Bresse x Plymouth Barred Rock?

[Amer]

But I can’t guarantee they will be popular of course. I raise bantam Buckeyes. People want Buckeyes but not the bantams.

 

[dheltzel]

To create an autosexing line, you need to start with a breed that has a color variety with wild-type chick down (brown leghorn, welsummer, partridge rock, etc), then add sex-linked barring to make crele, the autosexing color.
To my knowledge, Breese are only in a few colors, primarily white, making them a poor starting point for autosexing.

 

[SE_Gardener]

I’m not positive but I think the only way to achieve the bresse marbling is by “finishing them the French way” which involves an odd diet. I can’t quite remember. I know they’re an excellent meat birds either way (they’d be my top choice) but I don’t think they come by that marbling naturally. Maybe someone knows more.

The marbling is NOT a natural feature of Bresse muscle development. The marbling comes about from the last 2-3 weeks finishing the birds before butcher. The birds are essentially placed in a dark area of a barn/shed in a box - approx 13x13 - their activity is completely eliminated. They are then fed milk with a grain mash all they can eat (I don't know the recipe - the French are quite closed about it). The full fatted dairy along with the grain (likely a starchy grain like corn and seeds). That diet and zero activity puts on fat as you can imagine. Personally, If you're raising meatbirds especially in 30-50+ number, I can't imagine preparing a milk mush to finish over a 2-3 week period. Can you imagine the smell of that manure?

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

I sure hope this idea was abandoned

 

[MysteryChicken]

When they talk about marbling, are they talking about meat having fat, marbled through?

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

When they talk about marbling, are they talking about meat having fat, marbled through?

Yes

 

[MysteryChicken]

Yes

Okay, thanks just wanted to be sure.

A few of the birds I raised that I butchered this year actually had the marbling.