Poulet de Bresse

[cheirogloss]

Does anyone know of any hatcheries in the US selling Poulet de Bresse, the French blue-footed chicken? I know that there is an American version, simply called the blue foot chicken, but I was hoping to track down some of the real Poulet de Bresse for culinary reasons.

 

[blackdotte]

The true Poulet de Bresse is not available outside France. This is a legally protected breed. If removed from France it must be known by a different name. It is possible your blue footed chicken is such an animal
David

 

[aveca]

Here is something interesting about this breed. These birds are very special and treated like it. Here is a excerpt from a traveler to that region in france.

Yes, they tasted different than the scrawny chickens you get in a plastic sack in Safeway. They should, since our research found that a Bresse chicken in a French supermarket was marked 17 Euros. Steep. But, if you like flavor in a chicken, it's worth it.

Bresse chickens are treated like fine wine. They have an appellation, a particular place where they come from, and they are a particular breed. Plus, they get to eat real food and walk around the countryside, all regulated by law.

Head toward the town of Bourg-en-Bresse and you'll see some giant chickens lining the road.

 

[aveca]

The above post is right, you will never be able to get the pure breed from france....shame its said they are the best tasting chicken alive probably a lot in part due to regulations that say each chicken needs X amount of room to move around. Boy I wish we had some here.

There are some breeders in canada that imported the breed a long time ago, and made it down this neck of the woods mainly as a rescue of extreamly rare breed from avian flu outbreak in canada. .. There is a farm in north california that has them but they are exclusivly selling meat to fine resturants and not giving them up, they think that flooding the market with them and people will inevitably ruin the breed here by cross breeding anything.

I asked well isnt it a good tasting bird because its free roaming? They said No...even the liver of this bird is different than any free roaming chicken and the liver from them is highly prized.. smaller than a typical leghorn bred strickly for taste .

The true breed in white only with blue legs

there is another post in here with what looks like the brown version or variation of this breed, they look like a red leghorn with white earlobe. and they lay color egg. canadian and american bred this bird with some color . they are flighty

 

[Phoenixwmn]

People have it right about the French Bresse chicken and how it has it's own special designation and appellation in France etc and are a fiercely protected breed, but there is an American cousin that people went to great lengths to breed, and they DID import a couple breeders from France years ago through a one-time special agreement. The Bresse chickens born here legally must be called American Bresse, but otherwise they are genetically exactly the same, and several breeders have gone to extraordinarily extensive expense and lengths to breed them. You can buy them at GreenFire Farms and there are a couple other live poultry sellers who have them. They are quite price-y, the lowest price I've seen for the chicks is $49 each and they go up to hundreds of dollars each. They require very special feeding and foraging techniques, you can't just turn 'em loose like you do your other chickens; you must also keep a Bresse Rooster away from other breed hens; there's a lot of serious responsibility in taking this breed on to raise.

Their blue legs are a proof of their breeding; in France at the butcher they leave the legs on to prove they are indeed the legendary French Bresse.

You can get these birds and raise them, I'm in the process myself, just know you'll need to educate yourself thoroughly on the required feeding & care methods. They are beautiful birds, absolutely beautiful !! Hope my post helps those interested in this breed.

 

[Phoenixwmn]

P.S.---from the history of this breed that I've read, the French REALLY didn't want us to have them. It was a long expensive fight to get them imported here and one of the conditions was that they must be called American Bresse, not French Bresse.

 

[Bill1st]

is this one?

 

[bigshawn]

Where did you get it from the legs look more yellow then blue. I have both the California blue foot and the Breese I can't tell them apart but blue legs are on all if them.