This remarkable table breed is considered a national treasure in its native France. Reputed to be the best-tasting chicken in the world, a roasted Bresse can cost hundreds of dollars at a Parisian restaurant.
About Us
Bresse chickens, first developed about 500 years ago in eastern France, are widely regarded as the best-tasting chickens in the world; a reputation built on centuries of careful breeding, unique regional genetics, and deep culinary tradition. Bresse make excellent backyard birds, laying roughly 250 large, white to lightly tinted eggs and displaying a moderate, curious temperament. With striking red combs, brilliant white feathers, and steel-blue legs that echo the French flag, they grow into sturdy, broad-chested birds—hens reaching 5-6 pounds and roosters 7-9 pounds—though their size means they’re not graceful fliers and need lower perches and nest boxes. They can be feisty foragers, dedicated mothers when broody, and attentive protectors, especially with an active rooster-to-hen ratio of around 1:12. Their breed standard calls for pure white plumage, dark eyes, red faces, and white earlobes, though a bit of sun or soil may give them a temporary “toasted marshmallow” tint.
Breed History
Bresse chickens have a long and colorful history that underlies their unique claim in the poultry realm: They are reputed to be the best-tasting chickens in the world. From that simple but powerful claim flows a fascinating story rich in tradition, intrigue, and nationalistic pride. Bresse stand at the pinnacle where food and fowl intersect.
About 500 years ago, Bresse (rhymes with “bless”) emerged as a distinct chicken breed in the former province of Bresse in eastern France. Somewhere between the Rhone River and the French Alps sits a 60-mile by 25-mile swath of fields and woodlands. Here, the breed was formed from a now-forgotten mix of local fowl. Through a combination of luck and selective breeding, small flocks of poulet de Bresse that dotted the French countryside soon earned the reputation of having a unique and exquisite flavor.
As early as 1825, the prototypical epicurean Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin described Bresse as “the queen of chickens, and the chicken of kings.” Bresse has been said to possess “the tastiest, the firmest, and most succulent flesh of any chicken anywhere.” And so, because of its legendary meat quality, Bresse commands a huge premium compared to conventional commercial poultry and is the basis of a thriving agricultural industry in France.
To be recognized as a true “Bresse” chicken, a bird must, perhaps inconveniently, be an authentic product of eastern France, with a traceable genetic lineage to the original flocks of the region. Bresse chickens are genetically distinct in that they uniquely metabolize feed in a way that distributes muscle and fat differently across their bodies, both in placement and rate of development. This distinctive physiology results in meat with a flavor unlike that of any other chicken. They are also known for their unusually light bones and delicate skin, physical traits that stem directly from their singular genetics. More than 500 years of careful breed selection have shaped a chicken that cannot be replicated by simply crossbreeding unrelated birds. A true Bresse is not just a type, it is a lineage, a result of history, and a product of place.
Appearance and Behavior
In a fantastic ode to their homeland, the White Bresse mirror the red, white, and blue pattern of the French national flag. Their comb is bright red, straight, and stands tall, their feathers a brilliant white, and their legs, clean of feathers and a solid steel-blue. (Note: as newly hatched chicks, their legs are not steel-blue, rather a yellowish gray color that will develop into the blue.)
Renowned as the world’s best-tasting chicken, the White Bresse are much more than a culinary marvel. They are excellent layers, producing large white to lightly tinted eggs with remarkable consistency. This makes them a versatile, dual-purpose breed ideal for any chicken keeper, big or small.
In our experience, this breed has a moderate temperament. They are curious foragers, calm and content when comfortable but surprisingly quick and feisty when provoked. They are broad-chested with a more dense build than other breeds. Typically, the hens will weigh between 5 to 6 pounds at maturity, and the roosters between 7 to 9 pounds at maturity. Being so large, they don’t take to flight very well, and when considering their living space, it is important to note perch and nestbox height to help prevent injuries; neither should be too high since they are not very good at slowing their leaping descent to the ground and tend to drop rather than glide.
The hens don’t always go broody, but when they do, they mean it! The roosters are typically protective of the hens and do a great job of sounding the alarm and/or jumping into action whenever the flock is threatened. We have not witnessed any human aggression from our roosters or hens; only the occasional peck wound from gathering eggs or very disgruntled squawk, which we can only assume is laced with chicken insults.
This breed does well at a higher rooster-to-hen ratio of about 1:12. The roosters are very active and we believe the higher ratio is suitable and helps prevent any one hen from being mounted too often but every flock is different and you may find a different ratio works for your setup.
Breed Standard
As stated above, the White Bresse model the red, white, and blue of the French national flag. Their faces are described as red, although under the tiny white feathers, come off more as pink with red waddles drooping below. The desirable eye color is the darkest it can be, and the earlobes are white. Although earlobes with some red coloring are accepted, the closer to solid white, the better. Their backs are broad and tail feathers set at an upright angle. Their feathers are white and should be free from any other coloring throughout the length of each feather. Dirt and sun bleaching can have an effect on feather color externally, but that does not degrade the quality of the bird. Thanks to the bright sun and red clay of Northern Florida, our pristine White Bresse occasionally take on a sun-kissed, ‘toasted marshmallow’ look between molts!
To read more about the standard of appearance, click here – {{link href=”https://www.americanbressebreedclub.org/breed-standard” etc}}https://www.americanbressebreedclub.org/breed-standard{{/link}} or {{link href=”http://www.aviculture-europe.nl/nummers/07e02a04.pdf” etc}}http://www.aviculture-europe.nl/nummers/07e02a04.pdf{{/link}}
Hatching Eggs
We incubate at 99.5F and 55% humidity. Once you’ve placed your eggs into your hatcher for lockdown, you should expect to see that most of the eggs will hatch on day 21! Typically, we see about an 85-90% hatch rate from the eggs that made it to lockdown. The chicks are strong and tend to hatch well without intervention.
Defects
Given the Standard of Perfection and the nature of observed defects, there are a few things to look out for as your birds age. Notably, within our older flock, we have noticed some of our birds have an eye color that is lighter than the preferred dark color, or they have grown out to have solid red earlobes. Solid red earlobes tend to develop only on roosters and should not be used within a breeding program. Lighter eye color is accepted but not preferred.
In regard to our newer bloodline, the White Bresse (2023 import line), their eye color is darker, and their earlobes are white, which are desirable traits. The newer line, though, has been observed to occasionally lack the steel-blue pigment on their toes or legs, or to develop crooked toes as they age. Their toes were not previously crooked at hatch or at juvenile ages, and the pigment cannot be noted at hatch since the birds slowly develop the steel-blue coloration. Both traits are undesirable and occur only occasionally, but should be culled for in a breeding program once noticed. We are working towards perfection with both bloodlines of White Bresse, and with customer feedback and careful monitoring, we get closer every day.
Notes
The French argue that for a Bresse to be called a Bresse it must have been raised in France. For this reason, at Greenfire Farms we make a clear distinction from French-hatched birds by referring to our bloodline of chickens as “American Bresse” or simply “White Bresse.”
Finishing
The traditional methods of raising Bresse can be approximated in the United States by providing them access to pasture and finishing them on organic grains and dairy products.
Here are a few links that describe the finishing process in detail:
https://www.ambresse.com/finishing-american-bresse.html
https://www.pouletdebresse.fr/volaille-poulet-bresse-aop-appellation-origine-protegee/
Import Notes
Greenfire Farms was the original importer of White Bresse to the United States back in 2011. Since 2011, we have imported White Bresse a few times, and our older line, sometimes referred to as the “regular line,” is crossed from past imports and, most recently, an import done in 2017. We blended these lines to maximize the genetic diversity of your birds and ensure our breeding stock remains strong.
Our “White Bresse (2023 import line)” is a newer, unrelated bloodline that has remained separate from the older line, and any blending or changes to these flocks will be noted if/whenever that time may come.
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