Bresse Chickens

[Rioux]

The legs on mine changed color about the second week but aren't completely blue yet I was told they don't turn completely until they are sexually mature. They should not be white.

 

[Fyrcog]

I agree. I figure he had a cross of something or thinks he had a breese rooster but oh well. I know the mother which I have also is full breese and I have a full breese male myself so I have a breeding pair to work with.
Just curious. The other two won't be breeders in that line but may keep for egg layers anyhow.

 

[sonew123]

I Typed a very long post with photos and my computer shut down!!!!


Grrr..now for the shorter virsion....

Ok Bresse are processed and my barn is sooo quiet.

The bresse were betwen 13-17 weeks. The difference couldnt really be seen until the feathers were off...big difference.

4 of us women processed 65 birds and 3 ducks start to finish 4 hours. 3 rd year in a row gathering to do it together while renting equiptment for 40$.

I butchered 4 old laying hens;(
3 random roosters
17 breese including the parents of the ones butcherd.

Held back 4 pullets and 1 roo for breeding next year.

All raised on fodder, fresh goats milk soaked grains and regular high protein feed, buckets and buckets of greens weekly from the gardens.

The weights after processing were 2-1/2-5 lbs

Have no idea how much per pound but my girlfriend calculated her freedom rangers to cost just around 3$ a pound and Im assuming mine is about or more due to growing my breese out way longer than her 10 weekers.

Freedom rangers

My happy clean freezer if you see
B= old bresse breeders
CP= crockpot chickens old hens and roosters
No mark breese meat bids for baking
The numbers are their weights.
I can tell you my birds were ALOT more time consuming to clean. The organs were tight up in the cavities, the meat was much firmer and darker with alot less fat pads. The joints were extremely tight to get between.
Theres my processing the bresse in a nut shell.

Next yeat is to NOT make the same mistakes

Keep all reciepts to price out per pound weight
Hatch all at once and not spread out over 4 weeks and hatch out 20 more than needed since hubby gives them all away!!!! GRRRRR
Put them in the larger outdoor property rather than a coop with a huge run where I am feeding them all their greens.
Pull their feed the day before and leave just water, I forgot to tell hubs not to feed them and their gulets were full.messy!

 

[grasspunk]

Nice photos and post. Too bad you lost the longer one!

 

[rootes]

My Bresse just hanging out. They are almost 12 weeks. Soon to start feeding them their finish rations. They have been active, friendly and healthy.

 

[rebel-rousing-at-night]

Thanks for sharing this info ronott1

 

[rootes]

My Bresse started their four weeks of "finish" yesterday.
Since I've never done this before, and there is a relatively small amount of information available about how to do it, this is an experiment. I hope with a little common sense I can figure it out.



They are being given the following mixture every day:

• one pound of 28% crumble
• two pounds of a grain mixture that includes wheat, oats, corn, and 4 other ingredients that may change as I see how they react
• two pounds of whole milk

It is easy to prepare. We have an abundance of plastic empty coffee containers. The grains and crumble just fit into one of those with enough space left so I can shake it and mix it all nicely. Then the milk gets poured in and let to sit. The milk gets absorbed and I end up with a mixture that is easy to handle,and a fixed amount that can be easily adjusted depending on what they eat and how quickly. I can make up the containers of feed/grain all at one time and can add the milk in the morning, keeping it in the fridge until feeding time so the milk does not spoil.

The goal is a balanced diet that gives them enough protein to continue to build strong, healthy muscle and still enough carbohydrates to get the fat to permeate the muscle. Since chickens are lactose intolerant, I'm going to carefully monitor the milk intake and keep an eye on their poo. If they get diarrhea from the milk, the resulting dehydration could use up their carb intake and sabotage their fat build-up. They could also be very uncomfortable. I raise my own meat birds because I want the animals to be treated well, so I don't want them to be sick from the milk. I would prefer to have raw milk. But, raw milk is available here only if I buy a herdshare or keep my own cow/goat. Since this is an experiment, I did not want to do that just yet. So, I'm buying whole pasteurized milk and I'm just going to keep a close eye on them.

For four weeks of this mixture, the cost will be:

• $24 for the milk
• $10 for the crumble
• $18 for the grain mixture

For the 6 birds, it will cost $8.67/each to "finish" them.

This may change depending on how they react and if I need to alter the mixture or the amount. They consumed all of it quickly yesterday even though it seems like alot of food per bird. I'm going to make adjustments along the way. The birds average 4 pounds each as of yesterday. Almost all of them are right on the 4 pound mark. I'll keep track of their weight, particularly at the end.

I want to give them food in the morning and have it consumed before the milk goes bad. I'm mixing the milk with the grains so it does not just sit out in a container and either spoil, or attract bugs or other critters. Water, additional crumble and grit are available to them all the time. I give them some scratch grains throughout the day as they are in a pen because we have so many daytime predators. I can't let them free-range and they love to scratch and forage.



One of the boys posing for the camera.

Take Care,

Tim




.

 

[racinchickins]

My Bresse started their four weeks of "finish" yesterday.
Since I've never done this before, and there is a relatively small amount of information available about how to do it, this is an experiment. I hope with a little common sense I can figure it out.



They are being given the following mixture every day:

• one pound of 28% crumble
• two pounds of a grain mixture that includes wheat, oats, corn, and 4 other ingredients that may change as I see how they react
• two pounds of whole milk

It is easy to prepare. We have an abundance of plastic empty coffee containers. The grains and crumble just fit into one of those with enough space left so I can shake it and mix it all nicely. Then the milk gets poured in and let to sit. The milk gets absorbed and I end up with a mixture that is easy to handle,and a fixed amount that can be easily adjusted depending on what they eat and how quickly. I can make up the containers of feed/grain all at one time and can add the milk in the morning, keeping it in the fridge until feeding time so the milk does not spoil.

The goal is a balanced diet that gives them enough protein to continue to build strong, healthy muscle and still enough carbohydrates to get the fat to permeate the muscle. Since chickens are lactose intolerant, I'm going to carefully monitor the milk intake and keep an eye on their poo. If they get diarrhea from the milk, the resulting dehydration could use up their carb intake and sabotage their fat build-up. They could also be very uncomfortable. I raise my own meat birds because I want the animals to be treated well, so I don't want them to be sick from the milk. I would prefer to have raw milk. But, raw milk is available here only if I buy a herdshare or keep my own cow/goat. Since this is an experiment, I did not want to do that just yet. So, I'm buying whole pasteurized milk and I'm just going to keep a close eye on them.

For four weeks of this mixture, the cost will be:

• $24 for the milk
• $10 for the crumble
• $18 for the grain mixture

For the 6 birds, it will cost $8.67/each to "finish" them.

This may change depending on how they react and if I need to alter the mixture or the amount. They consumed all of it quickly yesterday even though it seems like alot of food per bird. I'm going to make adjustments along the way. The birds average 4 pounds each as of yesterday. Almost all of them are right on the 4 pound mark. I'll keep track of their weight, particularly at the end.

I want to give them food in the morning and have it consumed before the milk goes bad. I'm mixing the milk with the grains so it does not just sit out in a container and either spoil, or attract bugs or other critters. Water, additional crumble and grit are available to them all the time. I give them some scratch grains throughout the day as they are in a pen because we have so many daytime predators. I can't let them free-range and they love to scratch and forage.



One of the boys posing for the camera.

Take Care,

Tim




.

This is absolutely great!!! I can't wait to see and hear about your results!

 

[rootes]

First lesson learned...................too much food.
Had I done the math up front, I would have realized that fact.
Live and learn.

If I want the Bresse to be 7 pounds, and they are currently 4, then I want to add 18 pounds to the six birds in four weeks.
Assuming a feed conversion rate of 25% (just a guess, as these are not cornish x with a 50% conversion) that would mean 72 pounds of feed over the course of 30 days.
Comes to 2-1/2 pounds of food each day. That is half what I gave them the first two days. The first day I understand why they ate it all. It looks so good that I want to eat it! Yesterday they did not eat quite half.

So, I'll mix and give them the same ratios, but only a total of 2-1/2 pounds a day.

No poo issues so far. What was stuck to the bottom on my shoes is just regular chicken poo.



Enjoying a post-breakfast nap!

Take Care,

Tim

 

[sonew123]

I can tell you the last 4 weeks of scratch, goats milke, greens, leftover, regular feed all soaked together just fattened my birds up...I think growing mine out for an additional 4 weeks is needed fo next year. i didnt even cme close to a 5lb bird at 16-20 week olds and they were FED and spoiled rotten. im shooting for 24 week olds next year. Good luck can't wait to see and hear your results.