Bresse Chickens: The French Meat Breed Explained

By John Walker · Backyard chicken keeper in Dallas, Texas since 2017

Bresse chickens are France's most famous chicken breed, prized for their meat above all other breeds. A true Bresse has white feathers, bright blue legs, and a red comb, the colours of the French flag, and the meat is known for its flavour and fine texture. This guide explains the breed's history, its temperament, its laying, and what it takes to keep Bresse chickens in a backyard flock.

What are Bresse chickens?

Bresse chickens are a French breed from the Bresse region of eastern France, and they are kept mainly for meat. The breed is so valued in France that it has a protected status, which means only birds raised in the Bresse region, under strict rules, can be sold as Poulet de Bresse.

Birds kept elsewhere are still Bresse chickens, but they cannot use the protected name.

The breed is known for three colours: white feathers, blue legs, and a red comb. This is not a coincidence, because the breeders chose the birds to match the French flag. The white variety is the most common, and it is the one most keepers mean when they say Bresse. There are also black and grey varieties, but they are rare.

Bresse chickens are a large, active breed, and they grow fast for a heritage bird. They are good foragers, and they do best when they have space to roam. They are not a good choice for a small backyard, because they need room to move and they eat a lot.

Bresse chicken history and protected status

The Bresse breed has been kept in eastern France for centuries, and it was already famous for its meat by the 1800s. The birds were raised on small farms, where they ranged freely in the pastures and were fed on corn, milk, and grain.

The flavour of the meat comes from this slow, free range life, and from the breed itself.

In 1957 the Bresse gained a protected status under French law, called Appellation d'Origine Controlee, which is the same kind of protection given to Champagne and Roquefort cheese. The rules cover where the birds are raised, how much space they get, what they eat, and how long they live before they are processed.

Outside France, Bresse chickens are kept by breeders and smallholders who value the breed for its meat and its looks. The birds are not common in hatcheries, and they cost more than most breeds. If you buy Bresse chicks, check that the breeder is honest about the bloodline, because the breed is sometimes crossed with other white birds and sold as pure Bresse.

What do Bresse chickens look like?

A Bresse chicken is a large bird with white feathers, a single red comb, and bright blue legs. The blue legs are the breed's most striking feature, and they are a slate blue colour that stands out against the white feathers. The comb is large and red, and the wattles are red as well.

The beak is pale, and the eyes are dark.

Hens weigh around 2.5 to 3 kilograms, and roosters weigh around 3 to 3.5 kilograms. The body is broad and deep, with a full breast and strong legs, which is the shape of a meat bird. The feathers are close and smooth, and the bird looks clean and neat rather than fluffy.

The blue legs are the key to telling a true Bresse from a look-alike. A white Leghorn has yellow legs, and a white Plymouth Rock has yellow legs too, so a white bird with blue legs is likely a Bresse or a Bresse cross. Check the legs, the comb, and the body shape together, because no single feature proves the breed on its own.

Bresse chicken temperament and behaviour

Bresse chickens are active, alert, and good foragers, and they do best in a free range system. They like to roam, scratch, and hunt for insects, and they will cover a large area if they are allowed to. They are not lazy birds, and they do not do well in a small pen with no space to move.

The hens are calm and friendly with people, and they are easy to handle. The roosters are also calm for a large breed, but they are protective of their hens and they will challenge a stranger that gets too close. They are not aggressive by nature, but they are big and strong, so handle them with care.

Bresse chickens are good fliers for their size, and they will fly over a low fence if they want to. A fence of at least 1.8 metres is needed to keep them in, and a covered run is better if you live near a road. They are also noisy when they are startled, so they are not the best choice for a small garden in a built-up area.

How many eggs do Bresse chickens lay?

Bresse hens lay around 200 to 250 eggs a year, which is a good number for a meat breed. The eggs are large, white, and well shaped, and the hens lay steadily through spring and summer. They slow down in winter, and they may stop altogether in the coldest months, because they are not bred for winter laying.

The hens are not reliable brooders, and they rarely go broody. This is good if you want eggs, because a broody hen stops laying, but it means you will need an incubator or another broody hen if you want to hatch Bresse chicks. The hens are good mothers if they do go broody, and they raise their chicks well.

Bresse hens start laying at around 20 to 24 weeks old, which is later than a commercial hybrid but normal for a heritage breed. The first eggs are smaller than normal, and they grow to full size over a few weeks. Feed a good layer feed with oyster shell, and the shells will be strong and the yolks deep orange.

How to keep Bresse chickens

Bresse chickens need space, and this is the most important part of keeping them. Give each bird at least 4 square metres of run space, and more if you can, because they are active foragers. A small run will make them bored and stressed, and they will feather peck and fight.

Free range is best, with a secure coop for the night.

The coop should be large and well ventilated, because Bresse are big birds and they need room on the roost. Give each bird 30 centimetres of roost space, and make sure the roost is strong enough to hold their weight. The nest boxes should be large, and one box for every four hens is enough.

Feed a good quality layer feed, and let the birds forage for grass, insects, and seeds. Bresse chickens eat more than a small breed, because they are large and active, so budget for a higher feed bill. Our chicken feed calculator can help you work out how much feed a flock of Bresse will need.

Bresse chickens for meat: what to expect

Bresse chickens are kept for meat because the flavour is better than most breeds. The meat is tender, fine textured, and rich, with a thin layer of fat under the skin that keeps it moist when it is cooked. The flavour comes from the breed, the slow growth, and the free range life.

and it is the reason the breed is so valued in France.

The birds grow slower than a commercial broiler, and they are ready for the table at 16 to 20 weeks old, rather than six to eight weeks. This slow growth is part of what makes the meat good, but it also means the feed cost is higher. A Bresse capon, a castrated rooster, is the most prized bird in France, and it is raised for even longer.

If you keep Bresse for meat, plan the processing in advance, and check the rules in your area. Some keepers process the birds themselves, and others use a local processor. Either way, the birds should be handled calmly and kept in clean conditions, because stress and dirt affect the meat.

Are Bresse chickens right for you?

Bresse chickens are right for you if you have space, you want a dual purpose breed with excellent meat, and you like a striking bird with blue legs and white feathers. They are good layers for a meat breed, they are calm and friendly, and they are a talking point in any flock.

They are a good choice for a smallholding with land to spare.

They are not right for you if you have a small backyard, if you want the maximum number of eggs, or if you want a cheap bird. Bresse chicks cost more than most breeds, they eat more, and they need more space. A small garden flock will be happier with a smaller, quieter breed such as an Australorp or a Plymouth Rock.

If you decide to keep Bresse, buy from a breeder who can show you the parent birds, and check the blue legs and the body shape before you pay. A good breeder will answer your questions, and will tell you honestly whether the birds are pure Bresse or a cross. Our best chicken breeds for beginners guide can help you compare breeds.

Sources: poultry.extension.org and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

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