Author Topic: Table birds (Read 5587 times)

Clansman · « **Reply #15 on:** February 26, 2015, 08:07:26 pm »

I'm sure they would, although I have no information on it ever happening.

However I do have someone taking some females which they are going to cross with a La Bresse male and a Scots Grey male.

If I end up with more than I planned on keeping I may also try them with a Scots Grey male.

They are a highly developed commercial hybrid but at the end of the day they are still chickens, albeit very fast growing chickens so I would think crossing them with virtually anything would give a fairly decent table bird.

we'll have some info by the autumn but i'll try and see if I can get a few more out there to cross with some pure breeds

Dave C · « **Reply #16 on:** February 26, 2015, 10:07:35 pm »

I have La Bresse and can imagine they would make a cracking cross.
Although I would like something with a bit more colour as I am getting a little bored with white, as I have a lot of La Bresse and White Leghorns, ha

Polyanya · « **Reply #17 on:** March 02, 2015, 10:50:56 am »

Over the years I've tried the lot! Most successful in terms of looking like a supermarket chicken but tasting much better were the ross/cobb/hubbard bought in eggs and grown as broilers. I did try to keep a couple of hubbards on for breeding but they eventually lost a lot of feathering and looked awful.
I've tried Bresse de Galouise twice now, the first lot more successful in terms of coming to any decent weight before 20 weeks. This second batch of eggs bought last autumn have grown differently and I suspect have been crossed with something else as the spare cockerels at 18 weeks were about 3 to 31/2 lbs. Not really enough to get excited about is it, but and it is a big but, they were not fed growers ad lib just mixed grain and they were trying to grow on at the worst time of year - winter. The taste and tenderness was exceptional and I did manage to get three meals out of one - so not all bad.
I've kept the heaviest boy with two of the heaviest girls and we'll see how they fare this summer.

Dave C · « **Reply #18 on:** March 02, 2015, 01:11:15 pm »

Yes I will be trying my La Bresse this year as a pure breed, also on the look out for some dark Indian Game which I think will make a nice cross

RPF · « **Reply #19 on:** March 07, 2015, 09:38:35 am »

I'm also doing La Bresse this year. I've got a flock of 25 split into four breeding groups. I'm chucking in a Jubilee IG to see how they cross. Also doing L/S cross dark IG and Brahma cross dark IG to see what my strains cross like

Dave C · « **Reply #20 on:** March 08, 2015, 10:38:39 pm »

Look forward to hearing how your La a Bresse get on and compair to mine
Also your cross IG breeds sound great when are you looking I hatch ?

RPF · « **Reply #21 on:** March 09, 2015, 06:57:24 am »

I just need to finish off converting my shed into a brooding area. I think I'm going to have to buy a proper brooding cage that accommodates chicks up to 4 weeks as we seem to always have rats round her and from experience they can chew through pretty much anything unless it's properly made. Then source an incubator, so hopefully start the beginning of next month. Most have started laying so far. In one group I'm getting 4 eggs a day from 3 pullets!

What about you, when do you hope to start? How are you getting on with your La Bresse?

Dave C · « **Reply #22 on:** March 10, 2015, 06:35:37 pm »

Will be setting mine in 2 weeks like you I am trying to build my stock up this season and spare cockerels will be getting tryed on the table
Am very impressed with laying ability and size of egg, so if the rear to a good size and taste good I will be over the moon