farm (not Farms) located in Florida that has a much better reputation. Maybe try them?

 

[Papmike]

This isn't the first time I've seen bad reviews on that place. Their customer service history seems spotty.
There's another place called Bresse Farm (not Farms) located in Florida that has a much better reputation. Maybe try them?

I think Bresse farm in Fla. only sells eggs not chicks. I saw in another new post yesterday about someone having good luck with Bresse/ Mississippi. Unfortunately I have seen more bad then good review.

 

[Klutch]

I love the Bresse raising recipe. I am going to try it.
"Not only must a certificated chicken be reared in Bresse, but also only eat food grown in the region," says Anthony, the youngest farm hand while pointing out the chickens foraging freely in the fields; by law they must have 10 meters of area each.
He shows me the feed they have just mixed: "700 kilograms of our own corn to 300 kilograms wheat grain, topped by 7% desiccated milk.
"The feed is intentionally poor in protein so that the birds must forage for insects, worms or snails as well as grass to supplement their diet."

 

[cactusrota]

I love the Bresse raising recipe. I am going to try it.
"Not only must a certificated chicken be reared in Bresse, but also only eat food grown in the region," says Anthony, the youngest farm hand while pointing out the chickens foraging freely in the fields; by law they must have 10 meters of area each.
He shows me the feed they have just mixed: "700 kilograms of our own corn to 300 kilograms wheat grain, topped by 7% desiccated milk.
"The feed is intentionally poor in protein so that the birds must forage for insects, worms or snails as well as grass to supplement their diet."

unfortunately, here in Arizona I don't have the option of forcing them to forage. There's only enough worth foraging for during short periods of growth in late winter when it's been a wet year, and later summer/monsoon season. So when I want to up protein intake my most reasonably priced way to do it is by adding pond fish pellets to their diet. I also soak alfalfa/bermuda horse pellets for greens during the dry times, which is at least 2/3 of the year here....

 

[aliciaplus3]

I soak alfalfa pellets and wheat in a meat and bone broth and add it to the dry mash for my poultry. seems to help???